The new College Football Playoff has changed the way we lead up into the National Championship Game, but we have got here and it looks like a decent game between two schools that have overcome some adversity during the course of the season.
The off-season is going to bring changes in College Football and we might even here about any extension to the Playoff format, while all eyes will be on North Carolina and whether they can retain Bill Belichick as Head Coach.
It has been a fun season for the fans to enjoy, but all comes to a conclusion with a new Champion set to be crowned when the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish face off.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Ohio State Buckeyes Pick: The new College Football Playoff format will be considered a success, although there maybe some tweaks and an expansion over the coming years.
The first twelve team Playoff ends on Monday with the National Championship Game and it looks a good one.
Both the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-1) played in the First Round of the post-season and they have each beaten three opponents.
The Buckeyes crushed Tennessee Volunteers at home before earning revenge over the Oregon Ducks, the Big Ten Champions, in the Quarter Final. They were not as dominant, despite the score, in the win over the Texas Longhorns, but the Ohio State Buckeyes will feel they are pretty well tested ahead of the National Championship as a talented group peak at just the right time.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish have beaten two Big Ten opponents on their way to the National Championship Game and that will give them plenty of confidence that this season can end with a trophy to parade. The blowout of the Indiana Hoosiers was expected, but the tough, battling win over the Penn State Nittany Lions just underlined the belief in this Fighting Irish team.
Beating the SEC Champions Georgia, albeit with a backup Quarter Back, will have deepened that belief and Notre Dame have to be respected for gritting their way through to the National Championship Game. Injuries have piled up, which is something those in the Playoff Committee will have noted, but the Fighting Irish continue to rally together and 'next man up' mentality is helping them.
This is the hardest of tests for Notre Dame with the Buckeyes finally looking like they are playing at the level that most expected from them before a ball had been kicked off, and it may not be the best match up Offensively.
The Fighting Irish want to lean on the Offensive Line, but the Playoff performances have been more challenging for them as they have opened up holes for 4.1 yards per carry. However, Notre Dame are not going to want to move too far away from the plan, and that is a problem when going up against this Ohio State Defensive Line, which has played at a really high level in the post-season.
Riley Leonard would love to throw the ball to open the running lanes, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Quarter Back has not really been as consistent with the step up in level of competition. There has been some success throwing the ball against the Buckeyes, but that is because teams have needed to take risks and Leonard and company may get into a vicious cycle if they have to move away from the run.
It would also mean trying to stop the fierce Ohio State pass rush that has penetrated the backfield and Riley Leonard has been put under duress during the Notre Dame run to the National Championship Game. That pressure has led to some turnovers and the Ohio State Buckeyes have to be very confident about what they can do when the Fighting Irish have the ball, especially with further injuries on the Notre Dame Offensive Line.
In saying that, Notre Dame are going to be confident they can make enough plays on the Defensive side of the ball to keep this one competitive and give them a chance of earning the upset.
Extra preparation time should mean the Fighting Irish are ready to challenge this very productive Ohio State Offense, which has found considerable balance.
Moving the ball on the ground against the Fighting Irish Defensive Line with any consistency will not be easy, but this Ohio State team will be confident they can rip open some big plays to keep the team balanced, which is so important in these potentially tight, competitive Defensive battles.
Will Howard is certainly the stronger passer of the two Quarter Backs taking to the field and he has some hugely talented playmakers around him. Assuming the Fighting Irish are going to try and limit the impact of Jeremiah Smith, others have shown they can step up for their Quarter Back and make the plays that keep the chains moving down the field.
There are some big injuries on this side of the ball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to deal with and even Head Coach Marcus Freeman's strong record when having time to prepare looks like it may not be good enough to keep his team within the spread.
He will make sure Notre Dame remain competitive, but the likelihood is that the Ohio State Buckeyes use their talent to wear down a Notre Dame team missing a lot of important players on both sides of the ball. Head Coach Ryan Day is under some pressure to bring home the National Championship, but his Buckeyes team look to have peaked at the right time and they can cover on their way to a very successful season, a loss to Michigan aside.
MY PICK: Ohio State Buckeyes - 8.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Playoff Semi Final: 1-1, - 0.09 Units (2 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)
Playoff Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.18 Units (4 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)
Playoff First Round: 3-1, + 1.72 Units (4 Units Staked, + 43% Yield)
Week 15: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)
Week 14: 6-2, + 3.50 Units (8 Units Staked, + 43.75% Yield)
Week 13: 4-4, - 0.36 Units (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)
Week 12: 3-6, - 3.23 Units (9 Units Staked, - 35.89% Yield)
Week 11: 1-5, - 4.15 Units (6 Units Staked, - 69.17% Yield)
Week 10: 1-6, - 4.05 Units (7 Units Staked, - 57.86% Yield)
Week 9: 4-2, + 1.82 Units (6 Units Staked, + 30.33% Yield)
Week 8: 2-4, - 2.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.17% Yield)
Week 7: 6-3, + 2.55 Units (9 Units Staked, + 28.33% Yield)
Week 6: 3-2, + 0.82 Units (5 Units Staked, + 16.4% Yield)
Week 5: 0-5, - 5 Units (5 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)
Week 4: 3-2, + 0.73 Units (5 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)
Week 3: 3-5, - 2.35 Units (8 Units Staked, - 29.38% Yield)
Week 2: 2-4, - 2.26 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.67% Yield)
Week 1: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)
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