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Ohio State-Notre Dame: College Football Championship Preview

The stage is set for the 2025 College Football Championship - Image Credit: FOX Sports

The newest twelve-team College Football Playoff format has produced their first-ever championship finale: the No. 8 seeded Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 7 seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 

Both sides have fought and competed more than any other team in NCAA College Football Playoff history to get to the winner-take-all-all matchup which will take place tomorrow, Monday, January 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here we go with Ohio State and Notre Dame for all the marbles – Image Credit: NCAA

Ohio State-Notre Dame History on the Gridiron 

The last matchup between the two — Ohio State and Notre Dame — took place just one year ago when the Buckeyes would walk out of the Fighting Irish’s home with a tight 17-14 victory. The story, however, extends much beyond the scope of just last season. Notre Dame has not stacked up well against Ohio State in their matchup history as their last win came just under 90 years ago in 1936, with the final score being 7-2 in favor of the boys in green and gold. They have both also met as recently as 2006 and 2016 in bowl games, both, of course, ending in favor of the Buckeyes. 

Notre Dame’s Road to the CFB Championship

The Fighting Irish started their playoff campaign with a quite controversial matchup. The two-loss Indiana Hoosiers would fall flat against Notre Dame, losing 27-17 in the inaugural 12-team CFB Playoff opening round. Some fans would go on to argue that Indiana was not the most deserving team to get into the playoffs and that a better matchup could have resulted in a changed outcome for Notre Dame. 

With a win on Monday night, Notre Dame would win the national championship for the first time since 1988 – Image Credit: Notre Dame Football

Next up would be the Southeastern Conference (SEC) champions, the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia came into the game plagued by injuries, and most notably without their star quarterback, Carson Beck, who later would transfer to Miami. Like Indiana, Georgia would fall short, losing 23-10. 

The Orange Bowl against Penn State would be Notre Dame’s final obstacle on its road to the finals and certainly did not prove to be easy. In a back-and-forth thriller, the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish traded blows before Notre Dame walked away with the win 27-24, securing their spot in the championship. 

The official bracket and results to the 2025 CFB Playoff Bracket – Image Credit: CFB

Ohio State’s Road to the CFB Championship

Ohio State did not have a problem in the opening round, easily taking down the SEC powerhouse that is the Tennessee Volunteers, 42-17. Although it may have been a close game at times between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in the box score, Ohio State made easy work of the weak Tennessee team and was able to move on. 

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the No. 1, undefeated, and undisputed favorite Oregon Ducks would be next up in the Rose Bowl. In just the first couple of minutes, however, Ohio State was able to run away with the game, partly thanks to the masterclass put on by WR Jeremiah Smith. The final score was 41-21. 

Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer strips Texas QB Quinn Ewers for a fumble during the second half of the Cotton Bowl – Image Credit: Ohio State Football

The last step for the Buckeyes would see them in a matchup against the mighty Texas Longhorns. Texas, first off of an OT thriller against Arizona State, kept up with Ohio State until the last few minutes when a scoop and score would seal the deal for the Buckeyes, allowing them to punch their ticket to Atlanta. 

Latino Representation 

Both sides will have Latino representation in this year’s national championship, as Fighting Irish’s Gabe Rubio and Joey Velazquez of the Buckeyes will take the field with one thought on their mind — coming out of the night, a champion. 

Gabe Rubio, Defensive Lineman for Notre Dame

The Mexican-American Rubio had his best season this year by far, playing in ten matchups and getting the starting nod for an earlier game in the College Football Playoff. The 316-pound senior posted four assisted tackles in the win against Penn State just a few weeks ago and registered another four vs. Georgia. 

Mexican-American Gabe Rubio, a problem for all opposing linemen – Image Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Rubio was the No. 9th ranked defensive lineman in the nation, coming out of Lutheran High School in Missouri. 

Joey Velazquez, Linebacker for Ohio State

Joey Velazquez, a graduate transfer out of Michigan, is a two-sport athlete of Mexican and Puerto Rican family descent, who competed for both Michigan baseball and football in his four years with the Wolverines before his transfer to Ohio State. Velazquez would attempt to walk on with the Buckeyes earlier this season and was successful in his efforts. 

One of eight siblings, Velazquez, a native of Ohio, played in 100 career games for the Wolverines Collegiate Baseball team and primarily played outfield. In 2022, he tallied a .277 batting average, with 21 RBI. 

Joey Velazquez, a Mexican-Puerto Rican, seeking back-to-back National Championships – Image Credit: Doral Chenoweth/USA Today Network & Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images

Tomorrow, Velazquez will be appearing in his second straight national championship game with the chance to win back-to-back rings, as he was a part of Michigan Football’s historic run just a year ago…

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