In a historic matchup between two of college football’s most storied programs, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face off for the national championship on Monday night.
Both teams navigated grueling playoff paths to earn their spot in this highly anticipated showdown.
Ohio State secured their place in the title game with dominating victories over Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas. Meanwhile, Notre Dame defeated Indiana, Georgia, and Penn State, showcasing their gritty resilience and determination throughout the playoff run.
While the two teams have traveled similar roads to the championship, one former head coach believes there’s a clear difference in talent between the squads.
Speaking on The Triple Option podcast, legendary Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer weighed in on the matchup, emphasizing the Buckeyes’ edge in overall roster strength.
“I’d always meet with the staff after I did a thorough evaluation because, man, that changes the whole world of how you plan a game. If that team across the sideline has better dudes than you got then, once again, that changes it. And I look at roster-roster,” Meyer began.
“Remember, Notre Dame lost either three or four really good players on [defense]…Offensively? I just – this is not a talent-equated game on paper. It’s not. And, on film, I would say it’s not.”
Meyer specifically pointed to personnel losses on Notre Dame’s defense and a perceived gap in offensive firepower.
However, Meyer also praised Notre Dame for their intangibles, noting their ability to find ways to win against more talented opponents. He highlighted their victory over Georgia as a prime example.
“I would say that the Fighting Irish – those gold helmets, the way they play? Sometimes talent, you know – rarely does the less-talented team beat a more-talented team. But this is one of those teams that’s got a refuse-to-lose mentality,” Meyer continued.
“Remember, now, how they beat Georgia. They scored – they got a short-field, a six, eight-yard field. Next thing you know, they get a kickoff return for a touchdown and then the game flipped like that.
“It was not they lined up toe-to-toe and swung and hit and hit and hit because Georgia, on film, probably, and on paper, probably, had the better roster.”
Despite acknowledging Notre Dame’s gritty performances throughout the season, Meyer still sees Ohio State as the significant favorite, adding that “Vegas is not wrong very often.”
Meyer believes the Buckeyes’ depth and talent give them the upper hand but admits the Fighting Irish’s unquantifiable qualities could make for an unpredictable outcome.
In fairness to Meyer, many fans would agree with his assessment of the matchup.
Having said that, the talented Buckeyes would be absolute fools to underestimate Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish.
What are your thoughts on Meyer’s comments?
More importantly, what is YOUR prediction for the game? … Do you give Notre Dame any chance at pulling off the upset???
