College football's champion will be crowned when the eighth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes battle the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday, Jan. 20. Ohio State advanced with a 28-14 win over Texas in the semifinals, while Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24. The Buckeyes (13-2, 7-2 Big Ten), who placed fourth in the Big Ten Conference, have won three straight. The Fighting Irish (14-1), who have won 13 in a row, are 7-0 against ranked opponents in 2024-25.
Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Ohio State leads the all-time series 6-2, last meeting in 2023. The Buckeyes are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Ohio State vs. Notre Dame odds, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 46. Before making any Ohio State vs. Notre Dame picks, check out the college football predictions from SportsLine Ohio State expert Eric Cohen.
Cohen, host of the weekly Early Edge College Football Picks Show on CBS Network, is 77-57 on college football picks this season, returning a betting profit of $1,559 for $100 players on his college spread football picks. Anyone following him at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen impressive returns.
Now, Cohen has set his sights on Ohio State vs. Notre Dame. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the FBS college football lines and trends for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame:
- Ohio State vs. Notre Dame spread: Ohio State -8.5
- Ohio State vs. Notre Dame over/under: 46 points
- Ohio State vs. Notre Dame money line: Ohio State -360, Notre Dame +283
- OSU: The Buckeyes are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games
- ND: The Fighting Irish are 10-0 ATS in their last 10 games
- Ohio State vs. Notre Dame picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Ohio State vs. Notre Dame streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Ohio State can cover
Senior quarterback Will Howard is coming off a solid performance in the win over Texas. He completed 24 of 33 passes (72.7%) for 289 yards and one touchdown with one interception. In the quarterfinal win over Oregon, he completed 17 of 26 passes (65.4%) for 319 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. For the season, he has completed 292 of 402 passes (72.6%) for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns with 10 interceptions with a 173.7 rating.
Among his top targets is freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. For the season, he has 71 receptions for 1,227 yards (17.3 average) and 14 touchdowns. He was nearly unstoppable in the win over Oregon. In that game, he made seven catches for 187 yards (26.7 average) and two touchdowns. In the quarterfinals against Tennessee, he made six catches for 103 yards (17.2 average) and two touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
Why Notre Dame can cover
Senior quarterback Riley Leonard helps power the Fighting Irish offense. In 15 games this season, he has completed 247 of 372 passes (66.4%) for 2,606 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions and a 137.8 rating. He has also carried 167 times for 866 yards (5.2 average) and 16 touchdowns. In the semifinal win over Penn State, he completed 15 of 23 passes (65.2%) for 223 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. He also rushed 18 times for 35 yards and a score.
Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love has led the ground game this season, carrying 159 times for 1,121 yards (7.1 average) and 17 touchdowns, including a long of 98 yards. He also has 26 receptions for 232 yards (8.9 average) and two touchdowns. He has rushed for 100 or more yards in four games this season, including in the 27-17 win over Indiana in the quarterfinals. In that game, he carried eight times for 108 yards and one touchdown. See which team to pick here.
How to make Notre Dame vs. Ohio State picks
Cohen has analyzed Ohio State vs. Notre Dame from every possible angle. He's leaning under on the point total and has also discovered an X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. Find out what it is, and which team to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Ohio State vs. Notre Dame on Monday, Jan. 20, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame spread to back, all from the expert who is an incredible 77-57 on his college football picks, returning well over $1,550 for $100 players.