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After three exciting rounds of the college football postseason, it’s finally time to crown a national champion – the first in the 12-team College Football Playoff era. Eight seeds/No. 6 Ohio State will take on the seventh seed/No. 5 Notre Dame at 2025 CFP National Championship Game Jan. 20 at 7:30 PM ET. The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Here’s everything you need to know about the match.
Ohio vs Notre Dame CFP National Championship Game Preview
Both teams faced unique obstacles en route to the championship game.
About seven weeks ago, Ohio State lost to rival Michigan, 13-10. The game is marked Ryan DayA fourth straight loss to the rival Wolverines and many were calling for his removal. The loss knocked Ohio State out of the Big Ten championship game and meant the Buckeyes won’t play their next football game until Dec. 21 against Tennessee in the first round of the CFP. But Ohio State came out firing, scoring 21 points in the first quarter to secure a dominant 42-17 victory.
Next, Ohio State faced its toughest postseason opponent against top-ranked, undefeated Oregon. The Ducks beat the Buckeyes in thrilling fashion, 32-31, earlier in the season. But Ohio State was a different team on the Rose Bowl stage, outscoring Oregon 34-8 in the first half alone. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 41-21 in Pasadena.
Texas recently played in the Cotton Bowl in Ohio. Although this semifinal game was a closer game than the previous two, the Buckeyes still won comfortably, 28-14 — thanks to Jack SawyerFourth quarter heroics — to punch their championship ticket.
Ohio State had to evolve in the middle of the game to top Texas
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua break down Ohio State’s win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl, including Jack Sawyer cementing his legacy as a Buckeye, a coaching matchup as well as a game-defining one.
A lot has changed for Ohio State in seven weeks as the same Ryan Day that shocked Michigan now sits just 60 minutes away from his first championship.
For Notre Dame, trouble struck early. The Irish lost to Northern Illinois, 16-14, in Week 2 of the season. Defeat haunted the Irish for weeks and it took 13 straight wins to completely silence the doubters.
In the first round of the CFP, the Irish easily topped in-state rival Indiana with a 27-17 victory. Next, in the quarterfinals, Notre Dame met Georgia, which was better rested due to a first-round bye. Riley Leonard threw for a touchdown and Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards to propel the Irish to a 23-10 victory over the mighty Bulldogs.
Notre Dame played Penn State in the Orange Bowl in its toughest test yet. In a close back-and-forth game, Penn State QB Drew Aller threw one ill-advised pass with 33 seconds left that gave the ball back to the Irish and set up Mitch Jeter’with the winning 41-yard field goal. About four months after losing to Northern Illinois at home, Notre Dame advanced to the championship game with a 27-24 victory.
Now, two teams that have faced some of the lowest slumps of an entire football season have a chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage for the ultimate title.
Ohio State – Notre Dame date and time
- Date: Monday, January 20
- time: 19:30
- TV network: ESPN
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 CFP National Championship.
Record between Ohio State and Notre Dame
Ohio State leads the all-time series between the two teams, 6-2. Both of Notre Dame’s victories came before World War II. The other six meetings were held in the last 30 years. Last season, Ohio State defeated the Irish 17-14 in South Bend. A year earlier, the Buckeyes defeated the Irish 21-10 in Columbus.
When was the last time Ohio State won a national title?
Ohio State beat Oregon 42-20 to win the 2014 national championship. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns in the first national title of the College Football Playoff era.
When was the last time Notre Dame won a national title?
Notre Dame won the national title 1988 under coach Lou Holtz. The Irish finished that season with a perfect 12-0 record.
Ohio State vs Notre Dame odds
*looks thanks BetMGM
- Moneyline: Ohio State (-350), Notre Dame (+280)
- Expansion: Ohio State -8.5
- More/Less: 45.5 points
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Game Preview
2025 CFP National Championship Match Preview:
Watch NBC Sports college football analysts Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry break down this game. For complete analysis and updates throughout the College Football Playoff, listen and subscribe to Rushing the Field wherever you get your podcasts.
Day has done an ‘outstanding coaching job’ for OSU
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry agree that Ryan Day’s ability to turn around Ohio State’s season after a loss at Michigan is worthy of praise, before discussing Brian Kelly’s failure to win at Notre Dame.
