The College Football Playoff National Championship Game will feature a clash of titans as the Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish next Monday evening in Atlanta.
The highly anticipated showdown comes after both teams battled through a challenging postseason to earn their spots in the title game.
Ohio State enters with renewed vigor after a rollercoaster season.
Despite a regular-season-ending loss to arch-rival Michigan, the Buckeyes rebounded with a dominant run through the CFP.
They opened with a convincing victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, exacted revenge against the Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals, and secured their place in the title game with a semifinal win against the Texas Longhorns in Arlington.
Notre Dame’s journey to the championship has been equally impressive.
After dispatching the Indiana Hoosiers at home in the first round, the Fighting Irish pulled off an impressive upset against the Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals.
They then edged out a narrow victory over Penn State in the semifinals, setting the stage for their final test against the heavily-favored Buckeyes.
Prominent ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum weighed in on the matchup during an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning.
He praised Notre Dame’s strategy. culture, and overall player development throughout the season.
“I love the Notre Dame story because they’re not playing for the national championship with Ole Miss‘ running back and Alabama‘s defensive back,” Finebaum said.
“I mean, they’ve developed players. They’ve gone out and brought in players from Duke and other schools, just like Indiana did, but ultimately they found a way and they beat some good programs along the way.”
The Irish have benefited from key additions through the transfer portal, including starting quarterback Riley Leonard, who transferred from Duke during the offseason.
Having said that, we all know that Finebaum was taking a clear shot at Ohio State for “buying” Quinshon Judkins and Caleb Downs.
(Friendly advice: Don’t you dare mention the fact that the Buckeyes spent $20 million on their roster to Kirk Herbstreit.)
Regardless, Ohio State enters the title game as a significant favorite thanks to their high-powered offense and stifling defense.
The Buckeyes have been the most dominant team throughout the playoffs. However, we all know that Marcus Freeman’s gritty Irish aren’t backing down from anyone.
There’s not a word in the English language that Ryan Day hates more than the word “soft.” … And if there’s one team in the country that sure as hell isn’t soft, it’s Notre Dame.
It kind of makes you wonder if Day and Chip Kelly will be suckered into proving their toughness against the Irish, similar to their fatal approach against Michigan…
Nevertheless, we are in-store for an epic title showdown come Monday.
What are your thoughts on Finebaum’s low-blow? … Fair game? Or did he cross the line?
More importantly, what’s your prediction for the game???
