Notre Dame and Ohio State have earned the right to play for the College Football Playoff Championship in Atlanta on Monday. In a season full of change, it will be two of the sport’s blue bloods duking it out for the right to be kings. We preview the Buckeyes defense, the best in the country, below: Photo via Ohio State Athletics Ohio State’s defense, mostly led by top-end returning talent, has been elite all season, with just one subpar outing on the year. Here is how the Buckeyes (15-2) have reached this point: vs Akron (52-6, Win) vs Western Michigan (56-0, Win) vs Marshall (49-14, Win) at Michigan State (38-7, Win) vs Iowa (35-7, Win) at Oregon (31-32, Loss) vs Nebraska (21-17, Win) at Penn State (20-13, Win) vs Purdue (45-0, Win) at Northwestern (in Chicago, 31-7, Win) vs Indiana (38-15, Win) vs Michigan (10-13, Loss) vs Tennessee (CFP First Round, 42-17, Win) vs Oregon (Rose Bowl, 41-21, Win) vs Texas (Cotton Bowl, 28-14, Win) The Buckeyes defense has been shutting down and limiting opponents all season. They lead the country in both points (12.2) and total yards per game (251.1) allowed. This defense, which is elite against both the pass and run, features eight potential 2025 NFL Draftees, most notably potential first-rounders DE Jack Sawyer and DT Tyleik Williams.  As mentioned in our offensive overview , Ohio St has been very disciplined this year. The Buckeyes rank among the 15th-fewest in the country in both penalties (4.4) and penalty yards per game (39.67).  Another reason the Buckeyes have found success is because of their elite red zone defense. They are allowing opponents to score on just 61.1% of their red zone trips, which leads the Big Ten and is the second-lowest percentage among all FBS teams.  The Buckeyes defense has also found success on the third downs. They are allowing opponents to convert just 34.7% of their attempts, the fourth-lowest percentage in the Big Ten and 30th among all FBS teams. This defense is also not fond of putting up points themselves. Their four defensive touchdowns leads the Big Ten and are the fifth-most among all FBS teams. They have three scoop-n-scores, most notably Sawyer’s game-sealer last week, and one pick-six on the year. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here As mentioned above, the Buckeyes defense has been elite against the pass this season. They enter Monday allowing 161.1 passing yards per game, the best in the country. Part of this success is due to a sensational pass rush that averages 3.4 sacks per game, the best in the Big Ten and third-most among all FBS teams. Additionally, opposing passers are averaging a 110.84 passing efficiency, the best in the conference and sixth-lowest efficiency in the nation. We preview the Ohio St secondary led by a sophomore transfer below: The star of the secondary is sophomore safety Caleb Downs. The versatile Alabama transfer can also play slot cornerback. Last season, Downs became the first freshman in Alabama history to lead the team in tackles with 107. In addition, he had four passes defended, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 14 games played. Here are the accolades Downs earned during his freshman season: Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year SEC Freshman of the Year AP Second Team All-American First Team All-SEC The young defensive back entered the transfer portal following the retirement of legendary Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban. Downs then chose to continue his collegiate career at Ohio St among offers from, most notably, Georgia and Florida State. This season, the sophomore has tallied 76 tackles including eight for a loss, six passes defended, and two interceptions. Downs was named a consensus All-American, selected to the First Team All-Big Ten, and awarded Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year for his efforts this year. He has at least two tackles in each game including a season-high 11 versus Michigan, in addition to an interception. Downs has put together a solid CFP performance thus far as he recorded a season-high three passes defended in the Rose Bowl and had an interception last game in the Cotton Bowl. The sophomore DB is pretty much great at everything defensively. In coverage, he has allowed 18 receptions for 175 yards on 30 targets this year. He has a positive impact against the run and just nine missed tackles. Downs also is good when needed as a pass rusher with four pressures on just 16 pass rush snaps. Irish QB Riley Leonard must keep the ball away from the stud sophomore safety. The second primary safety to highlight is senior Lathan Ransom. Like Downs, he is versatile and plays linebacker in certain situations. Before this season, Ransom had totaled 146 tackles including nine for a loss, ten passes defended, three forced fumbles, two and a half sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 34 games played across the past three years. In two previous meetings against Notre Dame, the senior has combined for 20 tackles. This season, the defensive back has recorded 72 tackles including nine for a loss, three forced fumbles, two passes defended, an interception, a sack, and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown versus Akron, in 14 games played. He missed the Buckeyes’ matchup with Nebraska with an undisclosed injury. Ransom, who was named to the First Team All-Big Ten this season, has at least one tackle in each game played including a season-high nine versus both Akron and Michigan. During the CFP, the senior has 16 tackles, a sack, and a pass defended. He excels against the run and is a great pass rusher when needed with five pressures on just 16 pass rush snaps. Ransom has been good in coverage this year, having allowed 20 receptions for 258 yards and a touchdown on 28 targets. Additionally, he is a solid tackler with 14 misses, however, five have occurred in the past two games. If the Notre Dame offense chooses to target a safety, this would be the safer bet for success compared to Downs. Another defensive back that could impact Monday’s game is senior Jordan Hancock. Although listed as a cornerback on Ohio State’s roster, the senior splits his time between safety and slot corner. Last season, he recorded 41 tackles, five passes defended, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions including a pick-six in 13 games played. He had a pass defended versus Notre Dame. This season, Hancock has 45 tackles, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, and an interception. He has at least one tackle in 14 games including a season-high six last week versus Texas, in addition to a pass defended. The senior’s best game this year occurred versus Nebraska when he had five tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception in the close win. Hancock is a very good defensive back who excels in coverage, having allowed 27 receptions for 213 yards on 47 targets. He is good against the run and a great tackler with just five misses on the year. Also, the senior is a solid pass rusher when needed with three pressures on 19 pass rush snaps. The first of three true cornerbacks to highlight is senior Denzel Burke. Before this season, he had 95 tackles including six for a loss, 26 passes defended, two interceptions including a pick-six, and a forced fumble in 35 games played across the past three years. Burke was selected to the Third Team All-Big Ten in ‘21 and First Team All-conference last season. While Burke did not record any stats in last year’s meeting with the Irish, he did have a tackle and pass defended in the ‘22 matchup. This season, the senior has 45 tackles and two interceptions as he was named to the Third Team All-conference. He has at least two tackles in 13 games, including a season-high six versus Marshall and Nebraska. Burke is a good corner who is a great tackler with just four misses this year, although one occurred last week. He is good against the run and in coverage as he has allowed 31 receptions for 394 yards and two touchdowns on 40 targets. Another cornerback to watch for is junior Davison Igbinosun. The former Ole Miss transfer entered this year with 96 tackles, ten passes defended, and two fumble recoveries in 26 games played across the past two years. He transferred to Columbus following his freshman year in Oxford. In last season’s meeting with Notre Dame, Igbinosun played well with six tackles and a pass defended. This year, the junior has 41 tackles, nine passes defended (leads team), two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. He has at least one tackle in 14 games including a season-high five last week versus Texas. During the CFP, Igbinosun has played well with 11 tackles and two passes defended. The good corner excels against the run. He is a good tackler, although three of his six misses on the year have occurred in the CFP. Also, he is a good pass rusher when needed with three pressures on just seven pass rush snaps. In coverage, the junior has been solid, having allowed 30 receptions for 354 yards and two touchdowns on 57 targets throughout the year. The final Buckeye to highlight in the secondary is sophomore cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. Last season, he recorded 13 tackles and three passes defended including a pick-six in 11 games played. He did not play against Notre Dame. This year, Mathews has 21 tackles including three for a loss and a sack in 14 games played. He did not appear in Ohio State’s regular-season matchup at Oregon. The sophomore has at least one tackle in 11 games including a season-high four at Northwestern. He has six tackles during the CFP. Mathews is another good tackling CB with just two misses on the year. He is solid against the run and in coverage, having allowed 14 receptions for 107 yards on 23 targets this season. Against the run this Buckeyes defense has been elite, allowing an average of 89.9 yards per game, the third-fewest among all FBS teams. In addition, their 7.1 tackles for loss per game are the third-most in the Big Ten and 21st in the country. We preview the key players involved in this front seven below: One leader of this CFP Championship run for Ohio St is senior DE JT Tuimoloau. The right-side edge rusher is currently projected to be a round one or two selection in this year’s NFL Draft. Before this season, he had 83 tackles including 23 for a loss, 11 sacks, seven passes defended, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions including a pick-six, and a forced fumble in 39 games played across the past three years. The ‘22 and ‘23 First Team All-Big Ten selection has recorded seven tackles including one and a half for a loss and a pass defended in two previous meetings against Notre Dame. This season, Tuimoloau was again named to the First Team All-conference as he totaled 56 tackles including 20 for a loss, 11.5 sacks (leads team), three passes defended, and two forced fumbles entering Monday’s matchup. The senior’s 1.3 TFLs per game are the second-most in the Big Ten and 12th among all FBS defenders while his 0.77 sacks per game are the third-most in the conference and 14th in the country. Tuimoloau has at least two tackles in 14 games. This includes his impressive performance in the CFP First Round versus Tennessee when he recorded a season-high eight tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass defended in a dominant win. Throughout the Buckeyes’ CFP run, he has contributed 18 tackles, five and a half sacks, and two passes defended. The edge rusher excels in stopping the run. He is a very good pass rusher with 48 pressures on 332 pass rush snaps and he has just five missed tackles on the year.   Ohio State’s other starting edge rusher is senior DE Jack Sawyer, who is just as, if not more, talented than Tuimoloau. He is a potential first-round pick this upcoming April. Before this season, Sawyer had 85 tackles including 20 for a loss, 14 sacks, four passes defended, and three forced fumbles in 38 games played across the past three years. He notched a tackle and pass defended versus Notre Dame last year but did not record any stats in the ‘22 meeting. This season, Sawyer has 56 tackles including nine for a loss, nine sacks, six passes defended, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries including two scoop-n-scores, and an interception. The senior was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten as his 0.6 sacks per game are the seventh-most in the conference and 35th among all FBS defenders. He has at least two tackles in each game including a season-high seven at Northwestern, in which he added a forced fumble. Sawyer had a season-high two sacks and three passes defended versus Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Throughout the CFP, he has ten tackles, six passes defended (had zero during the regular season), four and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and a game-sealing scoop-n-score which occurred in the Cotton Bowl versus Texas. The elite edge defender is a great pass rusher with 60 pressures on 349 pass rush snaps. He is also great against the run and a solid tackler with just eight misses this year. At linebacker, the Buckeyes feature versatile junior Sonny Styles. Sonny’s brother, Lorenzo Jr., was a WR for two seasons at Notre Dame before transferring to Columbus in June ‘23 and converting to DB. Sonny can line up as an interior or outside backer and slot corner. Last season, he had 53 tackles including five for a loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble in 13 games played. He recorded six tackles versus the Irish. This season, Styles has totaled 94 tackles including ten for a loss, five sacks, five passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The junior has at least four tackles in each game including a season-high nine against Oregon, Penn St., and Texas. He had a season-high two sacks and two passes defended at Northwestern, adding to his six tackles. Through the CFP, Styles has 18 tackles, two passes defended, a sack, and a forced fumble. He is a very good pass rusher with 17 pressures on 73 pass rush snaps. The junior is solid against the run and in coverage, having allowed 40 receptions for 338 yards and a touchdown on 56 targets. He has struggled with tackling throughout the year, with 18 misses including three last week and five in the CFP. Ohio State’s premier inside linebacker is graduate student Cody Simon. The versatile backer who can play slot corner entered this season with 143 tackles including 12 for a loss, four passes defended, three sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble in 37 games played across the past three years. He has four tackles in two games against Notre Dame. This year, Simon has racked up 104 tackles (leads team) including 12 for a loss, seven sacks, seven passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 14 games played. He missed the Buckeyes’ season-opener versus Akron. The First Team All-Big Ten backer has at least two tackles in each game played. He has five games with five or more tackles including a season-high 12 versus Tennessee, in which he also had a pass defended. The grad-student had a season-high two and a half sacks versus Indiana where he added ten tackles and a forced fumble. He has 30 tackles, two sacks, and two passes defended in the CFP. Simon is an elite run-stopper and great pass rusher with 19 pressures on 81 pass rush snaps. He has been solid in coverage, having allowed 33 receptions for 294 yards and a touchdown on 39 targets this year. Additionally, he is a good tackler with 13 misses. The first of two defensive tackles to highlight is senior Ty Hamilton. Before this season, he had 65 tackles including eight for a loss, four and a half sacks, two passes defended, and a fumble recovery in 39 games played across the past three years. He tallied five tackles in two previous meetings with Notre Dame. This season, the senior has 51 tackles including six for a loss, three and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Hamilton has at least one tackle in each game and had his best performance of the year versus Iowa when he recorded five tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. He has 11 tackles and a sack in the CFP. The senior tackle is a good run-stopper and tackler with four misses on the year, including two last week. Also, he is a solid pass rusher with 18 pressures on 340 pass rush snaps. The final Buckeyes defender to keep an eye on is senior DT Tyleik Williams. Before this season, the potential first-round selection had 90 tackles including 20 for a loss, nine sacks, nine passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery which he returned for a touchdown in 38 games played across the past three years. The ‘23 Second Team All-Big Ten selection had four tackles including one for a loss and a pass defended against Notre Dame last year. He did not record any stats in their ‘22 matchup. This season, Williams has 42 tackles including seven for a loss and two and a half sacks in 12 games played. He missed three games with an ankle injury but was still named to the Third Team All-conference. The senior tackle had his best game of the year versus Akron when he tallied seven tackles and a sack. During the CFP, he has added ten tackles and a pass defended. Williams is a very talented run-stopper who is a solid pass rusher with 20 pressures on 291 pass rush snaps. He is also a fine tackler with seven misses on the year.  Notre Dame will have their hands full trying to put up points on this elite defense en route to a College Football Playoff Championship. They have been doubted all season, especially following the loss to Northern Illinois, so Monday’s matchup is nothing new. The Irish excel under pressure and deserve to be trusted with being prepared for this game. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Read more about the Notre Dame's national championship matchup agains the Ohio State Buckeyes through this this film review analysis. Photo by The Irish Tribune The 2024 season has breathed new life into the storied Notre Dame program. Despite facing immense pressure for majority of this season, the Fighting Irish will take the field Jan. 20 in hopes of capturing college football's highest honor for the first time since 1988. There are not enough accolades to describe the fight and determination this version of the Blue and Gold has shown this year, especially after dropping a week two matchup they had no business losing. Head Coach Marcus Freeman is now truly one of the faces of the sport, and he leads a team into battle that has the belief that they can beat anyone. That anyone this time around, just happens to be the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State did not get through this season unscathed themselves. A one point loss on the road, to Big 10 conference newcomer Oregon, can almost be overlooked in certain aspects. A fourth loss in a row to a bitter rival who was in the midst of a reloading year, not so much. Despite a stellar win-loss record throughout his career, there were some who called for Ryan Day's job after dropping another game to Michigan. Day and his team responded to that gut punch of a loss by simply being the most dominant team throughout the course of the playoffs. After blowing out Tennessee at home in round one, they completely flipped the script in their rematch versus Oregon at the Rose Bowl, leaving California with a twenty point victory. They knocked off Texas in the semifinals to complete their climb to a spot in the National Championship, a spot many people had written off for them after that rivalry week disappointment. Now two teams that have felt the lowest of lows, and highest of highs in 2024, will get an opportunity to cement their names in the history books. This upcoming clash is one of perseverance and would not have even been possible in previous renditions of the College Football Playoff format. After receiving a new lease on life in terms of their aspirations for a national championship, both teams seized the moment, and now only have one roadblock remaining to overcome, each other. I studied Ohio state top to the bottom, and proudly present to you this season's final film review. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here When Notre Dame is on Offense: The defensive ends for Ohio State get a lot of attention and I'll talk about them throughout this article as well, but the first person on their line that stood out to me was No. 91, Tyleik Williams. Williams may very well be selected in the first round of this year's draft and rightfully so. At 330 lbs, he moves very well laterally and gets upfield in a hurry. He has quick hands, a great swim move, and can both stop the run and push the pocket. When Notre Dame looks to attack inside, he may be someone that they want to target with double teams; however, he can anchor and hold the point of attack against doubles as well. Ohio State mixes a lot of coverages, but they play a fair amount of Cover 1, just like Notre Dame. It makes sense, because All-American safety Caleb Downs is their version of Xavier Watts and it shows on film. Downs is excellent in run support, and is a high IQ player when in coverage. Besides coming down as a "Robber", OSU will actually line him up at linebacker, which shows how much trust they have in him holding up in the box. Aside from Downs individually, both safeties do an excellent job communicating to one another in identifying where the strong side of the formation is and rotating to match. I'd love to see Notre Dame mix in some weak side runs to work away from Downs. Although there are fewer blockers on the front of the weak side run, a player like Jeremiyah Love has the ability to make the first man miss. If he can do that, there should be additional yardage to be had. Although the safeties do a good job working off each other, they do sometimes rotate late pre snap. The linebackers do the same, and it seems at times their sideline is getting adjustment calls in to them late. Notre Dame should look to work in some quick snaps throughout the course of the game to try to catch them unprepared. Defensive end JT Tuimoloau is another play-maker on their front four that needs to be accounted for. One thing that stands out is how hard he crashes inside. It's no secret Notre Dame will work in some read option plays for Riley Leonard in this game and when they do it, it may be beneficial to do run it to Tuimoloau's side and use his aggressiveness against him. If Leonard can get around the edge, Irish fans know how dangerous he can be. Linebacker Cody Simon is very proficient timing his blitzes and they will use him a ton on what is called a "Green Dog Blitz". This means when he is in man coverage on the tight end or running back and recognizes they are staying in to block, Simon is free to then rush the quarterback. He processes things very quickly and once he decides to rush, he gets there in a hurry. Simon is a key player that Leonard will need to identify pre-snap. Both their linebackers and defensive backs have great recovery speed. When they drop into zone coverage, Leonard will need to throw with anticipation to open windows and not hold on to the ball too long allowing the defenders to close on the receiver. They also like to drop defensive ends into zone which Leonard will need to be very aware of. Against Penn State, Riley's second interception came trying to drop a pass over a defensive end that dropped into coverage. Notre Dame was able to survive that mistake, but against Ohio State, they may not be as lucky. Ohio State is not afraid to blitz and play man coverage behind it. Although their safeties are excellent, I think their cornerbacks are much more susceptible to giving up plays through the air. Both their starting corners tend to bite on double moves, and Davison Igbinosun in particular gets called for a lot of defensive holds as he has a tendency to reach out and grab when he feels like he is getting beat on a route. Leonard built some confidence through the air against Penn State and when those one-on-one shots on the outside are there versus the Buckeyes, he needs to take them. Goal-to-go defense has become almost a specialty as of late for Ohio State. Once a team gets to the five yard line it has been tough sledding coming away with more than three points. They are not afraid to sell out versus the run, and all of their big down linemen do a good job of not getting blown back off the snap. When you try to go outside like Texas did in the Cotton Bowl on their biggest possession of the game, Downs can knife in and drop ball carriers for a loss. The one thing I don't feel Ohio State has had to face down in the tight red zone this year is a true dual-threat QB. Because of how quickly their LB's flow to the ball and Leonard's ability to pull and keep it, this could be quite an advantage for the Irish. His legs around the goal line may be a four-point difference on any given possession. Players To Watch: No. 2 Caleb Downs - Have I mentioned Downs yet in this article? He is too good to exclude from this section and reiterate what a menace he can be both against the run and the pass. He is a sure tackler who takes excellent angles and a lot of times is simply too fast for the blocker to even reach. When he drops into his lurk look out of a cover 1, Notre Dame should attempt to run the opposite way. Leonard and Denbrock need to account for him on every play and do not stare down receivers when he is playing underneath in zone. He is much more likely to be around the line of scrimmage than he is to be playing deep halves because they like to give him a chance to make a play on every down. No. 33 Jack Sawyer - I couldn't do a whole Ohio State defensive write up without including the hero of the Cotton Bowl, Jack Sawyer. The senior defensive end is the heart and soul of the defense and they feed off his energy. Sawyer is a bull rush specialist and has an excellent motor, meaning he will continue to work to the QB regardless if his first, second, or third move is stifled. Leonard's pocket awareness needs to be extra-elevated in this game and he must feel the rush coming from Sawyer, in which he makes sure to keep two hands on the ball as he works up in the pocket. A lost fumble would be too costly in such a high stakes game and after Sawyer sealed their last game with a forced fumble, it is clear he is a hungry for more. When Notre Dame is on Defense: Ohio State is not going to shy away from trying to out-athlete other teams. They will look to spread defenses horizontally and make them defend every blade of grass. Something they do very well is running cross-action in the backfield, a lot of times with Jeremiah Smith, and just simply allowing him to try to get wider than the defense and use his after-the-catch abilities to create big plays. The cornerbacks for Notre Dame will need to do a good job being physical and getting off blocks to try to rally to the ball and not allow explosive plays. Defenders in the box will need to have a sense for these plays and not allow themselves to get too far inside reading the run to the point they can't recover and help chase down the perimeter throws. Ohio State, like Notre Dame, has dealt with some attrition on the offensive line. They lost left tackle Josh Simmons and All- American center Seth McLaughlin to season-ending injuries at various points this season. Texas was actually the first team to get a sack against the Buckeyes since their game against Indiana all the way back on Nov. 23. Still, the interior of their line is the area Notre Dame would want to attack the most. Defensive tackles will need to shoot off the line quick and play with good pad level. The pocket can be pushed and Will Howard hates dealing with middle pressure. A few errant throws can be the difference in this one. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka eat up cushion versus off-coverage very easily and get out of their breaks with suddenness. The defensive backs for Notre Dame will need to get hands on them and try to reroute them off the line. They need to do so with caution though, as a missed jam, or a false step at the line could easily result in six points for the Buckeyes. The speed all of Ohio State's receivers posses also means the deep defender(s) for Notre Dame will absolutely need to make sure they are playing with proper depth. Even being a couple of yards off their mark could result in a big play for the offense. Egbuka in the slot is deadly, and because he has two-way goes from that spot, they do a good job using him to draw an additional defender and setting up one-on-one shots for their outside WRs. QB Will Howard will sometimes lock onto Smith and miss other open reads. It's not abnormal for a quarterback to want to get it to his number one option, but if Notre Dame can more or less limit Smith, Howard may start to press and start forcing things to him. It's not rocket science to say a quarterback does not like dealing with pressure in his face, but Howard has shown he will put the ball in harms way before he takes a sack or tries to throw it away. For whatever it's worth, some of his biggest interceptions have come when throwing outside the numbers to the right side of the field. I didn't see anything in his throwing mechanics that changed based off where he was throwing, but this is still something to keep in mind. Under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, OSU has become very diverse and creative in their run game. They love pulling offensive linemen, as they'll trap with their tight end, and run off-bunch formation. They have two very good running backs, but TreVeyon Henderson is a game-breaker. He showed what he can do in the passing game in the Cotton Bowl, and as a runner he is just as dangerous. He does a good job pressing the hole and then bouncing outside; so Notre Dame will need to rally to the point of attack, but not over pursue on the backside. The Irish cannot give him an opportunity to bounce off traffic and get around the edge of the defense because he is a burner in the open field. Will Howard is an extension of their run game, and has some similar qualities to that of Riley Leonard. Defensive ends will need to play with good eye discipline and not crash too quickly and linebackers will need to be ready to scrape and keep him from getting outside on option plays. When he does run, Notre Dame needs to make him feel it. It's not always easy to lay the wood against quarterbacks without drawing penalties, but once he becomes a runner, it's a different story. Ohio State has been and will continue to be aggressive on fourth down. They believe if their offense has four shots to pick up a first, there is not a defense that will stop them from doing so. Notre Dame will need to watch the ball and not fall for any hard counts. Getting the Buckeyes off the field on fourth down is going to play a factor in this game at one point or another and the Irish can not afford to give them any free yardage or extra downs. Players To Watch: No. 1 Quinshon Judkins - I spoke about Henderson and the type of runner he is earlier but Judkins is someone to keeping your eye on, as well. During the Texas game, he was running with a different kind of intensity. The Ole Miss transfer has excellent contact balance and will look to run through somebody every time he gets some space. He has 27 touchdowns in the last two seasons, and will be featured in short yardage and around the goal line. Notre Dame defenders must wrap up and match his physicality. No. 2 Emeka Egbuka - I am not naïve to the type of game-wrecker Jeremiah Smith is, but because of how Notre Dame likes to play defense and the way Ohio State uses Egbuka, I believe he becomes the receiver to keep an eye on the most. Efficient slot receivers are always the hardest to cover one-on-one because of the amount of space they get to work with. A cornerback defending a WR on the perimeter can at least play with a certain leverage to utilize the sideline as an extra defender. In the middle of the field, there is no such advantage. Egbuka is a great at selling short routes to get a defender to bite then taking off deep. Notre Dame needs to be weary of the slant-and-go, and when a corner is lined up in man over him, they need to do their best to leverage him into where they have the most help. Al Golden and Mike Mickens' group cannot let him make a living in the middle of the field. This is it. Four more quarters of football before a champion is crowed. Each of these teams have fought to get here and deserve the utmost respect. Some people will say this game comes down to scheme, some will say it is about how many 5-stars are littered across each roster, and some will point to past performances as an indication of future results. Ultimately, I just think it will come down to the team that executes the best and wants it most, and I haven't seen many teams hungrier than Notre Dame. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After more than four months of football, three rounds of the playoffs, and a total of 15 games, it all comes down to this - one final showdown for all the glory. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face off with the Ohio State Buckeyes for the 2025 College Football National Championship. Photo by The Irish Tribune This series has consisted of three regular-season home-and-home games, beginning in 1935 and 1936. The Irish won those first two matchups, but the series was put on hold for 60 years until another pair of games was scheduled for 1995 and 1996. The Buckeyes won both games handily, evening the all-time series at 2-2. The next two meetings came in the postseason: a 34-20 OSU win in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and a 44-28 OSU win in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.  The most recent meetings in this series came in 2022 and 2023. 2022 was Marcus Freeman’s first full season in South Bend and his first game against his alma mater. The Irish struck first with a field goal and managed to hold a 10-7 lead until the Buckeyes tossed a go-ahead touchdown with 17 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. After a 14-play 98-yard drive, Ohio State scored their 3rd touchdown with under 5 minutes left in the game, extending their lead to 21-10. Ultimately, the Irish were unable to mount a comeback, and the Buckeyes left with the win. The next time around, Ohio State traveled to South Bend for the 2023 rematch. It was a defensive battle from the start, with no points scored in the 1st quarter and a major goal-line stand that ended in a Buckeye turnover on downs in the 2nd. The Irish defense stifled Ohio State’s final drive of the half in the red zone to force a field goal, putting the Buckeyes up 3-0 heading into halftime. The game’s first touchdown came early in the 3rd quarter when OSU back TreVeyon Henderson broke off a massive 61-yard run to put the Buckeyes up 10-0. The Irish answered with a touchdown of their own, courtesy of a wildcat snap to Gi’Bran Payne from the 1-yard line, bringing the score to 7-10 with 3:35 left in the 3rd. The Irish got the ball back at the start of the 4th quarter and began a 96-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard pass from Sam Hartman to Rico Flores Jr., giving Notre Dame a 14-10 lead. Notre Dame’s defense once again stepped up and forced another turnover on downs in the red zone, this time stuffing the Buckeyes on 4th and inches at the 10-yard line. The Irish offense got the ball back with only 4:17 left in the 4th but wasn’t able to burn enough clock, giving OSU the ball back with 1:30 left. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes were able to march down to Notre Dame’s goal line and, with only 0:03 seconds left in the game, scored the go-ahead touchdown to steal it 17-14. There was a significant amount of scrutiny placed on Marcus Freeman and the Irish coaching staff after it became known that they only fielded 10 players on the final two plays of the game. The sting of the loss was compounded by the clear evidence that Notre Dame had a legitimate chance to win and very well could have, had it not been for the avoidable mistakes in the game’s waning moments. These are two of the most decorated programs in all of college football history, with a combined total of 19 National Titles and 13 Heisman trophies between them. While the Irish haven’t won a title since 1988, the Buckeyes have won twice in recent memory - in 2002 and 2014. Since the inception of the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes have been involved in the postseason six times (2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024), while the Irish have only managed three appearances (2018, 2020, 2024).  This is just the ninth game between Notre Dame and Ohio State and the third postseason matchup in the series. The Irish will be looking for their first bowl win against the Buckeyes and their first head-to-head win since 1935. Each team stands on the precipice of greatness, only a single win away from securing the first National Championship of the 12-team CFP era. Ryan Day is looking to quiet his critics, both internal and external, while Marcus Freeman hopes to cap off his Cinderella season with Notre Dame’s first title in decades. As the nation waits with bated breath, let’s take a look at the season's final matchup. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Monday’s game. Ohio State Ryan Day first assumed the helm of the Buckeyes in the 2018 season, when for three games, he filled in for recently suspended head coach Urban Meyer. It was later decided that Meyer would step down following the end of the season, and Day would formally assume the position at the start of 2019. In his first season, Day led Ohio State to an undefeated 13-0 record, including a BIG-10 Championship, securing them a spot in the CFP. They went on to lose in the first round to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. The 2020 COVID season was rocky, but the Buckeyes went 5-0 in the regular season without having to play Michigan before winning their second straight BIG-10 Championship. They once again faced Clemson in the CFP, but this time won handily, 49-28, to move on to the National Championship. Ultimately, the Buckeyes fell to No. 1 Alabama in embarrassing fashion, 52-24, finishing the season 7-1. Day’s 2021 squad fell to Oregon in week 2, but responded by rattling off nine straight wins before facing Michigan in the regular season finale. For the first time since 2011, then No. 2 Ohio State fell to the No. 5 Wolverines 27-42, dropping the Buckeyes to 10-2 and eliminating them from CFP contention. Despite the loss, they earned an appearance in the Rose Bowl against Utah, where they won narrowly 48-45. The 2022 Buckeyes won 11 straight games against the likes of No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 13 Penn State before once again facing No. 3 Michigan in the season finale. This time, Day and OSU were favored by a solid 8 points heading into the game. Despite holding a 20-17 halftime lead, the Buckeyes gave up 28 points in the second half, only mustering 3 points of their own en route to a 23-45 landslide defeat. The loss once again kept OSU out of the BIG-10 title game but still earned them a CFP invite as the No. 4 seed. They faced eventual champion UGA in round one, losing a heartbreaker 41-42. 2023 was a carbon copy of the year prior, with the Buckeyes jumping out to 11 straight wins, including No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 7 Penn State, before facing the Wolverines last. For a 3rd consecutive year, the Michigan-Ohio State game was played with both teams inside the top-5 and CFP implications at stake. Shockingly, Day and the Buckeyes lost yet again, falling 30-24 despite having the ball for the final drive of the game with a shot to win. It became the first time since 1995-1997 that OSU dropped three straight games to Michigan. The Buckeyes missed a shot at the CFP but earned a Cotton Bowl appearance against the Missouri Tigers, ultimately falling 14-3 to finish 11-2 for the 2nd straight year. Ohio State’s 2024 campaign began with 5-straight double-digit wins before facing No. 3 Oregon on the road. The Buckeyes opened things up with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, but a key fumble led to a quick Oregon response. Both teams traded scores to send the game into halftime with the Ducks up 22-21. Ultimately, that point would remain the difference, as Oregon knocked in a field goal with 1:47 left in the 4th to take a 32-31 lead. They held on to win and handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the year. OSU responded with back-to-back narrow wins over unranked Nebraska (21-17) and No. 3 Penn State (20-13) before crushing Purdue and Northwestern.  Their next marquee game came at home against then No. 5 Indiana, who was riding high and undefeated. The Buckeyes made easy work of the Hoosiers, dispatching them 38-15 to hand IU their first loss of the season. Ohio State entered their final regular season matchup with unranked Michigan at No. 2 in the polls with a 10-1 record and a 20.5-point advantage. It was a battle from the very beginning, and the game entered halftime tied 10-10. Both teams went scoreless in the 3rd quarter before the Wolverines kicked a go-ahead field goal with only 0:45 left in the 4th to steal the game. The loss brought Ryan Day’s record against Michigan to (1-4) with four straight losses and nearly derailed the season. Criticism of Day’s performance against Michigan reached a fever pitch before the Buckeyes' 8th seed placement in the CFP put them on pause.  In their first-round matchup, Ohio State drew 9th-seed Tennessee at home, where they cruised to an easy 42-17 win. They advanced to the quarterfinal round to rematch with BIG-10 Champion Oregon, shocking the nation with an equally impressive 41-21 win to avenge their regular season loss to the Ducks. Now 12-2, the Buckeyes moved on to face SEC runner-up and 5th-seeded Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here The Longhorns first drive fizzled out around the OSU 45-yard line, ultimately failing to convert on 4th and 3 and turning the ball over on downs. The Buckeyes responded with a clean 10-play, 64-yard drive ending in a score to put the game’s first points on the board. The two then traded four punts each until the Longhorns cobbled together a quick 1:27 drive that evened the score with an 18-yard pass from Quinn Ewers. Just as things seemed to be deadlocked, the Buckeyes got the ball back with under 30 seconds left before halftime. Will Howard hiked the ball in shotgun and was immediately blitzed by the Texas defense, so he dumped the ball off to TreVeyon Henderson, who sprinted 75 yards for a touchdown. In the blink of an eye, the Buckeyes stole all Texas’ momentum and entered the half up 14-7. Despite throwing an interception to open the 2nd half, OSU maintained their one-score lead until a 12-play 67-yard Longhorn drive evened the score at 14-14. After trading a few more punts, Ohio State lowered their heads and went on an almost 8-minute, 88-yard drive, ending in a Quinshon Judkins rushing touchdown to take the lead again.  The Longhorns responded with a drive from their own 25-yard line, working all the way down to Ohio State’s 1-yard line with a chance to tie the game. With less than 3 minutes left, Texas looked to chew up clock on the ground, but instead of powering up the middle, they pitched the ball outside and were blown up by OSU for a 7-yard loss. Now 3rd & goal, Ewers dropped back to try and beat the Buckeyes through the air but was pressured and knocked down by DL Jack Sawyer, tossing the ball incomplete. On 4th & goal, Ewers again dropped back, but just as he threw, Jack Sawyer was there once again. In one fell swoop, he blindsided Ewers, stripping the ball, which he scooped and returned 83 yards for a touchdown. It was the nail in Texas’ coffin, and the Buckeyes walked away with a 28-14 win, sealing their 2nd trip to the National Championship game under Day. Ohio State Injury Report DL - JT Tuimoloau - Ankle - Available CB - Denzel Burke - Arm - Probable OL - Seth McLaughlin - Achilles - Out With all that said, it's truly been a tale of two seasons for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. They began the year at No. 2, with expectations of a CFP run and another shot to beat Michigan. The midseason loss to Oregon hurt but was competitive and forgivable, yet the game’s aftermath was felt for weeks. OSU’s next two games were narrow and sloppy one-score wins over an unranked Nebraska and No. 3 Penn State before they found their stride again. Their 23-point win over Indiana looked lopsided but really came down to an Ohio State punt return touchdown and a botched Hoosiers’ punt that swung a one-score game to a much wider margin. Just the following week, the Buckeyes delivered their worst showing of the season against unranked Michigan, who figured them out and exploited it for a 13-10 win. Day and his team went from dominant to shaky to embarrassing. It was so bad that many were calling for Day’s job just over the Michigan performance alone until the Buckeyes transformed yet again into a different, more dominant team in the playoff. The Tennessee and Oregon wins completely flipped the script on Day and Ohio State, earning them praise from the public and seemingly quieting the calls for firing. OSU rode that newfound goodwill through the Texas game, but it wasn’t the same kind of dominance we’d seen in their two previous playoff showings. Yes, it was arguably the best competition OSU had faced all year, but the game was one play from being tied with less than 3 minutes to go. Like Georgia, Ohio State is one of the best-coached, most talented, and most disciplined teams in the country. However, like Georgia, this isn’t hands-down their best team in years. They deserve to be in this game and in this position just as much as Notre Dame, but despite what the media may say, they are not unbeatable. Elite teams and bad teams alike have found a way to outlast the 2024 Buckeyes. The question is, can it be done again? Notre Dame The Orange Bowl clash between Notre Dame and Penn State lived up to its billing. Both defenses managed to keep things scoreless in the 1st quarter despite several big gash plays. The Nittany Lions’ defense reeled in a Riley Leonard interception for the first big momentum swing of the game, but the Irish defense held strong and only allowed a field goal as the 2nd quarter began. Penn State then controlled the quarter with a 15-play, 90-yard drive to score, putting them up 10-0 and chewing more than 7 minutes off the clock. Before the half ended, Riley Leonard was sacked and hit his head hard enough to be taken out of the game, putting Steve Angeli on the field in Irish territory with only 1:30 left before half. Angeli orchestrated a sorely lacking passing attack down the field and into position for a field goal before halftime. The Irish had done nearly nothing on offense, but their defense was keeping them competitive. The Irish scored right out of halftime with an 8-play, 75-yard drive of their own, tying things up at 10-10. After trading punts, the Irish put together another long drive that took them to Penn State’s 2-yard line with a little over 14 minutes left in the 4th. On 1st and goal, Leonard handed the ball off to Jeremiyah Love, who spectacularly out-willed the entire Nittany Lions defense, hurdling the first defender, dragging the second with him as he collided with two more defenders before leaping forward to break the plane. It gave Notre Dame their first lead of the game, 17-10. Penn State quickly responded with their second touchdown to tie things back up at 17-17. On the ensuing drive, Riley Leonard tossed another interception that led to another Penn State score, stifling any Irish momentum while taking the lead 24-17. The Irish got the ball back with about 5 minutes remaining and began chipping away PSU’s defense. The Irish got to just about midfield before wideout Jaden Greathouse broke his defender’s ankles off the line of scrimmage and reeled in a perfect ball from Leonard. Once in the open, Greathouse hit another stellar move to drop PSU’s last defender on his butt, and he walked into the endzone, tying it 24-24. With less than a minute remaining, Penn State’s Drew Allar tossed a late ball over the middle with pressure in his face, and Irish CB Christian Gray reeled it in for their first turnover of the game. Instead of playing it conservative and running out the clock to play in overtime, Freeman and the Irish capitalized on their field position, moving the ball just far enough into PSU territory to try for a field goal. With only 0:12 seconds left on the clock, Irish kicker Mitch Jeter lined up for his second kick of the night, drilling a 41-yard kick to seal the win 27-24. The win sent the Irish to their first National Title game since 2012. Notre Dame Injury Report RG - Rocco Spindler - Ankle - Available RB Jeremiyah Love - Knee -  Available WR - Beaux Collins - Calf - Questionable DT - Rylie Mills - Knee - Out TE - Cooper Flanagan - Achilles - Out LT - Anthonie Knapp - Ankle   -  Out Yet again, the Irish did whatever was needed to get the win. Notre Dame had yet to trail this season nor mount a comeback through the air, and in just two quarters, they managed to do both. For the first time this year, the Irish offense out-gained their running game through the air and failed to win the turnover battle but still held on to win. Fittingly, the game came down to Mitch Jeter’s recently healed leg, and he nailed it, becoming the first kicker in CFP history to successfully make a game-winning field goal. This team isn’t more talented than Ohio State, but they weren’t more talented than Penn State or Georgia, either. What makes this team special isn’t individual talent or elite statistics, it's their desire to win - and so far, it has been enough. Notre Dame doesn’t need to be perfect or even all that pretty, but they must continue to make big plays in big moments while not changing what got them here.  The Matchup For only the second time this year, Notre Dame has opened as the underdog, this time by a two-score margin. The line opened right after Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl win over Texas, with the Buckeyes favored by (-9.5). Days later, the line has gradually crept down to a slimmer (-8.0) advantage for OSU and could continue to do so until game time on Monday. There’s a genuine possibility this line falls within a single score, which would signal a remarkable amount of belief that the Irish could pull this one off, or at least make some noise. Notre Dame is (12-2-1) against the spread this season and (2-0) when dubbed the underdog, while OSU is only (9-6) against the spread for the year.  Much like the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, oddsmakers see this contest as a low-scoring affair. As of now, the game’s total is set at 45.5, the third straight playoff game the Irish will play with a sub-48 point total. In those three games, the totals have been 44 against Indiana, 33 against Georgia, and 51 against Penn State. For the Buckeyes, their playoff points totals have been 59 against Tennessee, 62 against Oregon, and 42 against Texas. The average of those six games comes out to 48.5. So, there’s a chance this one goes over the 45.5, but odds are these two elite defenses keep the total under.  With those numbers, the game’s implied score prediction would be around 27-18  Notre Dame’s Defense vs Ohio State’s Offense This head-to-head pits arguably the two best coordinators in football against one another - OSU’s Chip Kelly and Notre Dame’s Al Golden.  Al Golden and the Irish defense have consistently maintained an elite level of play since the season began and have found a way to turn their game up another notch in the postseason. The Irish defense stifled a high-scoring Indiana offense, holding them to 17 points, 14 of which came in garbage time, held Georgia to their lowest score since Ole Miss with 10, and contained Penn State’s star QB to roughly 50% completion, 0 touchdowns, and an interception. Notre Dame has routinely displayed that they can elevate their game to the level of their opponent and can affect you in just the right way to give them the advantage. Notre Dame’s defensive numbers are elite across the board, with the exception of the running game. They’re 2nd in PPG allowed, 2nd in passing yards allowed, and 9th in total yards allowed per game, but their rushing defense lags behind at 42nd overall. Thankfully, the Irish have been so dominant against the pass that they can force a pass-first team like PSU into their worst passing performance of the season. These are the kinds of tricks Golden and his squad use to get a leg up. They lean on their strengths to force opponents into playing the kind of game they want and then force them into a one-dimensional offense. PSU went from a passing group to a running group, while UGA was forced to become a pass-first team when their identity was on the ground.  Ohio State’s Offense - Players to Watch Both UGA and Penn State were the best offenses the Irish had faced to date, but Notre Dame was still able to find a wrinkle and exploit it. Unfortunately, Ohio State has the complete package. UGA and PSU were both lacking a serious threat on the outside, allowing the Irish D to stack the box and play man-to-man out wide. That's how Notre Dame was able to focus in on what they left the opposing offenses with and exploit it. Unfortunately, that won't be the case against OSU. This will be the best offense the Irish have faced so far, and the pathways to victory and much narrower. Ohio State’s offense has been prolific in the playoff but was relatively average for the majority of the season. Kansas State transfer Will Howard has been a massive part of their success, but he benefits from one of the best receivers in the country; Jeremiah Smith. The freshman phenom has become Howard’s #1 target this season, racking in over 1,000 yards and accounting for nearly half of Howard’s passing touchdowns. If the Irish will have any chance at beating the Buckeyes, they’ll need to find a way to erase Smith’s effect on the game as they did to Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2023. If the Irish can handle Smith with man coverage, it’ll give them an extra body to send at Howard. Like Drew Allar, pressuring Howard will be critical to winning this battle. When pressured this season, Howard’s completion percentage dropped by more than 20% compared to when he had time to work with. That kind of drop-off is a statistic begging to be exploited. Notre Dame’s keys to victory on defense are as follows: Send the house to disrupt Howard and force bad decisions/reliance on the running game Win 1-on-1 matchups with WRs to allow for focus on the run game Limit the big explosive plays  Although Ohio State's offensive is riding a hot hand, the Irish have been more consistent all season and get a slight edge here. Advantage: Soft Notre Dame Notre Dame’s Offense vs Ohio State’s Defense This head-to-head will be the biggest challenge of the season for Notre Dame.  Ohio State has the best defensive unit in the country and they lead nearly every major statistical category. They top the country in total YPG allowed, pass YPG allowed, and PPG allowed while placing 3rd in rush YPG allowed. They lead the nation with only 2.7 yards per rush allowed while racking up the 3rd most sacks in the country with 51 on the season. This Buckeye’s defense has no true weaknesses and presents the most complete package the Irish have faced all year. All in all, Notre Dame’s best unit is its defense, but OSU’s defense is even better. Ohio State’s Defense - Players to Watch The Buckeyes defense employs a zone-heavy scheme, making it incredibly difficult for opposing offenses to win the downfield battle. That zone defense could open things up underneath for the Irish and give Leonard a chance to shine. Leonard’s mobility and short passing game could be the perfect combo to confuse OSU’s DBs and line up the running game or deep passing game for big chunk plays. Like Howard, Leonard struggles with defensive pressure, but his mobility gives Notre Dame an outlet the Buckeyes don’t have. If Leonard can use his legs to extend plays or find defense gaps, the Irish can use one of Ohio State’s biggest strengths to their advantage. Leonard’s legs give the Irish a chance to level the playing field and force the Buckeyes into playing the game their way. Lastly, the Irish offense must be effective in early down situations. If they’re unable to succeed on 1st and 2nd down, Ohio State will have a field day on obvious passing downs. It all comes down to a game flow. If Notre Dame’s offense can find a way to keep OSU guessing and strike a balance between the pass, the run, and Leonard’s legs, they’ll find far more openings to make plays. If Notre Dame hopes to stay competitive in this head-to-head, they’ll need to put up their best and most complete offensive performance yet. They won’t be able to afford a slow start like they had against Penn State and won’t be able to win a shootout like the USC game. They’ll have to once again force an opposing defense to play the game their way, and if successful, the Irish may have a chance. Notre Dame’s keys to victory on offense are as follows: Establish the quick, intermediate passing game early Use Leonard’s legs to salvage broken plays Find success on 1st and 2nd down OSU holds a heavy advantage here, but Notre Dame is fully capable of making this head-to-head competitive. Advantage: Solid Ohio State Notre Dame’s Special Teams vs Ohio State’s Special Teams Special teams wasn’t very consistent for Notre Dame in the regular season, but has been crucial to their postseason success. Mitch Jeter has been night and day since the end of the regular season and has gone 7/8 over his last three games, including the game-winner over Penn State. While his season long numbers are unimpressive, Jeter’s recent hot streak has revitalized the Irish special teams and has helped to transform them from a liability to a legitimate strength.  Special Teams - Players to Watch Ohio State’s Jayden Fielding has had an average season so far, but his performance has seen an opposite trajectory to Jeter’s. Fielding went 8/9 on field goals through 11 games but has regressed to just 3/6 over Ohio State’s last 4 games. Most notably, Fielding missed two kicks from under 40 yards against Michigan, which played a huge part in their loss. Whatever happened against the Wolverines has seemed to follow Fielding into the playoffs, as he missed again in round one and didn't attempt any against Texas. While end-of-season numbers favor OSU’s kicking game, the Irish get the edge with their recent performance and momentum. If this one comes down to clutch kicks, Jeter gets the nod.  Both teams average the same punting numbers, but Notre Dame’s punt coverage gives them a significant edge in net punt yards. As for punt returns, the Buckeyes have the edge with both a higher average and a punt return touchdown courtesy of Caleb Downs. On the flip side, the Irish rack up nearly double the kick return yards as OSU, and have a touchdown return on the books.  The only guarantee here is that Notre Dame will need their special teams to step up once again. Be that a blocked field goal, a fake punt, or a kick return, the Irish need all the contributions they can get if they’re going to have a chance. While the Irish do have the momentum edge, their success relies much more on winning this matchup.  Whatever way you look at it, this is pretty evenly matched. Both sides have their own small advantages, but neither noticeably separates themselves. Because this head-to-head is so close, a single special teams play could decide the game. Advantage: Even Prediction For the first time in decades, Notre Dame is receiving a level of attention and respect most fans could only dream of. Yet even with this sea change, nearly no one in the media is picking the Irish to win this one outright.  And frankly, that's fair. Like it or not, Brian Kelly’s 2012 National Championship debacle still hangs over the program, and only one thing can change that - a win on the biggest stage there is. There isn’t a specific phase of the game where the Irish have a substantial edge over the Buckeyes, they don’t have superior statistics, and they don’t have the same level of talent. There’s nothing in this head-to-head that screams, “Take the Irish, it's a no-brainer,” but there is something else -  a whisper. It may be hard to hear at first, and was nearly silent after the NIU loss, but there’s a whisper that’s grown louder, little by little, over Notre Dame’s last 13 wins. It's the voice that says, “The Irish belong here,” the voice that promises, “They can actually win.”   The Indiana and Georgia games tested the team we all knew Notre Dame to be, but the Penn State win showed the nation a side of the Irish that we’d yet to see, and only when it was needed most. Call it blind faith or wishful thinking, but there’s something different about Marcus Freeman and the 2024 Fighting Irish squad. The only thing more ridiculous than Notre Dame making it to this point would be picking against them yet again.  Notre Dame wins a competitive battle over Ohio State to secure their 12th National Title in program history. Look for: Notre Dame Defense - 1 Defensive Score Notre Dame Defense - 3 Sacks Mitch Jeter - 3/3 on Field Goals Riley Leonard - 0 Interceptions Thrown Jordan Faison - 1 Receiving Touchdown Win: ND:30 - 24:OSU Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame and Ohio State have earned the right to play for the College Football Playoff Championship in Atlanta on Monday. In a season full of change, it will be two of the sport’s blue bloods duking it out for the right to be kings. We preview the explosive Buckeyes offense below: Photo via Ohio State Athletics Ohio State, led by stud transfers and elite returning talent, has appeared to reach a new level following a disappointing regular season finale versus their rival Michigan Wolverines. Here is how the Buckeyes (15-2) have reached this point: vs Akron (52-6, Win) vs Western Michigan (56-0, Win) vs Marshall (49-14, Win) at Michigan State (38-7, Win) vs Iowa (35-7, Win) at Oregon (31-32, Loss) vs Nebraska (21-17, Win) at Penn State (20-13, Win) vs Purdue (45-0, Win) at Northwestern (in Chicago, 31-7, Win) vs Indiana (38-15, Win) vs Michigan (10-13, Loss) vs Tennessee (CFP First Round, 42-17, Win) vs Oregon (Rose Bowl, 41-21, Win) vs Texas (Cotton Bowl, 28-14, Win) As hinted at above, the Buckeyes will bring an explosive offensive to Atlanta. They enter Monday averaging 35.8 points per game, the second-most in the Big Ten and 12th among all FBS teams. Also, their 428.3 total yards per game are the fourth-most in the conference and 30th in the country. Ohio State’s offense is led by former Buckeye Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach, Ryan Day, and his OC Chip Kelly. Day’s connection to Kelly dates back to his college playing days at New Hampshire where Day was the starting QB under OC Chip Kelly. Day was named Head Coach at Ohio St following Urban Meyer’s “retirement” in 2019. He owns a 2-0 record as a Head Coach versus Notre Dame, with wins in ‘22 and ‘23.  One factor that has led to the Buckeyes’ success this year is their team discipline, installed by Day. As a team, Ohio State’s 4.4 penalties and 39.67 penalty yards per game are both among the 15th-fewest in the country. The Buckeyes feature a good passing offense led by a transfer QB and an elite freshman receiver. Their 265.1 pass yards per game are the fourth-most in the Big Ten and 25th among all FBS teams. We highlight the key players involved in the high-powered pass offense below: Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Ohio State’s starting quarterback is Will Howard, a graduate transfer from Kansas State. During his time as a Wildcat, the talented signal-caller dealt with various injuries through his first three years that limited his playing time. Last year was the first season Howard played in more than ten games, and he played pretty well too. He was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 after completing 61.3% of his passes for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Howard’s 24 passing touchdowns tied the Kansas St single-season record and his 48 career passing touchdowns are the most in school history. Following this campaign, he transferred to Ohio St. This season, Howard has completed 72.6% of his pass attempts for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team for his efforts. Here is where Howard ranks among the nation’s top passers in key stats: 173.7 Passing Efficiency - 3rd-best among all FBS passers 72.6% Completion Rate - 4th-best among all FBS passers 251.9 Pass Yards per Game - 4th-most in the Big Ten and 23rd among all FBS passers 12.94 Yards per Completion - 2nd-most in the Big Ten and 29th among all FBS passers Howard has at least 175 passing yards and one touchdown in each game this year. This includes 12 multi-touchdown performances and six games with over 250 yards. He threw for a season-high 326 yards on 28/35 passing including two touchdowns and no interceptions during the Buckeyes’ regular-season meeting at Oregon. Against Iowa, Howard threw a season-high four passing touchdowns on 21/25 passing for 209 yards including an interception. The grad transfer has been great all season as a passer but has seemed to reach another level throughout the CFP following his worst performance of the year versus Michigan. Some credit should be given to his weapons, who have been consistently reliable all year. Howard has found success on the deep ball, with an 8:2 touchdown to interception ratio on throws of 20 or more yards. The key for Notre Dame’s defense will be to apply pressure on the QB all game as this is when Howard is at his worst, much like Penn State’s Allar last week.  Ohio State’s most talented receiver is freshman Jeremiah Smith. The young wideout chose the Buckeyes over Florida State, Miami (FL), Florida, and Georgia as the consensus number one overall recruit in the ‘24 class. Smith has lived up to that ranking in every possible way. Some accolades the freshman has gathered this season include All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Big Ten Receiver of the Year. He enters Monday’s matchup with 71 receptions for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns this year. Here is where Smith ranks among the nation’s top pass-catchers in key stats: 14 Receiving Touchdowns - leads the Big Ten and tied for 3rd-most among FBS pass-catchers 81.8 Receiving Yards per Game - 3rd-most in the Big Ten and 23rd among all FBS pass-catchers 17.28 Yards per Reception - 4th-most in the Big Ten and 33rd among all FBS pass-catchers Notably, Smith is coming off the worst performance of his collegiate career after recording just one catch for three yards on three targets versus Texas. Before that, he had at least three receptions and 34 yards in each game, including 12 games with over 50 yards. The freshman had two of his best games of the season in both meetings against Oregon. In the first meeting in Eugene, he had a season-high nine receptions for 100 yards including a touchdown during the Buckeyes loss. In the Rose Bowl versus the Ducks, he had a season-high 187 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions. The freshman has been so elite this season that he would likely be the top wideout selected in the upcoming ‘25 NFL Draft, but unfortunately for college defensive backs, that is not a reality. Smith will be the most talented receiver the Irish play all season as he has not dropped a pass since week one versus Akron. Also, he averages 6.3 yards after catch per reception. Long story short, good things happen when Smith gets the ball in his hands, whether it be off a screen or over the top, defenses need a plan for containing number four. The Buckeyes' other top wideout is graduate student Emeka Egbuka. He is slated to be a potential first-round selection this year. Egbuka is one of many players who could have gone pro after last season, but decided to come back for a final year to play for a National Championship, and finally beat Michigan…that part did not work out. The grad student entered this season with 115 receptions for 1,666 yards and 14 touchdowns in 23 games played across the last two years. The ‘22 Second Team All-Big Ten selection has 16 receptions for 186 yards and a touchdown in two meetings against the Irish. This season, Egbuka has 75 catches for 947 yards and ten touchdowns and was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team. His ten receiving touchdowns are tied for the third-most in the conference and tied for 13th in the country. He has at least one reception in each game and nine games with at least five, including a season-high of ten for 93 yards and a touchdown at Oregon during the regular season. Egbuka had a season-high 117 yards on five receptions including a touchdown versus Marshall and a season-high three touchdowns on 9 receptions for 71 yards versus Iowa. He has been impressive throughout the CFP, with 15 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown during this three-game stretch. Egbuka enters Monday’s matchup with some Ohio St history on the line; he is three catches away from breaking K.J. Hill’s career-record 201 receptions and 94 receiving yards away from breaking Michael Jenkins’s career-record 2,898. This should provide some extra motivation for Egbuka to have a good performance on Monday. Overall, the great wideout is a talented deep threat and reliable receiver with five drops on the year including two last week. The third wide receiver to highlight is sophomore Carnell Tate. Last season, he had 18 receptions for 264 yards and a touchdown in 13 games played. This year, Tate has recorded 50 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games played. He missed the Buckeyes game versus Iowa. The sophomore has at least one reception in each game played, including a season-high of seven for 87 yards last week versus Texas. He had a season-high 102 yards on four receptions including a touchdown versus Nebraska. Tate is a good receiver with solid potential. He has just three drops this season including one last week. Most of his production comes via medium routes between 10 and 19 yards and he is a talented contested ball-catcher as he is 6/10 on contested attempts this year. The Buckeyes' top tight end is graduate student Gee Scott Jr. As the most experienced tight end on the roster, he is having a career-best season with 26 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He has at least one catch in 12 games. Scott has been solid throughout the CFP with ten receptions for 99 yards during the past three games. This includes a season-high of five catches for 30 yards last week versus Texas. During the Buckeyes’ regular season contest at Oregon, Scott had a season-high 46 yards on three receptions. Originally, the grad student was recruited to Ohio St as a receiver, however, he has struggled to get open throughout the year. He does have just one drop this season and is one of three good short-yardage options on this roster as displayed last week. Additionally, Scott is a good all-around blocker. The first of two talented all-purpose running backs is senior TreVeyon Henderson. Before this season, he had 50 receptions for 569 yards and five touchdowns in 31 games played across the last three years. This season, the senior has 27 catches for 284 yards and a touchdown. He has at least one reception in 12 games, including ten games with two or more. Throughout this CFP run, Henderson has tallied eight receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. This includes a season-high four receptions for 54 yards versus Tenn essee and then last week he took a screen pass 75 yards to the house  to put the Buckeyes on to p before halftime against Texas. Henderson is a very good receiving back with just one drop this season. Also, he is averaging 10.2 yards after catch per reception. The senior is a solid run blocker but struggles as a pass blocker. The final threat to highlight in the passing game is junior all-purpose back Quinshon Judkins. The Ole Miss transfer recorded 37 receptions for 281 yards and three touchdowns in 26 games played across the last two years in Oxford. This year, his first as a Buckeye, Judkins has 20 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown. He has at least one reception in 11 games, including eight games with two or more. The junior had a season-high three receptions for 21 yards last week versus Texas. He had a season-high 38 yards on two receptions during the regular season meeting at Oregon. Notably, Judkins does have three games without a target this year. While Henderson is the better receiving back, Judkins is good too with just one drop this season and he is averaging 7.5 yards after catch per reception. The junior will not beat defenses over the top but he is, yet another, solid short-yardage option. Like Henderson, Judkins is a solid run blocker but a bad pass blocker. Ohio St features a solid, yet underutilized rushing offense led by two talented backs. Their 163.2 rush yards per game are the fifth-most in the Big Ten and 66th among all FBS teams. In addition, their 4.97 yards per carry ranks fourth in the conference. We preview the key Buckeyes rushers below: The first running back to highlight is senior TreVeyon Henderson. Before this season, he had 2,745 yards and 32 touchdowns on 446 carries in 31 games played across the past three years. As a freshman in 2021, Henderson led the Big Ten with 6.8 yards per carry and was named a Freshman All-American and selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Last season, he was selected to the All-Big Ten First Team. Henderson has 29 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown in two previous meetings with the Irish. This season, the senior has rushed for 967 yards and ten touchdowns on 132 carries. His 7.3 yards per carry leads the conference as he has between six and 11 carries in each game. Henderson has 12 games with over 50 rush yards this year, including a season-high 94 yards on eight carries including two touchdowns versus Oregon in the Rose Bowl. In addition, the senior has four games with two rushing scores on the year. Henderson is an elite runner with 31 carries of ten or more yards, no fumbles, and just one penalty this season. Most of his production comes via outside-the-tackle runs. If Henderson is lightning, then junior Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins is certainly thunder. During his time as a Rebel, he rushed for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns on 545 carries in 26 games played across two years. In 2022, he was named SEC Freshman of the Year and selected to the First Team All-SEC after leading the conference in rushing yards and touchdowns. In 2023, Judkins again led the conference in rushing scores and was, again, named to the First Team All-SEC. He left Ole Miss ranking second in school history in rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards before transferring to Columbus this season. In his first year as Buckeye, the junior has rushed for 960 yards and 12 touchdowns on 183 carries. His 12 rushing scores are tied for the fourth-most in the Big Ten and tied for 34th among all FBS rushers. Judkins has received between nine and 17 carries in each game this year. He has eight games with 50 or more rush yards, including a season-high 173 on 14 carries including two touchdowns versus Marshall. The junior has five games with two rushing scores, including versus Tennessee and Texas. Judkins is a great runner with just one fumble, 42 missed tackles forced, and one penalty on the year. He is more of an inside-the-tackles runner compared to Henderson. The final rusher Notre Dame’s defense will have to account for is Quarterback Will Howard. At Kansas St, he rushed for 921 yards and 19 touchdowns on 226 carries in 34 games played as a Wildcat. This season, Howard has rushed for 169 yards and seven touchdowns on 89 carries. The grad transfer has at least one carry in each game and rushed for a season-high 37 yards on five carries versus Tennessee. Howard is a solid runner but he does not get far as he averages just 3.3 yards per carry and 1.48 yards after contact per carry. Most of his production comes via sneaks and scrambles.  One thing the Irish and Buckeyes have in common is good work from the offensive line regardless of their injury issues. Ohio St has lost their starting Left Tackle and Center with injuries throughout the year. However, they lead the Big Ten in sacks and tackles for loss per game allowed. Their 0.93 sacks per game allowed are the tenth-fewest among all FBS teams while their 3.67 TFLs per game allowed ranks sixth in the country. The one player who deserves to be highlighted on this line is Donovan Jackson: The senior lineman entered this season as a ‘22 and ‘23 First Team All-Big Ten selection with 26 straight starts at Left Guard. Unfortunately, Jackson suffered a hamstring injury during fall camp that forced him to miss the first two weeks of this year. Regardless, the senior was again selected to the First Team All-Big Ten after playing in 13 games. Midway through the year, Jackson was forced to move from LG to LT after a season-ending injury to potential first-round tackle, Josh Simmons. This season, the senior has allowed just two sacks, both of which occurred in his first start at LT against Penn St, and 19 pressures on 395 pass block snaps. He is a good all-around blocker, who has been standing out throughout the Buckeyes’ CFP run. Notre Dame will have their hands full trying to contain this explosive offense en route to a College Football Playoff Championship. How will the Irish staff and defense match up to be crowned National Champions? This defense has been clutch all year long, but can they put together another 60-strong minutes in the biggest game of the year? These answers will be revealed Monday Night in Atlanta…Go Irish. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame has picked up five ranked victories midway through the month of January, and they have a chance to pick up another one on Thursday against the 17th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Since losing to Utah on Nov. 30 in the Cayman Islands, things have gone about as well as they can for the third ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After losing back-to-back games at the end of November, the Irish are on a nine-game win streak, including three ranked victories with two of those being inside the top four. Now with five ranked wins on the season, the Irish have a chance to take the lead for most in the country as 17th ranked Georgia Tech rolls into South Bend.   While Notre Dame enters this one on a hot stretch, the Yellow Jackets cannot say the same, losing their last two games, which are the only losses for them on the year. They have lost by a combined 20 points, first at home to Virginia Tech in double overtime, and then on the road against Louisville. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here   Sophomore guard, and Women’s Wooden Award favorite Hannah Hidalgo, is expected to be back in the lineup after missing Notre Dame’s previous victory over Clemson. After tweaking her ankle against Wake Forest, head coach Niele Ivey sidelined Hidalgo as a precaution against the Tigers. It was the first time she had missed a game in her college career.   “We were cautious Sunday,” Coach Ivey said. “Getting her in practice, she’s feeling a lot better, so we’re happy with that.”   Hidalgo’s presence will be needed against the Yellow Jackets, who not only have the third highest scoring offense in the ACC (82.4 PPG), but their defense allows the fourth lowest points per game as well (60.5 PPG).   They are led by junior guard Kara Dunn who has been an efficient scorer in her third season with the Yellow Jackets. Not only is Dunn averaging 16 PPG, but she’s doing it on 54.4% shooting, while also grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game. In the double overtime loss on Jan. 9, Dunn put up 33 points and 10 rebounds in her 47 minutes of play.   Alongside Dunn is freshman phenom Dani Carnegie, a Mount Vernon, New York native averaging 15.1 PPG through her first 16 games. However, after injuring her hamstring in just six minutes of play against Virginia Tech, Carnegie is not expected to play on Thursday. Despite not starting a game all season long, Carnegie had put 20 or more points in four of her last five games, including three straight prior to her injury. It has arguably been the main reason for the current skid, something that Notre Dame will certainly attack.   In Carnegie’s absence, junior guard Tonie Morgan has stepped up in a big way, scoring a combined 41 points in her last two games. Those two outings extended Morgan’s streak of double figure scoring performances to seven straight games, averaging 16.3 PPG over that stretch. Despite this, she is coming off one of her worst shooting games of the season, finishing 5-14 with 13 points against Louisville.   Another player the Yellow Jackets have leaned on after losing their second leading scorer has been Atlanta native Chazadi Wright. The freshman guard has seen an increase in her number of shots per game in the last two, however she has knocked down just five of her 17 shots in that span. Wright isn’t going to shy away from shots beyond the perimeter, shooting 30 threes in her last six games.   The well-oiled machine that is the Georgia Tech offense is going to be missing a major part on Thursday, which is going to play in Notre Dame’s favor. Getting Hidalgo back into the lineup would be an issue regardless, but the Yellow Jackets missing their second leading scorer is going to prove to be a backbreaker. However, a team coming in losing their last two is going to be hungrier than ever to pick up a win, especially against one of the top teams in the nation. It should be an exciting matchup, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. in Purcell Pavilion. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame signees showed up and showed out at the All-American Bowl on January 11th. Let's take a look at how each participant performed. Photo via Christopher Burgess Jr. The All-American Bowl isn't unlike the many other "all-star" type games across the country. It's a much friendlier environment, and due to lack of chemistry and experience playing together, play-calling tends to be much more vanilla and simplified. That doesn't mean it's not a great chance for recruits to showcase some raw talent against the type of competition they will be seeing week in and week out for Saturdays to come. Notre Dame was represented well at the game, with five commits suiting up, four from the class of 2025, and one 2026 player as well. Notre Dame Head Coach, Marcus Freeman, was once an All-American Bowl participant himself in 2004. It is another data point to evaluate the next line of talent that will be hitting campus in South Bend, and after breaking down all of their reps, these are some things that stood out. OT Will Black (2025) The five-star offensive lineman played both right tackle and left tackle during the All-American Bowl. It may not seem like which side of the line you are on makes a huge difference, but it changes little details, like which leg you push off with on your kick step, and how you set up in pass protection. He seems more comfortable as an LT, but versatility will always be a good thing. During the game he showed great lateral movement as a puller, and worked up to the second level effectively. He displayed good use of hands and punch timing, and had the quickness to slide and cut off defenders on their inside moves. Good recovery speed, as even when an edge player got an initial step on him off the line of scrimmage, he was able to work back and push the defender wide of the quarterback. Where he got beat a few times was on counter moves. He allowed his pad level to rise throughout the play which made it easier for the defender to get him off balance. Fellow Notre Dame commit, Christopher Burgess, lined up across from him on multiple plays and was able to set him up outside with a speed rush, get Black's feet crossed then work back inside on a swim move to get a hit on the quarterback. On the last drive, Black was moved back to right tackle where he gave up back to back pressures. Black is one of my favorite prospects from the 2025 class, and as Notre Dame fans know all too well from this years postseason, you can never have enough talented linemen at your disposal. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here EDGE Christopher Burgess Jr. (2025) Burgess is another versatile player which the coaching staff at the All-American Bowl used in a variety of ways. He started the game as more of a 3-technique defensive tackle, but moved to defensive end late, and that's where he really shined. Showed great burst off the snap and does a good job converting speed to power. He displayed a good set of pass rushing maneuvers and kept his feet moving, showing he can counter when initially stopped. He already has a great frame, standing at 6'3" and 265 pounds, and will only get faster and stronger. As a glimpse into future Notre Dame practices, matched up with Will Black a couple of times and got the better of him, which is no easy task. When he was used inside, he did get washed out of the run game somewhat. Struggled going against the big interior linemen, and did not play with as violent of hands as you would like to see. Came off the line a little high at times, and did not get into the linemen's chest before trying to work in spin moves, which left him exposed and easy to push out of his lane. On one rep followed a pulling guard while the run play was designed to go the opposite direction so needed to have better eye discipline there. Burgess Jr. has the makings of a disruptive force off the edge. I think similar to how Bryce Young has made an impact during his freshman season, Burgess Jr. is likely to see some playing time early in his career. LB Anthony Sacca (2025) Sacca was another future Golden Domer that made his presence felt during the game. He did an excellent job keying the run, coming downhill, and making plays. He excelled at leveraging the ball, attacking the outside shoulder of run blockers, and keeping his outside arm free to make a play. Racked up a tackle for loss, and was always around the ball. He doesn't possess true sideline to sideline speed, and looked more like a traditional two down backer. He needed to do a little better job using his hands and disengaging from blocks on the second level. He was the MLB in a Cover 2 on a play that went for a touchdown. The touchdown was not his fault as the safety busted on his coverage and tried to jump something underneath allowing the WR to get behind the defense, but from a technique standpoint, I would have liked to see Sacca drop with a little more depth as the play progressed since there were no immediate underneath threats in his zone. That's the type of thing he will be coached up once he gets to Notre Dame, and is not a true area of concern. Sacca looks like he will be the next tackling machine for Notre Dame. He has the makings of a certified run stuffer, with great instincts and a knack for taking the right angles. TE James Flanigan (2025) You can tell right away Flanigan takes pride in his ability to block from his tight end spot. On a big 4th and 2 late in the game, he did a great job of sealing his man off and giving his quarterback a chance. At another critical point in the game on another 4th down, Flanigan and Will Black perfectly worked a double team on Christopher Burgess Jr. (so much Notre Dame on one play) buying the QB enough time to deliver a perfect sideline shot for a touchdown, which was the biggest play for the offense at the time. Can be split out and play inline. Although he did not have any catches in the game, he showed enough speed to get vertical on a seam route that just wasn't delivered in his direction. Did not get to see him run many routes during the game just due to play calling, but his blocking is the more advanced part of his game currently. Will need to continue to polish his route running to be a true dual threat tight end, and carry the torch of what has been a very storied tight end tradition at Notre Dame. QB Noah Grubbs (2026) The "young" guy of the bunch, Grubbs won't be joining Notre Dame for another year. He did not get a lot of opportunities during the game, but still a few things of note. When he was in, he was definitely the victim of some poor snaps by his center. The ball was not getting to him quick enough, which allowed the pressure to get to him before he really had a chance to survey the field. Still, he did a great job of moving up and out of the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield. He showed excellent zip on an intermediate throw that probably would have been complete if the receiver did not stop his route short. His one deep shot was a little inaccurate and the ball sailed out of bounds, but even with that throw falling incomplete, he showed off some of his arm strength. Quarterback will be a topic of conversation for the next few seasons, as Notre Dame looks to work away from the transfer portal and instead develop their own talent. Grubbs will fall in that mix the minute he shows up on campus, and I look forward to seeing what improvements he can make during his Senior season. Even though transfer portal news gets majority of the headlines, the lifeblood of college football is and always will be recruiting. The ability to evaluate and develop talent will be the thing that separates the good teams from the great teams. The next infusion of talent for the blue and gold is on the way with the players mentioned above, and they will add to a team that is currently one win away from a National Championship. The future is as bright as it has ever been at South Bend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After the NIU loss, I wrote an article explaining that Notre Dame needed a mentality change. Now that we are only one week away from Notre Dame playing in the National Championship, the question has to be asked: What exactly has changed? Photo by The Irish Tribune My original assessment of Notre Dame playing down to their opponents was correct, and it had plagued Notre Dame for decades. Looking back at it now, it really feels that the loss to NIU was a blessing in disguise. It was the gut punch that woke this team up and motivated them never to feel that humiliation of losing to an inferior team again. Not only did it wake the team up, but it also made Marcus Freeman a better leader and helped him turn the corner to great success. It lit a fire in Marcus Freeman that Notre Dame fans had been craving for decades. After the NIU game, the Irish went on a tear and destroyed teams in front of them with a no mercy mentality that Irish fans could have once only dreamed of. Marcus Freeman lit a fire under this team, as they are currently on a 14-game winning streak and scoring an average of nearly 40 points a game. He has instilled in them a never give up, next man up, no excuses attitude that has landed this team in the National Championship game. He took full responsibility for the loss, and brought this team together, helping them form a bond like we haven't seen in decades. They play for each other and not for themselves while totally buying into and believing Freeman's system. It is absolutely amazing what Freeman has done to get this team to believe in him and each other after that painful loss. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here One of my gripes for as long as I can remember was the lack of a "hostile environment" from the home crowd at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame fans impressed me when they packed Notre Dame stadium for their first ever home playoff game against Indiana. It was a packed house, and Irish fans made as much noise in that game as I can remember for a very long time. For the first time in a long time, I saw a crowd come together and back this team like the old days when I was a child. It is refreshing to see that stadium rocking, and getting back the true "home field advantage." Another thing I pointed out in my previous article was that Irish fans over the years had been selling their tickets for a money grab, and allowing opposing fans to takeover Notre Dame stadium and neutralize the home field advantage as in years past, the greatest example being the Georgia game a few years ago. This was something that Notre Dame fans did not allow to happen for the Indiana game, and it was exciting to see all the green and very little red. This in part was a huge factor in Notre Dame restoring the "hostile crowd" effect for the opposing team. But my biggest complaint of all was the University not taking it seriously about truly wanting to win another National Championship. This is something that was very evident since Lou Holtz left town back in the 90's. But this all changed when new AD Pete Bevacqua and newly appointed President Rev. Robert Dowd burst onto the scene. They finally opened the checkbook and put the funds behind the program that it needed to be successful. As with anything you buy in life, you get what you pay for. The new administration had no hesitation to pay for what they feel will lead this football program back to it's former glory. This was evident when they recently extended Head Coach Marcus Freeman to a new 4 year deal which is rumored to be worth around $10.7 million per season. Regardless of the contract extension, it's quite obvious that Bevacqua and Rev. Dowd are fully on board to do what it takes to get Notre Dame back to where it once was. They even said this much on several occasions when asked about what they envision for the future of Notre Dame Football. "In closing, everyone associated with Notre Dame, whether it be the fans or the coaching staff, need to be held accountable for these mentioned failures. When the two come together, Notre Dame will win a National Championship again." That quote was my final conclusion for the article I wrote after the NIU game calling for a mentality change at Notre Dame. I truly believed it at the time, and it seems the two have finally come together after many decades, and Irish fans are enjoying the fruits of the two. Marcus Freeman, the administration, and the fanbase made a lot of changes to get to this point and they all deserve a ton of credit. After watching many decades of dysfunction plaguing this program, it's a breath of fresh air and a great joy to watch this all unfold before our eyes. Regardless of the outcome of this game, (obviously everyone wants Notre Dame to win it all) Notre Dame has turned a corner toward getting this program back to it's former glory that Irish fans have been begging for for decades. Not only are they currently playing in a National Championship a week from today, they also finally broke the curse of winning a New Year's game since the 1990's. Doing so by beating Georgia (SEC Champions) and one of the best football programs at the collegiate level this past decade. With all being said, I tip my hat to Marcus Freeman, the administration, and the fanbase as a whole for all they've done to get here. So rejoice Irish fans, and welcome to the new era of Notre Dame Football. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Women's Basketball team won another game to continue the nine-game winning streak this Sunday in a win over Clemson, 67-58. The Irish won their ninth game in a row, and sit at 14-2 (5-0 in ACC play). Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Liatu King led the Irish in scoring with 23 points. King shot 10-14 from the field, and brought down eleven rebounds for the Irish to record a double double. Olivia Miles had 17 points, and Maddy Westbeld had 8 points. Miles shot 5-12 from the field. Westbeld shot 3-9 from the field, while providing a much needed spark off the bench. The Irish took an early 10-6 lead at the 4:13 mark in the first quarter. Miles had the hot hand with six early points, and the Irish brought Westbeld off the bench early as she made a layup that was assisted by Miles. At the end of the first quarter mark, The Irish held onto the lead and led 17-11 after multiple solid defensive possessions and a Cassandre Prosper jumper at the buzzer which extended the Irish lead to six. Clemson went on a nice run and Notre Dame’s lead was quickly falling as the Irish led, 21-18, at the 4:53 mark in the second quarter. Notre Dame came out of the official media timeout hot and Sonia Citron swished a three. The Irish continued to gain momentum as they headed into the half with a 30-22 lead over the Tigers. The Irish were playing solid team ball and almost every shot that they made had an assist. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here The Irish and Tigers traded baskets as the Irish held onto a 36-29 at the 6:11 mark in the third quarter. Notre Dame was shooting the ball well as they were taking many solid jumpers that they were able to get open looks on. The Irish continued taking good shots, but the Tigers were able to respond and were not going to go away without a fight. Notre Dame headed into the fourth quarter with a 47-41 lead over Clemson. Clemson would go on to make it a three point game at the 7:24 mark in the fourth quarter until King made a nice jumper which was assisted by Miles. Notre Dame went on to go on a 6-0 run to put the Irish ahead 55-46. The Irish and Tigers traded baskets and the nine point gap maintained. The buzzer sounded and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish had beaten the Clemson Tigers, 67-58. The Irish did not shoot the ball incredibly well today, but they were able to play as a team and make their shots when needed. Notre Dame played solid defense as Clemson shot 33.9% from the field. King and Miles each had double figures for the Irish in the victory. Notre Dame earned a solid road victory to keep the win streak going, and they will look to continue the win streak at home against the No. 13 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Thursday, January 16 at 6:00 PM EST on the ACC Network. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame's legendary comeback in the Orange Bowl against Penn State was the Fighting Irish's best victory of the season. Here are the key takeaways from Notre Dame's historic semifinal win. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics No. 7 Notre Dame's cathartic 27-24 victory over No. 6 Penn State was the perfect embodiment of the culture Marcus Freeman has created at Notre Dame. "Choose hard" and "Team glory" have been the two mantras that Freeman has preached all year, and especially after the Irish's sole loss of the season to Northern Illinois. In the semifinal game against Penn State, his team certainly had to adopt the two sentiments he had been emphasizing throughout the entirety of the season. Here are the key takeaways from Notre Dame's Orange Bowl victory. Next Man In Notre Dame entered the "Final Four" as the most injured team, and that trend continued in the semifinal. LT Anthonie Knapp left the game with a high ankle injury, and RG Rocco Spindler left the game with an injury, as well. Not to mention Riley Leonard leaving the game late in the second quarter as the Irish were desperately starved for points. The "next man in" mentality worked as backup LT Tosh Baker and RG Charles Jagusah performed admirably, even exceeding the play from the previous starters. Steve Angeli replaced Leonard to run the two-minute drill, as he led the Irish downfield in a drive that resulted in field goal, which cut the deficit to one score before halftime. Somehow and someway, the Irish have been able to overcome all the injuries that their starters have endured throughout this lengthened college football season. Many believed Benjamin Morrison's midseason injury would end Notre Dame's championship hopes, but Leonard Moore has stepped up with All-American-level play. Rylie Mills' injury in the playoff's first round was expected to be one the Fighting Irish's defensive line couldn't overcome. Gabriel Rubio and Donovan Hinish debunked that theory, as well. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Mitch Jeter: Mr. January It's fitting that the biggest question for Notre Dame fans entering the playoff push—Mitch Jeter's recovery from his groin injury and the field goal unit's reliability—has now become one of the team's greatest strengths. I was at the Coliseum when Jeter missed a 27-yard chip shot in the season finale against USC. I also saw Jeter go 0/2 in the week prior on a cold, frigid night in the Bronx. However, since the playoffs began, Jeter has transformed into one of Notre Dame's most trusted weapons. His game-winning 41-yard field goal against Penn State was the biggest example of this, and he will certainly be needed in the national championship game where points will be at a premium. Mike Mickens' Secondary Zero catches. Zero yards. That was the stat line from Penn State's wide receiving unit in the Orange Bowl against the nation's best secondary. Leonard Moore, Jordan Clark, Xavier Watts, Adon Shuler, and Rod Heard were all phenomenal in their coverage against both Penn State's wide receivers and the mega threat that is Tyler Warren. Then, there is Christian Gray, who for the second time this year, saved Notre Dame and single handedly flipped the outcome of the game. First, it was the 98-yard pick six against USC that sunk the Trojans' comeback hopes. This time, the interception with 44 seconds left on a poor decision from Drew Allar was ultimately the difference that propelled the Irish to the national championship game. In a game next week where it will be a strength-on-strength matchup, the Irish's DBs vs Ohio State's WRs, coach Mickens' unit must once again show up to the occasion. Notre Dame's Aerial Attack Most of the chatter after Notre Dame's Sugar Bowl win against Georgia was the Fighting Irish's lack of a passing threat. Riley Leonard finished that game with only 90 passing yards, and Notre Dame's receiving core was extremely disrespected. Entering the Orange Bowl, it was clear offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock wanted to get more done in the air, and they found success through many different targets. Jaden Greathouse became Notre Dame's first 100-yard receiver this season and recorded a career high seven catches for 105 yards. Mitchell Evans also returned to his form from last season and had five catches for 58 yards. Aneyas Williams, the freshman running back for the Fighting Irish, had five catches of his own for 66 yards. Ultimately, Riley Leonard finished the game 223 yards and a passing touchdown. While Leonard did have two interceptions, he showed the capability of finding success throwing downfield. These were the key takeaways from Notre Dame's victory over Penn State that propelled the Fighting Irish into the national championship. It was one of the greatest victories I have seen in my lifetime for the Fighting Irish. They have done the hard part, navigating their way to the national championship game. While they are perceived to be severe underdogs in the matchup against the Buckeyes, anything can happen when the lights are the brightest, and when players are on the biggest stage. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish hockey split their weekend series with the ninth-ranked Michigan Wolverines in South Bend. We recap the high-scoring affairs here: Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Michigan entered the weekend 12-7-1 including a sweep of Notre Dame in Ann Arbor in early November. The Wolverines also own notable ranked wins against St. Cloud State, Western Michigan, Ohio State, and a sweep of Boston University.  Notre Dame entered 6-13-1 coming off a series with Penn State which featured a shootout win for the Irish in ‘The Frozen Confines’ at Wrigley Field. Friday Result: (3-5, Loss) Friday night’s high-scoring game featured all eight goals occurring within the first 40 minutes of the contest with four goals each in the first and second periods. Notre Dame took advantage early taking a 2-0 lead in the first ten minutes. Irish forward Cole Knuble sniped in his eighth goal of the year  tha nks to the Wolverine goalie losing his stick earlier in the play. Fellow forwards Hunter Strand and Blake Biondi were credited with assists on the game-opening score. Following a Michigan interference penalty, the Irish struck again less than two minutes after Knuble’s g oal. Biondi connected on the power play goal  aft er finding himself wide open in front of the net and beating the opposing goalie. His seventh score of the year was assisted by forwards Justin Janicke and Knuble.  After the Irish took a two-goal lead, the Wolverines flipped the game with five consecutive scores in nearly a 20-minute span.  Just over 12 minutes into the game and with about ten seconds remaining on a Michigan power play, following a hooking call on Biondi, the Wolverines’ Mark Estapa scored his first goal of the season to cut their deficit down to one.  Under four minutes later, Michigan’s Kienan Draper tied the game at 2-2 following his first of a two-goal night. Both offenses were firing on all cylinders as they each tallied 12 shots in the first period, including two goals apiece heading into the second.   Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Just over three minutes into the second period, Michigan’s Philippe Lapointe snuck one past Irish goalie, Nicholas Kempf, after a great assist from Ethan Edwards to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead. The Michigan onslaught did not end as about five and a half minutes later Draper added his second goal of the night, extending the lead to 4-2. This would end up being all that the Wolverines needed to come out with a victory on Friday. However, they added another goal to make it a 5-2 game about 12 minutes into the period. A great power play set from the Wolverines allowed Edwards to connect on his second score of the year. Irish defenseman Paul Fischer was assessed a slashing penalty, allowing for the Michigan man advantage.  The Irish finally responded with under three minutes remaining in the frame. Defenseman Ax el Kumlin put the moves on a Michigan defender before finishing his fourth goal of the season . Fellow defenseman Ryan Helliwell and Knuble were credited with assists on the goal that made it a 5- 3 game.  Offensively, Michigan dominated the second period, outshooting the Irish 14-6. Kempf was forced to do too much as the Wolverines' offense exhibited their speed and prowess.  In the third period, the Irish played very well, outshooting Michigan 13-7. Notre Dame just could not beat Wolverine goalie, Logan Stein, as they pulled Kempf for a man advantage for nearly four minutes to close the game. Both teams played mistake-free hockey in the final frame, guaranteeing the Wolverines their 5-3 victory.  Key Player Stats: Cole Knuble (ND): 1 goal on 7 shots, 2 assists, +2 Blake Biondi (ND): 1 goal on 5 shots, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot, +1 Kienan Draper (UM): 2 goals on 3 shots, +2 Ethan Edwards (UM): 1 goal on 4 shots, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot, +1 Mark Estapa (UM): 1 goal on 2 shots, 1 assist, 2 blocked shots Key Team Stats: Shots: UM (33) - ND (31) Power Play Success: UM (2-2) - ND (1-1) Faceoffs Won: ND (32) - UM (28)  Saturday Result: (7-4, Win) Saturday night was more of the same with high-scoring action all game, this time with the Irish coming out on top. Notre Dame goaltender Owen Say led the way with 37 saves as the Irish offense outscored the Wolverines in each period thanks to a Justin Janicke five-point night which included a hat trick.    It took a little bit for the offenses to come alive, but it was Michigan’s Evan Werner who struck first, giving the Wolverines a 1-0 lead about 12 minutes into the game. Werner’s eighth goal of the year was a result of a Notre Dame turnover in their own zone. Notre Dam e’s Janicke responded just over a minute later with a breakaway, shorthanded goal . The forward pu t the moves on Michigan goaltender Cameron Korpi following a Wolverine turnover to tie the game at 1-1. About four and a half minutes following his goal, and under three minutes to play in the perio d, Janicke set up Paul Fischer for his first score of the season  right in front of the net. Forwards Janicke and Danny Nelson were credited with assists on the goal that gave t he Irish a 2-1 lead. They would hold on to this lead for the rest of the period. Owen Say’s 14 saves and the successful penalty kill which included a shorthanded goal were among the highlights of the first twenty minutes. The second period featured an offensive explosion from Notre Dame containing three goals in 32 seconds.  Hu nter Strand got the outburst started  about five and a half minutes into the period when he redirected defenseman Jimmy Jurcev’s shot right in front of the net to give the Irish a 3-1 lead. Jurcev and Blake Biondi were credited with assists on the goal, marking the defenseman’s first collegiate point.  15 seconds l ater, Janicke beat Korpi with a backhander  in front of the net thanks to a great pass from forward Brennan Ali. Ali and defenseman Henry Nelson were credited with assists on Janicke’s second goal of the night. Following this goal which gave the Irish a 4-1 lead, the Wolverines changed goalies from Korpi to Friday night’s winner, Logan Stein. The Irish did not treat Stein kindly from the jump, getting one past the netminder just 17 seconds after entering the contest . Danny Nelson finished a backhander  to exten d the Notre Dame lead to 5-1, and this would end up being the eventual game-winner. Ali and Janicke were credited with assists on Nelson’s first goal after winning gold at the World Juniors for Team USA.  Michigan would respond about nine minutes into the period with two goals in 32 seconds. The Wolverines’ William Whitelaw added a slap shot, power-play goal with Knuble serving a minor roughing penalty to cut their deficit to 5-2. 32 seconds later, Philippe Lapointe snuck one past Say to make it 5-3 over halfway through the contest. All five second-period goals occurred in this nearly four-minute span. During the last ten minutes of the frame, Say played well and Stein appeared to be more comfortable in the net. Both teams were getting testy with five roughing penalties assessed to the two sides in this period.  About eight minutes into the third perio d, Strand added his second goal  of the night to give the Irish a 6-3 lead. Knuble and Biondi were credited with assists on Strand’s sixth goal of the year.  With about eight minutes remaining in the game, Michigan added another power-play goal to make it a 6-4 game. As time expired in the contest, Janicke added another goal to secure his hat trick and a 7-4 victory for Notre Dame. We will see if this ranked victory can carry the 7-14-1 Irish to success at Minnesota next weekend. Key Player Stats: Justin Janicke (ND): 3 goals on 4 shots, 2 assists, 1 blocked shot, +5 Danny Nelson (ND): 1 goal on 4 shots, 2 assists, +6 Paul Fischer (ND): 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot, +1 Owen Say (ND): 37 saves, 4 goals against Key Team Stats: Shots: UM (41) - ND (29) Power Play Success: UM (2-3) - ND (0-1) Penalty Minutes: ND (10) - UM (6) Blocked Shots: ND (14) - UM (7) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After being dominated for the entirety of the first half, Notre Dame sustained Penn State's initial blows and walked-off the Nittany Lions for a 27-24 victory in the Orange Bowl. Photo by The Irish Tribune MIAMI-- No. 7 Notre Dame was put into a situation tonight that they hadn't been in all year: they trailed by multiple possessions. For the entirety of the first half, No. 6 Penn State was dominating the Irish on both sides of the ball. The Nittany Lions were winning the line of scrimmage, and were moving the ball with ease, both in the rushing game and aerial attack. After Penn State extended their lead to 10 points on a 15-play, 90-yard drive, Notre Dame had its back against the wall. On top of that, starting quarterback Riley Leonard had to go through concussion protocol and RG Rocco Spindler left the game as well, as the Irish were attempting to go through the two-minute drill. LT Anthonie Knapp had already exited the game with an ankle injury. Through all of the adversity, backup quarterback Steve Angeli came in seamlessly and threw for 44 yards on 6/7 throwing. Angeli's efforts resulted in a Mitch Jeter field goal that put the Irish back within one possession, and gave Notre Dame hope heading into halftime. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Coming back from halftime, Leonard emerged, and the Fighting Irish found a new physical self. After rushing for only 15 yards in the first half, Notre Dame rushed for 43 yards on their first drive after the break, which was capped by Riley Leonard's three-yard score to tie the game at 10-10. After exchanging a few empty series, Notre Dame mustered a 10-play 71-yard score that was emphasized with this ridiculous Jeremiyah Love 2-yard rush (video below). Video via ESPN College Football When it seemed as though Notre Dame took away all of Penn State's momentum, the Nittany Lions answered with a touchdown drive of their own, and then forced Riley Leonard to throw his second interception of the night. After regaining possession, Drew Allar threw into quadruple coverage and Jack Kiser appeared to come down with a game-changing interception, but that was negated with a pass interference call on Adon Shuler, a questionable one at that. Penn State then capitalized with a touchdown of their own and regained the lead in the fourth quarter. After the momentum gut punched they endured, the Irish never blinked. Jaden Greathouse beat his man at the line of scrimmage, broke the safety's ankles, and galloped into the end zone to tie the game on a 53-yard touchdown with 4:38 remaining. Penn State and Notre Dame both punted the ball, and the Nittany Lions had the ball with 38 seconds left. Then Christian Gray, the scapegoat for many of the secondary's problems, came away with another game-defining interception. The Irish took advantage and converted a first down to set up Mitch Jeter with a 41-yard field goal with seven second left. Jeter drilled it. After struggling with a groin injury all year, Jeter truly is a postseason player, much like the one that played shortstop in New York, and drilled the game-winner with confidence. Notre Dame is heading to the national championship. Marcus Freeman rewrote the direction of the season and willed the Fighting Irish to Atlanta. The game wasn't perfect by any stretch, but when Notre Dame had its back against the wall, the Irish never flinched. Through the improbable loss and the next-man up mentality, Notre Dame will be playing for its first national championship since 1988. It was truly an all time classic victory in South Beach. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions meet tonight at the Orange Bowl with a trip to the National Championship on the line. We preview the Nittany Lions’ elite defense here: Photo by The Irish Tribune Penn St enters this game 13-2 on the year, with losses to Ohio State and then Oregon in the Big Ten Championship. Here is how the Nittany Lions have fared this season: at West Virginia (34-12, Win) vs Bowling Green (34-27, Win) vs Kent State (56-0, Win) vs Illinois (21-7, Win) vs UCLA (27-11, Win) at USC (33-30, OT Win) at Wisconsin (28-13, Win) vs Ohio State (13-20, Loss) vs Washington (35-6, Win) at Purdue (49-10, Win) at Minnesota (26-25, Win) vs Maryland (44-7, Win) vs Oregon (Big Ten Championship, 37-45, Loss) vs SMU (CFP First Round, 38-10, Win) vs Boise State (Fiesta Bowl, 31-14, Win) As hinted at above, this defense is elite. The Nittany Lions are allowing 288.8 total yards and 15.8 points per game, both of which are at least the seventh-fewest among all FBS teams.  One reason for this success, specifically their points allowed, is because of how well the defense plays in the red zone. Penn St is currently allowing opponents to score on just 68.4% of their drives inside the 20, the fourth-lowest percentage among all FBS teams. This could be a key to the game as Notre Dame’s offense has struggled, at times, inside the red zone, scoring on just 81.8% of their red zone trips, tied for just the 87th-best percentage in the country. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here The Nittany Lions have been solid against the pass this season, entering the Orange Bowl allowing 187.9 passing yards per game, seventh-fewest in the Big Ten and 27th among all FBS teams. The ball-hawking secondary leads the Big Ten in interceptions (18) which are tied for the fourth-most in the country (with Notre Dame). Additionally, Penn State’s four defensive touchdowns (all pick-sixes) lead the conference and are tied for the fifth-most in the nation. Opposing passers are averaging a 117.32 passing efficiency, the 25th-lowest in the country. Let’s preview the key players in this secondary: The first of two safeties to highlight is senior Jaylen Reed. The versatile defender, who can also play slot corner or linebacker, recorded 77 tackles including six for a loss, four passes defended, two interceptions, and a sack in 26 games played across the past two years. This season, Reed was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team after leading the team in tackles. He has 92 tackles including six for a loss, three passes defended, three interceptions including a pick-six, two and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery this year. The senior has at least three tackles in each game. He has 11 games with at least five tackles, including two games with a season-high of ten (vs Bowling Green and at Minnesota). Reed is an elite pass-rushing safety with 11 pressures on just 37 pass-rush snaps. He is a good run-stopper but struggled last week versus Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, the best back in college football. The senior is a solid tackler with 16 misses, including three last week. Reed has struggled in coverage this season, having allowed 28 receptions for 326 yards and four touchdowns on 34 targets. The other safety to keep an eye on is redshirt junior Zakee Wheatley. Before this season, he recorded 51 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in 26 games played across the past two years. This season, Wheatley has totaled 79 tackles, four passes defended, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble. He has at least one tackle in each game, including a season-high of ten at Wisconsin. Last week vs Boise St, the junior had an interception and fumble recovery. He is another good run-stopping safety. In coverage, he has been solid, allowing 16 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 28 targets. Wheatley is a bad tackler with 19 misses this year including nine in the past three games. At the cornerback position, Penn St is loaded with talented depth including six players who could impact the Orange Bowl’s outcome starting with sophomore A.J. Harris. He is a Georgia transfer who had eight tackles in seven games played last season in Athens. This season, Harris was selected to the All-Big Ten Third Team after compiling 45 tackles including four for a loss, four passes defended, and an interception. He has at least one tackle in 13 games and ten games with three or more including a season-high of seven versus Oregon in the conference championship. Harris has been great in coverage this year, having allowed 25 receptions for 249 yards and a touchdown on 43 targets. He has been solid against the run, and as a tackler with eight misses this season including two in each of the past two games.  Another solid corner is redshirt senior Jalen Kimber, a former Georgia and Florida transfer. Last season at Florida, he recorded 23 tackles, five passes defended, and a fumble recovery in 12 games played. This season, Kimber has 35 tackles and two passes defended. He has at least one tackle in 13 games including a season-high of six (vs Oregon and Boise St). The senior is a great tackler with just one miss this year. In addition, he has been good against the run. Kimber has struggled in coverage this season, having allowed 22 receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns on 42 targets. Redshirt sophomore and former Mississippi State transfer Audavion Collins is a third wide corner to keep an eye on this week. He has 25 tackles, a pass defended, a sack, and an interception in 12 games played this season, including at least one tackle in ten games. Collins’s best game of the year occurred versus Washington when he had five tackles and a sack. The sophomore is another great tackler with just one miss this season. Also, he has been good against the run and is solid in coverage, having allowed 12 receptions for 158 yards on 21 targets. The last true wide corner to highlight is sophomore Elliot Washington II. This season, he has recorded 23 tackles, six passes defended, and an interception in 13 games played. He has at least one tackle in ten games, and his best game of the season occurred at Wisconsin when he had five tackles and a pass defended. Washington has been great against the run and as a tackler with just one miss this year. He has also been good in coverage, having allowed 13 receptions for 157 yards on 29 targets. The next two cornerbacks are primarily slot corners, starting with sophomore Zion Tracy. He has 33 tackles, two interceptions including a pick-six, and a sack this season. The sophomore has at least one tackle in 14 games, including a season-high of give versus Washington. Tracy’s 31-yard pick-six versus Ohio St  was th e Nittany Lions’ lone touchdown of the game. In addition, he picked up his second interception of the year last week versus Boise St. Throughout the year, Tracy has been solid against the run and in coverage, having allowed 23 receptions for 204 yards and a touchdown on 37 targets. The sophomore has struggled with tackling, with 13 misses on the year including six in the past three games. The final secondary player to highlight is fellow slot corner, junior Cam Miller. Last season, he had 24 tackles including four for a loss, three sacks, three passes defended, and an interception in 13 games played. His three sacks ranked second among all FBS cornerbacks. This year, the junior has recorded 26 tackles including four for a loss, four passes defended, and a sack. He has at least one tackle in 12 games, including a season-high of five versus Bowling Green. Miller excels against the run and is a good tackler with four misses on the year. He has also been solid in coverage, having allowed 28 receptions for 286 yards and a touchdown on 44 targets. Where Penn St prides themselves the most is against the run with a great rushing defense. They enter the Orange Bowl allowing 100.9 yards per game on the ground, the eight-fewest in the country. For what it is worth, Notre Dame rushed for 193 yards versus Indiana, the top-ranked rush defense in the country who held opponents to under 81 rush yards per game this season. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in tackles for loss per game (7.4), which is the ninth-most among all FBS teams. We preview the key players in this front seven: What Indiana does not have is a defensive end named Abdul Carter. The junior, right-side edge rusher is a sure-fire top-ten pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Carter entered this season with 104 tackles including 17 for a loss, 11 sacks, nine passes defended, three forced fumbles, and an interception in 26 games played the past two years. Additionally, he was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten in ‘22 and the First Team in ‘23. This year, Carter was named, again, to the First Team All-Big Ten in addition to being a Consensus All-American. He was also awarded Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as he has 63 tackles including 22 for a loss, 11 sacks, three passes defended, and two forced fumbles on the season. Carter’s 1.4 tackles for loss per game leads the conference and is fifth-most among all FBS defenders. Also, his 0.73 sacks per game ranks 15th in the country. The junior has at least one tackle in 14 games including 13 games with three or more. His best game of the season occurred versus Illinois when he tallied seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. Carter has had four multi-sack outings this year. Last week, he played 18 snaps before exiting with an apparent shoulder injury. He is currently listed as a game-time decision for the Orange Bowl but expect him to suit up even if he is not at 100%. The elite pass rusher has 58 pressures on 322 pass rush snaps this year. He has been great in coverage, when needed, and is good against the run. Carter is an average tackler with ten misses this season. If anyone on the Penn St defense is going to wreck this game, it has to be Carter even if he is not completely healthy. Notre Dame’s offensive line has been tested the past couple of weeks and that does not stop in Miami. On the other side, Penn St features junior left-side edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. He entered this season with 43 tackles including ten for a loss, six and a half sacks, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception in 26 games played across the past two years. This season, Dennis-Sutton has recorded 36 tackles including 11 for a loss, six and a half sacks, three passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The junior has at least one tackle in 13 games including a season-high of six at USC and then versus Boise St. He has combined for ten tackles and two and a half sacks in the past two games, noticeably getting hot at the right time. Dennis-Sutton has been good against the run and as a pass rusher this season with 41 pressures on 296 pass rush snaps. However, he is a bad tackler with eight misses this season including four last week and two in the Big Ten Championship.  The first of three interior linebackers to highlight is redshirt junior Kobe King. He entered this season with 100 tackles including ten for a loss, three passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and one and a half sacks in 26 games played over the last two years. This season, King earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors as he recorded 88 tackles including nine for a loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble. He has at least one tackle in each game, including ten games with five or more. The junior had a season-high of ten tackles versus Oregon in the conference championship. He enters the Orange Bowl with eight tackles in each of the past two games in addition to a forced fumble versus Boise St. King is an elite run-stopper and good tackler with 12 misses on the year including three last week. He has been good in coverage, having allowed 22 receptions for 283 yards and a touchdown on 25 targets. The all-conference linebacker is also a good pass rusher with 16 pressures on just 61 pass rush snaps. Another interior linebacker is sophomore Tony Rojas. Last season, he had 22 tackles including four for a loss, a forced fumble, and an interception in 13 games played. This year, Rojas has recorded 56 tackles including six for a loss, four passes defended, three interceptions including a pick-six, and a sack. He has at least two tackles in 13 games, including a season-high of eight versus UCL A. The sophomore’s pick-six  oc curred versus SMU in the first round of the CFP. Rojas has lots of potential and is already elite in coverage, having allowed 25 receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown on 37 targets this year. He is also a good pass rusher with 13 pressures on 45 pass-rush snaps. Throughout the year, the young backer has struggled against the run, but ironically, did well last week versus Jeanty. He also struggles with tackling as he has 18 misses on the season. The third interior linebacker to watch for is redshirt junior Dominic DeLuca. He entered this season with 58 tackles including seven for a loss, four passes defended, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions including a pick-six in 26 games played across the last two years. This season, DeLuca has recorded 38 tackles including four for a loss and three interceptions including a pick-six in 14 games played, including at least one tackle in 12 games. He suffered an injury in the second half of the Kent St contest and missed the following game versus Illinois. The junior’s best performance of the year occurred versus SMU when he had five tackles, two interceptions includin g a 23-yard pick-six , a nd half of a sack. DeLuca has been great as a pass rusher when needed, totaling eight pressures on just 28 pass rush snaps, and he has been good against the run. He has struggled in coverage, having allowed 16 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets. Also, he struggles with tackling, as he has 11 misses on the year. Up front, Penn St features three solid defensive tackles starting with junior Zane Durant. Last season, he had 17 tackles including six for a loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in 13 games played. This year, Durant has recorded 39 tackles including ten for a loss and three sacks. He has at least one tackle in 14 games including a season-high of five versus Ohio St and then at Minnesota. The junior tackle has been good against the run and as a pass rusher this year with 27 pressures on 337 pass rush snaps. Durant has struggled with 12 missed tackles including four across the past three games. The second tackle to highlight is redshirt senior Dvon J-Thomas. He entered this season with 56 tackles including nine for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 39 games played across the last three years. This season, the senior has 34 tackles including four for a loss. He has at least one tackle in 13 games including a season-high of five and half of a sack versus Oregon in the Big Ten Championship. J-Thomas excels against the run and is also a good pass rusher with 11 pressures on 238 pass rush snaps. Like Durant, he has struggled with nine missed tackles this year including five in the past two games. The final player to highlight on this Nittany Lions defense is senior tackle, Coziah Izzard. He entered this season with 47 tackles including 11 for a loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles in 33 games played across the last three years. The senior has been good against the run and is a solid tackler with just two misses on the year. Izzard has struggled as a pass rusher with seven pressures on 172 pass rush snaps. With a date to the National Championship on the line, these two teams will be going to war tonight in the Orange Bowl. It should be a great game, featuring two battle-tested squads who both think they can win this game. Who comes out on top? We find out tonight in Miami. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun