It all comes down to this.
Everything is on the line as No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 8 seed Ohio State square off in the College Football Playoff National Championship today at 8 p.m. from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
In the CFP semifinal, the Fighting Irish outlasted No. 6 seed Penn State, 27-24, in the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter made a 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left in regulation following a fourth quarter that featured two ties and three lead changes.
It was a different story for the Buckeyes in their semifinal, as Ohio State cruised to a third straight double-digit victory, outscoring Texas 14-0 in the fourth quarter in a 28-14 victory over the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
One of the main storylines coming into this title game is Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, who played linebacker at Ohio State for three seasons from 2006-08 before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
While Ohio State is aiming for its second championship in the last decade, it’s been a long time coming for Notre Dame, which hasn’t won a title since 1988.
Can the Fighting Irish finally put an end to their 36-year title drought, or will the Buckeyes reign supreme and win their ninth national championship in school history?
Here are our staff picks on who will the CFP National Championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame:
Bert Bainbridge
Notre Dame 24, Ohio State 21: Against all odds with a near four-decade title drought and being sizable underdogs in the game itself, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman finds a way and gets his revenge, beating his alma mater on a walk-off field goal to win the National Championship.
Chris Iseman
Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 21: While the Fighting Irish are certainly talented, the Buckeyes are the better all-around team. Plus, they’ve looked like a team on a mission ever since the loss to Michigan.
Art Stapleton
Notre Dame 21, Ohio State 17: The Fighting Irish will get big defensive efforts from safety Xavier Watts and the Jersey boys up front, Howard Cross III and RJ Oben. But the story of the game will be RB Jeremiyah Love, who goes for two touchdowns, including the game-winner late.
Brian Marron
Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17: The Fighting Irish are stout enough defensively to keep this game close into the fourth quarter, but Riley Leonard and the passing attack are not potent enough to knock off the Buckeyes. The overall talent advantage wins out in the end for Ohio State.
Bob Jordan
Ohio State 48, Notre Dame 20: Big point spreads mean likely blowout games in the CFP national championship. The largest line for the championship game occurred two years ago when Georgia was favored by 13½ over TCU and won by 58; four years ago Alabama was favored by nine over Ohio State and won by 28. Ohio State looks like it will be the favorite by 8 or 9 points here.
Dave Rivera
Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 16: After losing to Michigan four consecutive times, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day finally gets off the hot seat — until he faces Michigan again next season.
