Ohio State favored over Fighting Irish in tonight's college football championship

The College Football Playoff, and the longest college football season ever, comes to a close tonight in Atlanta.

The winner claims the national championship in the first year of the expanded 12-team bracket. Ohio State is trying for its sixth title, and first since its 2014 team won the inaugural CFP. Notre Dame is going for its 12th title, and first since 1988.

Oddsmakers heavily favor the Buckeyes to handle the Fighting Irish.

A key matchup will be Ohio State quarterback Will Howard vs. Notre Dame defense. Howard has been in a groove in the playoff, and he has one of the best receiving tandems in the nation in Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. Smith was all but shut down by Texas in the semifinal, and it’s a certainty Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden was taking notes. Golden runs an NFL-style defense with lots of moving parts, and he’s adept at making changes on the fly. The Fighting Irish are at their best when they’re in man coverage and bringing the blitz.

But Notre Dame's QB Riley Leonard is the type of quarterback that has bothered the Buckeyes. He’s a dual threat — probably a better runner than passer, especially on downfield throws. His toughness and competitiveness help him make winning plays more often than not.

Ohio State running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins will be going against a defense that has allowed just 3.4 yards per carry over three CFP games. The combination of Henderson’s speed and Judkins’ physicalness can cause problems, and both are more than capable as receivers.

The pregame show will begin at 4 p.m. on ESPN, with kickoff at 6:30 .



(AP Photo Jay LaPrete)