The final game of the college football season is here and it’s as blue blood as it gets with #7 Notre Dame (14-1) taking on #8 Ohio State (13-2). The main storyline here is of course Notre Dame head coach, Marcus Freeman.
In his third season game as Notre Dame head coach, he’ll take on the very program where he played his college football, and starred as an all-conference linebacker.
Notre Dame vs Ohio State: National Championship Game FYIs
It’s also who he faced in his very game in charge in South Bend. His Fighting Irish are substantial underdogs, here priced at +8.5 and +290 on the money line. ESPN, who will carry the game on their ABC partners (7:30pm EST kickoff), with of course all the various alternate broadcasts, with their numerous nuances and quirks, are strongly backing the Buckeyes, as those spreads appear courtesy of ESPN Bet.
Their network’s match-up predictor is less overwhelmingly in favor of OSU, as they give them a 55.3% chance of winning. With Notre Dame, obviously, 44.7% The total is set at 45.5, or -110.
Egg on the Face of Brian Kelly
When Brian Kelly bolted for Louisiana State, he infamously said that he wanted to go to a place where he would be given the resources to compete for national titles. Well, LSU has never made the College Football Playoff under his leadership, while Notre Dame is here in the title game. Kelly was unlikable when he was at Notre Dame; he’s unlikable at LSU.
Brian Kelly was also unlikable at Cincinnati, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State as well!
While LSU were relegated to the Texas Bowl this postseason, Tigers everywhere have someone to cheer for right now in Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Heisman Trophy winner at LSU has now led his team to the NFC Championship game.
They will take on the winner of the L.A. Rams-Philadelphia Eagles game later today.
Daniels’ heroics have caught the attention of another LSU legend, Shaquille O’Neal himself.
“I think they have a strong chance of making it to the Super Bowl,” Shaq said in an exclusive with RG. “For him to win the Heisman, play in the state of Louisiana, and then come into this first year of his NFL career with a chance to win a Super Bowl, I think that is huge for him.”
Ohio’s Strange Persecution Complex
Ohio State Coach Ryan Day said it himself, during his on-field interview at Notre Dame Stadium, the last time these two teams met: “It’s Ohio against the world- always has been.”
Day is perfectly articulating what his fan base and community truly believes, although it’s impossible to figure out why.
Ohio State is always ranked top five in the preseason. Their recruiting classes, every year, are always rated top 5.
The Big Ten Network, propaganda arm it may be, fawns the hardest over Ohio State. They promote and glorify the Buckeyes more than any of the 17 other teams in the league.
So who exactly is just disrespecting Ohio? It’s so strange.
Holy War
This is a match-up where members of both sides sound convinced that God is specifically on their side. Obviously, one will have to be proven wrong come Monday night.
Notre Dame is of course the Catholic-affiliated institution known for Touchdown Jesus, First Down Moses and their ubiquitous saying of “God. Country. Notre Dame.”
Meanwhile Jack Sawyer and company were very vocal, during their on-field postgame interviews at the Cotton Bowl, about how Jesus guided them to victory.
Former Buckeye and current Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was very explicit is saying that Jesus has his hand on Ohio State, and is guiding them to glory. But the Texans?….Guess not!
Prediction: Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 14
Sorry, Domers, obviously, this is just a prediction and not anything to be taken super seriously, but I don’t see it happening for you guys this time. Notre Dame will likely lose, and lose quite decisively.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.