It will be a tough bout for Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Atlanta, Georgia. The program is looking to write history against a team that has a history legacy of taking down opponents in clutch moments.

Theismann has spent a good bit of time around this team, and Tim Brown — Notre Dame’s last Heisman Trophy winner (1987) — has spent even more. Brown, who was at the Indiana and Penn State playoff games, has gotten to know Freeman and several key players well.

For the Ohio State Buckeyes, it was veteran defensive end Jack Sawyer who stepped up on Friday night and made the biggest play of the game, getting a strip-sack on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers on 4th and goal and taking it the other way for a game-sealing touchdown.

SportsLine's model simulated Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 CFP National Championship game 10,000 times

Both the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish elevated their programs to championship caliber with big moves in the offseason

Ohio State had a couple snoozers to start things off as they dominated their first two CFP games. Ohio State blew out Tennessee at home in the first round as they won 42-17, and then they smoked one seed Oregon in the quarterfinals as it was 31-0 halfway through the second quarter. They cruised to a 41-21 win.

There are plenty of players in Monday's national championship game who could help fit a need for the Patriots. Read more on Boston.com.

I get that the talk around the national championship game will be centered on Ohio State's offense, with their talented wide receiver group featuring Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate, as well as their dynamic backfield duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson.

Out of its lowest moment of the season came clarity for the Ohio State Buckeyes.  Raw emotions. Honesty. Hard conversations that were long overdue.  It all came spilling out in a players-only meeting on the Tuesday after Ohio State's devastating loss to Michigan in the final weekend of the regular season.

Notre Dame had an important decision to make at left tackle for the CFP national championship. The Fighting Irish could turn to Tosh Baker, who replaced Knapp in the CFP semifinal, or Jagusah.