What you need to know for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship

Ahead of the 2025 College Football Playoff national championship, here is a deep dive into the Ohio State and Notre Dame matchup, including a series history, stat comparisons and more. The two will play for the title at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

Their paths to atlanta

Ohio State
The Buckeyes entered the playoff as the No. 8 seed — though ranked No. 6 in the final CFP top 25 — after missing out on an opportunity for the Big Ten championship and a bye following a shocking home loss to longtime rival Michigan. Spirits seemed gloomy in Columbus as the Wolverines took down Ohio State for the fourth consecutive season — on what was a particularly down year for "that team up north." Questions were swirling around head coach Ryan Day and what to make of potentially another disappointing season. However, Day quickly put the murmurs to bed, easily running by Tennessee in the first round and manhandling undefeated, No. 1 seed Oregon in the CFP quarterfinals. 

The Buckeyes outscored their first two playoff opponents 83-38 before taking down Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl. Their semifinal matchup was still a two-score win, but OSU was tested late, unlike in its previous two playoff games. The Longhorns had possession inside the Buckeye's 5-yard line late in the game, threatening to tie the game at 21 in the fourth. However, the stout Ohio State defense stepped up, knocking the Texas offense back outside the 5-yard line before OSU defensive end Jack Sawyer strip-sacked Quinn Ewers and ran the ball 83 yards to the house. 

JACK SAWYER

GIMME THAT

HE SCOOPS AND HE SCORES

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow)

It was a play that Buckeye nation will not soon forget, and Ryan Day's once-questioned squad is rolling into Atlanta with about as much momentum as a team can hold.

READ MORE: The varied stats and histories of OSU vs. Notre Dame on the gridiron and the hardwood

Notre Dame
The Irish entered the playoff seeded No. 7, incapable of receiving a bye as an independent. This is a team that was counted out early in the season, and at the time, it was fair. Notre Dame lost to the MAC's Northern Illinois in Week 2. It was a low point in South Bend, and heavy pressure was immediately dropped on Marcus Freeman's squad. One more loss in its remaining 10 games would have likely knocked the Irish out of the 12-team playoff. 

Four months later, Notre Dame holds the nation's longest winning streak (13) and is heading to its first title game since 2012. The Irish took a similar, while not as dominant, path as the Buckeyes, defeating Indiana and Georgia relatively easily before their defense stepped up late against Penn State in the semifinals. Riley Leonard and Notre Dame will look to add its another ring to its historic football program on Monday.

Series history

Ohio State leads the all-time series 6-2, winning the previous six matchups since 1995. Notre Dame's only two wins came in 1935 and 1936. The two powerhouse programs most recently faced off in 2023, delivering one of the best finishes of the season.

No. 9 Notre Dame led No. 6 Ohio State 14-10 with 1:25 remaining when the Buckeyes took over on their own 35-yard line with one timeout. The next 12 plays consisted of a 3rd and 10, 4th and 7 and 3rd and 19 conversion down to the Notre Dame 1-yard line. With no timeouts, a 3rd and goal from the 1 and 3 seconds on the clock, OSU running back Chip Trayanum punched it in for the 17-14 win. 

September 23, 2023

Ohio State - 17
Notre Dame - 14

— Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O)

It was arguably the best finish of the season that came in late September and one that is likely in the back of many Ohio State and Notre Dame fans' minds as we near Monday night. 

Defense wins championships

The old Bear Bryant adage reigns true in 2025 as each team is anchored by two of the top defensive units in the nation. The Buckeyes rank first in the FBS in points per game allowed (12.2), yards per game (251.4) and yards per play (3.9). Day has built a sound defense on all levels, boasting an elite pass rush complemented by a smothering secondary.

Two stats exemplify the greatness of the OSU defense — opponent's red zone scoring percentage (61.11%) and sack percentage (11.06%). Both stats rank first nationally and have been fully displayed in the playoffs. The Buckeyes have 16 sacks in their three playoff games, and on the season, they are bringing down the QB over once per 10 pass attempts. Sacks are drive killers, and it will be a tall task for the Irish's banged-up offensive line to slow them down.  

As for the Irish defense, they sit in second behind OSU in points allowed (14.3), seventh in yards allowed (298.7) and fifth in yards per play (4.4). Notre Dame's sack and red zone percentage don't quite stack up with the Buckeyes, but Freeman's squad has its own identity — forcing turnovers. The Irish have four thus far in the playoffs, two interceptions and two fumbles, and they are fifth in the FBS in takeaways per game on the season (2.1). All-American safety Xavier Watts has six interceptions (second in the FBS), so Will Howard must keep a close eye on the ball-hawk in the Notre Dame secondary. 

Offensive X factors

Although the defenses are elite, the offenses are still flushed with talent, as expected from national championship contenders. Here are two offensive talents that could make a huge difference in the national championship:

Notre Dame

The Irish's offense is powered on the ground, averaging over 200 yards rushing per game. The combination of dual-threat Leonard and superstar running back Jeremiyah Love has poisoned teams all season. However, Love is dealing with a lingering knee injury. He is expected to play but with the added restraint of a knee brace, meaning Notre Dame may not be able to rely on him as much as Freeman would like. 

In addition, this is one of the few, if not the first, matchups this season that the Irish might be out-matched on paper. It's easy to run the ball with a lead, but this reliance can hurt teams trying to come from behind — especially with your star running back not 100% healthy.

That being said, Leonard and the receivers will have to step up as they did against Penn State, and Notre Dame's leading receiver in the semifinals, Jaden Greathouse, has become Leonard's go-to target. Against the strong OSU pass rush, Greathouse should be heavily involved out of the slot position, as Leonard will need to get the ball out quick. Greathouse has fast feet and a large 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame. He could become a true game-changer as the Irish pursue their first title since 1988. 

Ohio State

The obvious answer here is Jeremiah Smith. Through three playoff games, he has 14 catches for 293 yards and four touchdowns. But... 290 of those yards came before the semifinals. Smith's final stat line against Texas in the semis: one catch for three yards. Now, Texas entered the Cotton Bowl with a clear game plan — stop Jeremiah Smith. Steve Sarkisian double or triple bracketed the freshman most of the night. And to come to the Longhorns' defense, it almost worked until the red zone collapse at the end of the game. 

Texas had three players bracketing Jeremiah Smith at times last night 😳.

📸

— The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast)

While of course Freeman is not guaranteed to deploy the same efforts at stopping Smith, it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea, seeing how he gashed Tennessee and Oregon. Thankfully for OSU fans, the Buckeyes produce wide receiver talent at the same rate McDonald's makes cheeseburgers. Guys like Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate are high-level talents, and if Smith gets the Calvin Johnson treatment, one, if not both, of these receivers should be in line for a big day. 

Egbuka has experience against Watts and the Irish secondary, tallying 96 yards in the school's last matchup in 2023, including the huge 3rd and 19 catch with seconds remaining to set up the game-winning touchdown. The projected first-round draft pick will be a guy to look out for in Atlanta.

What the stats say