Notre Dame will enter Monday night’s national championship game in Atlanta as a long shot. A team few expect to win. An 8.5-point underdog against Ohio State.
Since 2013, the only team that was a bigger underdog in the sport’s final game was TCU two years ago, and the Horned Frogs were hammered by Georgia in an ugly one-sided title game.
Ohio State is expected to win and win big. Then again, few predicted the Irish would get to this point, particularly after that stunning Sept. 7 loss to Northern Illinois in South Bend as a 28-point favorite.
They haven’t lost since, carrying a 13-game winning streak into Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After an easy opening-round victory over No. 10 Indiana, seventh-seeded Notre Dame ousted SEC champion and No. 2 seed Georgia, then knocked off Big Ten runner-up Penn State, the sixth seed.
In both contests, the Fighting Irish looked overwhelmed early, only to find their footing after a shaky start.
They also showed grit in that win over the Nittany Lions, scoring the game’s final 10 points in a seesaw affair.
There is some team of destiny magic with the Irish.
Despite numerous injuries to key players, despite that shocking early-season loss, they are one of the last two teams standing. They won’t be in awe of heavily favored Ohio State.
The Post takes a look at other storylines for the big game below:
Can Notre Dame run the ball?
Ohio State is an elite run-stuffing defense, third in the nation against the run at 89.9 yards per game.
Notre Dame loves to keep it on the ground, averaging 210.8 yards, which was 14th best in the country.
Three different players — quarterback Riley Leonard and tailbacks Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price — ran for at least 733 yards and seven touchdowns.
It is the Irish’s offensive identity, controlling the line of scrimmage and setting up the pass off the run.
But the Buckeyes held Oregon, Texas and Tennessee to a combined 187 rushing yards in three playoff wins, rebounding well after getting mauled up front by Michigan in that stunning Thanksgiving weekend loss in Columbus, Ohio.
Hired guns excel under center
This will be a first — two first-year quarterbacks at new schools meeting in the national championship game.
The transfer portal has certainly worked out for Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard (Duke) and Ohio State’s Will Howard (Kansas State).
Ohio State, in fact, had some interest in Leonard, although he wound up committing to Notre Dame pretty early in the process. Howard also heard from the Irish initially.
Ironically, the two quarterbacks were roommates at the Manning Passing Academy this past summer.
They have taken a similar road to this point, both performing well for lower-level programs, transferring up and playing their way to the pinnacle of the sport.
They have overcome setbacks, and some doubted their ability to lead their teams to this point.
But the duo have also come up big in the playoff, combining 11 total touchdowns and five interceptions.
Freshman versus Freshman
Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith can wreck this game.
He obliterated Tennessee and Oregon in the first two rounds of the playoff, producing 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns, before he was shut down by Texas in the semifinals.
For the season, he has 71 catches for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns, all Buckeyes records for a freshman.
But Notre Dame has a first-year stud of its own in cornerback Leonard Moore, the National Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, as voted on by the Football Writers Association of America.
He led the Irish defense with 10 pass breakups along with 43 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Smith and Moore could see a lot of one another on Monday night.
Marcus Freeman against his old school
You’re going to hear a ton about the Notre Dame coach in the coming days.
He’s facing the school, Ohio State, he played for from 2004-08, and is looking to lead Notre Dame to its first title since 1988.
Only 39 years of age, Freeman recently inked a four-year contract extension through the 2030 season.
He’s been able to do what his predecessor, Brian Kelly, couldn’t — win big games.
Freeman already owns 14 victories over top-25 opponents in just three seasons, and expertly navigated that ugly loss to North Illinois. Now, he has to get past his alma mater.
