The Fighting Irish (14-1) reached the title game by defeating Indiana, Georgia and Penn State. They are led by quarterback Riley Leonard (66.4% completions, 2,606 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, 8 interceptions;

Fans couldn't help but make all kinds of jokes about Lou Holtz and Ryan Day after Ohio State football's win over Notre Dame.

Jesse Temple: Ohio State has been a juggernaut during a three-game winning streak in the Playoff, embarrassing Tennessee and Oregon. Notre Dame has won 13 straight games and put together a fantastic season. But Ohio State’s balance and overall talent should emerge. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 14.

Then, for the biggest play of the game, Notre Dame decided to leave Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on an island. It was third and 12 and the Fighting Irish would get the ball back with a stop with a chance to tie the game. Smith completely burned his defender and he was wide open for a huge gain, and he iced the game.

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship, finishing their season with a 14-2 overall record.

Both the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish elevated their programs to championship caliber with big moves in the offseason

The expanded College Football Playoff resulted in some increased ratings across the board, culminating in a huge number of fans tuning in to watch Ohio State wi

Valentina Martinez: The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish are set to face off in the College Football Playoff National Championship. This game is a tale of two defenses, but Ohio State will take home the glory. Ricardo Sandoval: The championship match is as highly profiled as one can be while also being one that no one expected.

After days of reports and speculation following Notre Dame’s national championship loss to Ohio State, the Cincinnati Bengals announced on Thursday afternoon that Golden has been hired as the team’s next defensive coordinator.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, who was in Atlanta on Monday to watch Ohio State win the national championship, came to the defense of current Buckeyes coach Ryan Day.

Al Golden agreed to return to the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday after three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.