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College Football Playoff picks, predictions: Does Ohio State or Notre Dame take home title?
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- College Football Playoff picks, predictions: Does Ohio State or Notre Dame take home title?
Editor's note: Follow Ohio State vs. Notre Dame live updates, scores and highlights from the national championship game.
The longest College Football Playoff season in history is down to one game. Notre Dame and Ohio State are the two teams left standing after three rounds and will face off in Atlanta to decide the national champion for the 2024 season.
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It's a surprising matchup given the Fighting Irish entered as the No. 7 seed and the Buckeyes were seeded eighth. But after each convincingly won first-round matchups at home, they then defeated the champions of the SEC and Big Ten, respectively, to make the semifinals. From there, Notre Dame scored a late defeat of Georgia in the Orange Bowl , and Ohio State knocked off Texas in the Cotton Bowl to get to the final game.
While these are two of the biggest programs in college football, both will be looking to end long title droughts. The Fighting Irish last won a national championship in the 1988 season. The Buckeyes haven't captured the crown since winning the first College Football Playoff in 2012.
It shapes up to be a contrast of styles. Ohio State has a flashy, high-scoring offense, while Notre Dame's strength lies with its elite defense. The quarterbacks - Will Howard of the Buckeyes and Riley Leonard of the Fighting Irish - are in their first year at the program and will be hoping to end their college careers with a title. So who prevails? Our experts weigh in.
Scooby Axson
At the beginning of the season, Ohio State was the pick here to win the national championship. So now that they have made the title game, there is no reason to deviate from that prediction and jump on another bandwagon. And because games aren't played on paper, expect the Buckeyes to struggle to run the ball but to test Notre Dame through the air, as that's where they are most vulnerable, and to make enough plays with their skilled receiving corps to bring a championship to Columbus. Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 21.
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Jordan Mendoza
The matchup to watch will be the Notre Dame secondary against the Jeremiah Smith. Will the man defense work to limit the superstar freshman and company, or will the Buckeyes make them pay? Two great defenses should make this a low-scoring affair - as long as Notre Dame doesn't break apart. The Fighting Irish aren't able to sustain it, and Ohio State is the national champion, ensuring the safety of Ryan Day's job. Ohio State 23, Notre Dame 16.
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Paul Myerberg
Ohio State has plenty of room for error thanks to a more explosive offense and the recent play of its defense. Notre Dame can't afford turnovers and has to establish things up front to avoid a quarterback-driven game that would favor the Buckeyes. But the Fighting Irish are very capable of controlling the tempo and forcing Ohio State into more uncomfortable territory. A low-scoring game favors a team that honed its mental edge in tense and hard-fought playoff wins against Georgia and Penn State. Notre Dame 24, Ohio State 20.
Erick Smith
Notre Dame has one of the elite defenses in the county and the secondary to slow down the Ohio State offense. The question is how long the Fighting Irish can continue to get stops without their offense providing support. Maybe a half? So while the focus is on the high-flying Buckeyes, the story of the game will be told by how well quarterback Riley Leonard and Notre Dame can possess the ball and put points on the board. If successful, this game goes four quarters and has a dramatic finish. If not, it'll be party time in Columbus. Ohio State 30, Notre Dame 16 .
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Eddie Timanus
Both defenses are tough enough to keep big plays to a minimum. But the biggest difference between the teams is the fact that Ohio State has more weapons, namely the running back tandem of Treveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins and a wide receiver group led by freshman Jeremiah Smith. Eventually one of them will break through for a game-changing score. A late turnover will seal it for the Buckeyes once again. Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17.
Dan Wolken
Even though Notre Dame is capable of making this a game into the fourth quarter, I believe the Texas win was the Buckeyes' crucible moment on the way to a championship romp. They passed the Longhorns' test, and now they get an Irish team that has been physically beaten up by the grind of the playoff and doesn't have enough offensive talent to penetrate a very good Ohio State defense. This is competitive for an half but becomes a runaway in the third quarter. Ohio State 33, Notre Dame 10 .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football title game: Ohio State, Notre Dame picks, predictions
