Buckeyes open as favorite in national title game over Notre Dame

ARLINGTON, Texas — The confetti hadn’t even settled inside AT&T Stadium before Ohio State was already thinking about Notre Dame in the national title game.

After easily beating Tennessee in the first round and then racing past Oregon in the quarterfinal Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes finally had a huge, four-quarter challenge in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night — and still moved past Texas to earn a spot in the national title game.

Ohio State opened as a 9.5-point favorite over the Irish for their championship-game date on Jan. 20, according to the folks at Fanduel Sportsbook. The total has been set at 45.5, a signal that the folks in the desert believe this will be a low-scoring game.

Notre Dame’s path to the title game hasn’t been easy at all; the Irish are battle-tested. They beat Indiana in the first round before knocking off Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal and then Penn State in the semifinal on Thursday evening.

But this Ohio State team seems to be humming on all cylinders at the perfect time in January.

Can they do it one more time and secure the program’s first national championship since 2014? Notre Dame is aiming for its first title since 1988.

These teams, of course, met in each of the last two seasons. Ohio State opened the 2022 slate with a 21-10 home win over Notre Dame inside the Horseshoe. The return trip was an incredible game last September, with the Buckeyes beating the Irish 17-14 with a last-second touchdown run in Notre Dame Stadium.

Now the stakes are certainly raised. These two historic Midwest programs will play for the national championship on Jan. 20 — and the Buckeyes are the favorite to win in Atlanta.

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Lettermen Row will be on site for comprehensive coverage of the Buckeyes as they head to the national title game against Notre Dame next Monday night in Atlanta. Follow along on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for experienced coverage.