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Ohio State vs Notre Dame: the NCAA Championships
After four-quarters of back and forth between Notre Dame and Ohio State, the Ohio State Buckeyes took the lead midway through the second quarter and never looked back, defeating Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish to win the NCAA National Championship 34–23. Getting to the Championships was no small feat for either team.
Before the start of the season, the NCAA changed the playoff format to include 12 teams, an increase from the previous 8. This change gave teams a better chance to claim a spot in the National Championship, with Notre Dame benefitting most of all. In the run to the championship, Ohio State defeated No. 1 Oregon at the Rose Bowl and No. 3 Texas at the Cotton Bowl. While, Notre Dame beat No. 2 Georgia at the Sugar Bowl and No. 4 Penn State at the Orange Bowl. This led to the two relatively dark horse picks battling for the winner-takes-all championship match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20.
The Fighting Irish started the game strong, taking a touchdown and extra point after a ten-minute drive in the first quarter. The Buckeyes answered their opening touchdown with one of their own, tying the game with 14 minutes left in the second quarter. After a failed fourth-down conversion by the Fighting Irish, the Buckeyes took the opportunity to claim their second touchdown of the night before claiming a third with 27 seconds to go in the second quarter. This gave the Buckeyes a 21–7 lead going into the second half of the game.
In the third quarter, the Buckeyes made sure they didn’t lose their touch on the ball, breaking free from the Notre Dame defense with a 70-yard play before getting their fourth touchdown just two minutes into the quarter. The Buckeyes then backed up their touchdown with a field goal after another failed fourth-down conversion from Notre Dame, extending their lead to 31–7. By this point, Notre Dame had to find something even to have a chance at winning the championship, and that’s exactly what they did.
In the last six minutes of the third quarter and much of the fourth quarter, the Fighting Irish hustled to the goal line every chance they had, benefitting from some flag penalties and claiming two touchdowns, a couple of two-point conversions, a fumble recovery, and a fourth-down conversion. Unfortunately, their failed field goal attempt and a successful run down the field by the Buckeyes before a successful field goal with 30 seconds to shut down any possibility of Notre Dame making a run for it. Final score: 34–23.
This marks Ohio State’s ninth national championship victory and their first since 2014. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was awarded offensive MVP, guiding his team with 16 carries down the field, two touchdowns, and an 81% pass completion rate–one of the highest for an Ohio State quarterback in a bowl game. For Notre Dame, linebacker Cody Simon was awarded defensive MVP for his eight tackles against the Buckeyes.
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