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Football Playoff Championship: Viewing Guide and Information

The next college football champion will soon be crowned.

The College Football Playoff national championship clash featuring the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish is set for Monday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

This matchup signifies the end of the inaugural College Football Playoff tournament using the newly implemented 12-team playoff format for the 2024 season.

It has been over thirty years since Notre Dame last secured the national title, defeating West Virginia back in 1989. Their most recent appearance in a title game was in 2013, where they were overpowered by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Ohio State’s last national championship victory came in 2015 when they triumphed over Oregon with a score of 42-20.

Read on to get more insights about the CFP national championship game.

Which teams are competing in the College Football Playoff national championship game?

In the College Football Playoff national championship game, the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes will face off against the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

With the nation’s leading defense, Ohio State, coached by Ryan Day, is determined to perform well. This marks Day’s sixth year at the helm, and he faced his program’s fourth consecutive defeat against rivals Michigan, losing 13-10. However, the Buckeyes (13-2) rebounded impressively, outscoring their playoff opponents 111-52 on their way to the championship.

Head coach Ryan Day of Ohio State.Ben Jackson / Getty Images

The Fighting Irish, enjoying a 14-1 record for the season, suffered their lone loss in early September against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Marcus Freeman, in his third year as head coach, leads the Fighting Irish. Freeman, a former linebacker for Ohio State, began his coaching career with the Buckeyes as a graduate assistant.

Head Coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies Kyle Field on August 31, 2024 in College Station, Texas.
Head coach Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame.Jack Gorman / Getty Images

Freeman is set to become the first Black and first Asian American head coach to participate in the national championship game.

Under Freeman’s guidance, Notre Dame is 0-2 against Day’s Buckeyes.

When will the College Football Playoff national championship game take place?

The College Football Playoff national championship game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET, to be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

How to tune in to the College Football Playoff national championship game

The broadcast for the College Football Playoff national championship game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The game will also be available for streaming on any service that includes ESPN, as well as on the ESPN app.

Chris Fowler will serve as the play-by-play announcer, alongside color analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who is a former Ohio State player. They will be supported by sideline reporters Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath.

How did Notre Dame and Ohio State make it to the College Football Playoff national championship game?

Due to the new 12-team playoff format implemented this season, Ohio State and Notre Dame did not secure first-round byes and entered the tournament as the No. 8 and No. 7 seeds, respectively.

Ohio State advanced to the national championship game with ease. They defeated Tennessee 42-17 in the first round, followed by a win against conference foe and Big Ten champion Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl. Most recently, they overcame Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl Classic on January 10.

Quarterback Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes warms up before the Cotton Bowl.
Quarterback Will Howard of Ohio State.David Buono / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

On the other hand, Notre Dame secured their place by defeating in-state rival Indiana 27-17 in the first round. Afterward, they went on to face SEC champion Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on January 2, which had been postponed due to a tragic truck attack in New Orleans.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard poses after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 in the Orange Bowl.
Quarterback Riley Leonard of Notre Dame.Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

Their semifinal game against Penn State ended in a thrilling 27-24 victory for the Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl on January 9.

CORRECTION (Jan. 21, 2025, 7:43 a.m.): An earlier draft of this article inaccurately conveyed that Ohio State was undefeated against Notre Dame in six all-time matchups leading up to the 2025 championship game. Ohio State had indeed maintained an undefeated record against Notre Dame in six encounters from Sept. 30, 1995, to Jan. 19, 2025.

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