ATLANTA — It is no secret that Notre Dame and Ohio State are very polarizing football teams. You either love ‘em or you hate ‘em, and there are very few fans in between.
The Fighting Irish have the Four Horsemen and Rudy. The Buckeyes have the Script Ohio and the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. Both programs have some of the most iconic jerseys (and helmets) in college football history, and both have been playing the sport since the late 1800s.
Notre Dame and Ohio State have combined to win 14 national championships in the poll era. They are among the five winningest programs in the sport’s history, which is great for their fans but tough on anyone who roots for a different team that endures more lows than highs.
After walking around this city on the eve of Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game, I’ve discovered that this Notre Dame-Ohio State matchup is a challenging one for neutral observers. Neither of these historically very successful teams is a warm and fuzzy underdog — although both have incredible stories of redemption that got them to the doorstep of a national title.
So, I’ve decided to offer my services. Even if you’re a Michigan fan and this matchup is kind of a worst-case scenario for you personally, I can help you figure out how to root for someone on Monday night.
Here is a neutral observer’s guide to a bluest-of-bluebloods national championship game:
Why you should root for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish:
- Notre Dame hasn’t won a national championship since 1988. Ohio State has won two (2002 and 2014) since then, and it’s always more palatable to root for the program facing the longer championship drought. Notre Dame’s last appearance in the national championship game (at the end of the 2012 season) was rather embarrassing, a 42-14 loss that felt even more lopsided than the score indicates. The Irish have long had trouble performing well in big postseason games (particularly against SEC teams), and while they’ve already gotten that monkey off their back with hard-fought wins over Georgia (in the quarters) and Penn State (in the semis), this would feel even bigger and even better. Especially since Vegas has Notre Dame as an 8.5-point underdog in this game.
- These Irish are … actually pretty likable?! It’s true, which is weird because fans of other teams typically love to hate Notre Dame. Some say it’s because of the Irish’s independence, which kind of allows them to play by different rules than everyone else. Others just knew too many Catholics who became diehard Notre Dame fans as kids and wouldn’t shut up about it. Either way, Notre Dame fans are used to hate, and this year’s team hasn’t faced much. Marcus Freeman has helped make the Irish cooler (and cooler to a younger audience) and far more likable than they ever were under Brian Kelly. Freeman is only 39 yards old, and he’s clearly a fabulous leader who also knows when to push the right buttons in big games. Quarterback Riley Leonard is super sweet, and he is/was so universally beloved that his mom had to try to keep him humble by telling him “you suck” regularly as he grew up as an elite athlete. He tells that story with a smile.
- You appreciate elite defenses. Defensive coordinator Al Golden has done a terrific job with the Notre Dame defense, and it’s the main reason this team is playing for a national championship — especially with the at-times putrid Irish passing attack. This defense has forced more turnovers than any other team in FBS this season, and Golden doesn’t believe that’s because of luck. This ball-hawking defense helps position its offense for success — and sometimes it puts points on the board itself. (So does the special teams unit.) But even when it’s not taking the ball away, this defense is just incredibly impressive to watch, at every level, even while dealing with a seemingly endless stream of injuries. The Notre Dame secondary vs. Ohio State’s receivers is likely to decide the game, and it’s strength on strength. Cue the popcorn emoji.
Why you should root for the Ohio State Buckeyes:
Jeremiah Smith. The freshman receiver is already one of the best players and biggest stars in the sport. It’s kind of crazy that he’s got to wait two years before he can play in the NFL, because he’s absolutely pro-ready. Right now. Smith broke a bunch of Ohio State freshman records, as he’s caught 71 passes for 1,227 yards and accounted for 15 total touchdowns this season. In the Buckeyes’ semifinal win over Texas, he was held to just one catch for three yards as Texas focused its defensive game plan on him (and ensuring that he wouldn’t be the one to beat the Longhorns). Can Notre Dame stop — or even just slow — this freshman sensation, opening up opportunities for other potential game-breakers like Emeka Egbuka or Carnell Tate? Or will Smith dazzle us like he’s done so many times this year? It’s worth watching for.
- The redemption of Ryan Day. The life of a college football coach can be very difficult. Obviously, he has been paid very, very well to coach a game he loves. But it’s also been tough for both him and his family when his reputation prior to the start of this CFP was that he couldn’t win big games — especially against Ohio State’s biggest rival. Four straight losses to Michigan was a difficult pill to swallow, and the situation was so dire that athletic director Ross Bjork had to go on a local radio station to give Day a vote of confidence and state that he’d be back next season. Since then, Ohio State has been a juggernaut of sorts, blowing out both Tennessee and Oregon before beating Texas to reach the national championship game. Winning on Monday night would give Day his first national championship and complete an astonishing turnaround just seven weeks after the lowest point of his coaching career.
- You like explosive offenses. Ohio State faced insanely high expectations all season long, in large part because of the amount of talent on this roster. Donors spent $20 million to retain key veterans and attract a few high-profile transfers, and the general consensus heading into the preseason that it was a national championship-or-bust kind of season in Columbus. Well, here’s that championship opportunity, and so much of that is because of a defense that features a two-headed rushing attack and the best receiving group in the country. Will Howard has grown comfortable and confident quarterbacking this team as well as of late. This offense is going up against an elite defense, but it’s got so many weapons that can make big plays that it’s going to be hard to shut down all of them. If you root for points and/or big plays, you should be rooting for Ohio State.
