After three exciting rounds of college football postseason play, the time has finally come to crown a national champion — the first of the 12-team College Football Playoff era. Eight seed/No. 6 Ohio State is set to take on seventh seed/No. 5 Notre Dame in the 2025 CFP National Championship game on January 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Here is everything you need to know about the matchup.
Ohio State vs Notre Dame CFP National Championship game preview
Both teams have faced unique obstacles en route to the championship game.
About seven weeks ago, Ohio State fell short to rival Michigan, 13-10. The game marked Ryan Day‘s fourth-straight loss to the rival Wolverines and had many calling for his removal. The loss knocked Ohio State out of the Big Ten championship game and meant that the Buckeyes did not play their next football game until Dec. 21 vs. Tennessee in the first round of the CFP. But Ohio State came out firing, scoring 21 points in the first quarter to secure a dominant 42-17 victory.
Next, Ohio State faced its toughest opponent of the postseason against top-ranked, undefeated Oregon. The Ducks beat the Buckeyes in thrilling fashion, 32-31, earlier in the season. But Ohio State was a different team on the Rose Bowl stage, outscoring Oregon 34-8 in the first half alone. The Buckeyes toppled the Ducks, 41-21, in Pasadena.
Most recently in the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State played Texas. Though this semifinals matchup was a closer contest than the previous two, the Buckeyes still won comfortably, 28-14 — thanks to Jack Sawyer‘s fourth-quarter heroics — to punch their ticket to the championship.
Much has changed for Ohio State in seven weeks time as the same Ryan Day who was shocked by Michigan now stands just 60 minutes away from his first championship title.
For Notre Dame, the adversity hit earlier. The Irish lost to Northern Illinois, 16-14, in Week 2 of the season. The loss haunted the Irish for weeks and it has taken 13 straight wins to fully silence the doubters.
In the first round of the CFP, the Irish topped in-state rival Indiana easily with a 27-17 victory. Next, in the quarterfinals, Notre Dame faced Georgia, which was better rested due to a first round bye. Riley Leonard threw for a touchdown and Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards to propel the Irish to a 23-10 win over the high-powered Bulldogs.
Notre Dame played Penn State in the Orange Bowl in its toughest test yet. In a close back-and-forth game, Penn State QB Drew Allar tossed one ill-advised pass with 33 seconds left that gave the Irish back the ball and set up Mitch Jeter’s game-winning 41-yard field goal. About four months after losing to Northern Illinois on home turf, Notre Dame launched itself into the championship game with a 27-24 win.
Now, two teams that have faced some of the lowest low’s of the entire college football season have the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage for the highest title.
Ohio State vs Notre Dame date and time
- Date: Monday, January 20
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- TV Network: ESPN
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Ohio State vs Notre Dame head-to-head record
Ohio State leads the all-time series between the two teams, 6-2. Both of Notre Dame’s wins came before World War II. The other six meetings occurred in the last 30 years. Last season, Ohio State defeated the Irish, 17-14, in South Bend. The year before, the Buckeyes defeated the Irish, 21-10, in Columbus.
When was the last time Ohio State won a national title?
Ohio State defeated Oregon, 42-20, in to win the 2014 national championship. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns in the first national title in the college football playoff era.
When was the last time Notre Dame won a national title?
Notre Dame won the national title in 1988 under coach Lou Holtz. The Irish finished that season with a perfect 12-0 record.
Ohio State vs Notre Dame odds
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
- Moneyline: Ohio State (-350), Notre Dame (+280)
- Spread: Ohio State -8.5
- Over/Under: 46.5 points
2025 CFP National Championship game preview:
Watch NBC Sports college football analysts Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry break down this game. For full analysis and updates throughout the College Football Playoffs, listen and subscribe to Rushing the Field wherever you get your podcasts.
