Set for January 20th, a heavyweight showdown is set to take place between Ohio State and Notre Dame in Atlanta for the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. Entering this contest, both squads have thundered through the CFP bracket, with varying degrees of success. For Ohio State, the Buckeyes have demolished all of their opponents, to the tune of double-digit wins over the likes of Texas, Oregon, and Tennessee. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish have also looked very impressive at times, especially on defense, with emphatic victories over Indiana and Georgia, along with a dramatic win over Penn State in the CFP semifinals. Of course, this will be the biggest test yet for both teams as each squad is riding a wave of momentum in confidence as two of the biggest brands and fan bases collide at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
For this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each of these teams along with a predicted winner and also some other excellent information you can find at SBS.
| 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame vs. Ohio State | Buckeyes ML | -380 | -380 | -380 |
Entering this game, the Buckeyes will be making their first national championship game appearance since the 2020 season. Additionally, this will be their sixth all-time national championship game appearance, as Ohio State aims to win their first national championship since 2014. In their semifinal matchup against Texas, Ohio State was gridlocked with the Longhorns, 14-14, heading into the final quarter. Then the Buckeye playmakers sprung to life as quarterback Will Howard directed a 13-play 88-yard drive, capped off by a Quinshon Judkins touchdown plunge. Later in the same period, with Texas driving and trying to respond, Buckeye defender Jack Sawyer returned a fumble 83 yards for the game-sealing score, 28-14. Certainly a contested affair, Ohio State was able to overcome an interception by Howard in the battle of the college football heavyweights.
In terms of overall playmakers, the Buckeyes roster is dotted with fantastic stars across the board. This season, running back TreVeyon Henderson has rushed for 967 rushing yards along with 10 touchdown scores. He is complemented in the backfield by Judkins (960 rushing yards) who also scored a dozen touchdowns of his own this season. A fantastic one-two punch, if the Buckeyes can move the ball consistently on the ground against the vaunted Irish defense they will be in great shape. Meanwhile, another playmaker to keep an eye on is wide receiver Jeremitha Smith who notched 1,227 receiving yards this season along with 14 touchdown scores. While his counterpart, Emeka Egbuka, is solid in his own right, Smith has been excellent in the 2024-25 CFP, torching defenses and also freeing up his teammates for big plays.
Another excellent team, the Irish has had a storybook season and head coach Marcus Freeman has his squad rolling along. Following a thrilling win over Penn State in the semifinals, Notre Dame is back in the national championship game for the first time since the 2013 BCS National Championship. With that in mind, Notre Dame did just recently get some bad news as left tackle Anthonie Knapp was recently ruled out of the title contest against the Buckeyes with a high ankle sprain. Like Ohio State, Notre Dame has a strong signal-caller in Riley Leonard who has done a great job of piloting the Irish offense this year to the tune of 19 passing scores and 16 rushing touchdowns. If Notre Dame wants to stick with the Buckeyes they will need their fantastic rushing attack (three players with over 700 rushing yards this year) to be effective early and often.
Another excellent element of the Notre Dame attack is their fantastic defensive front that has been recognized as one of the top, if not the top, unit in all of college football. Allowing just 14.3 points per game, the Irish have done a masterful job of limiting opponents and grinding out wins based on their formula of strong rushing, clock control, and a bruising defense. While this of course did not always come to fruition, the Irish were able to score a 14-1 record this year thanks to this tried and true formula.
A matchup that features a lot of compelling battles, take Ohio State to win in this contest based on their overall strength of wins and battle-tested prowess. Of course, the Irish have the playmakers to make this a game, but Ohio State just has more talent.
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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