The national championship game is finally here.
The first iteration of the 12-team College Football Playoff has been whittled from 12 to eight to four and now just two teams remain. Ohio State and Notre Dame meet Monday for all the marbles.
Ohio State is going for its first title since the end of the 2014 season. It’s been much longer for Notre Dame; the Irish last won a championship in 1988 when the team capped a 12-0 season with a Fiesta Bowl victory over West Virginia.
Ohio State (13-2) vs. Notre Dame (14-1)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN | Line: Ohio State -8.5 | Total: 46.5
It’s no secret that Notre Dame wants to run the ball and it’ll need to have success on the ground against Ohio State. The Irish would be best suited keeping it out of the Buckeyes’ hands and eating up as much clock as possible.
Another key that could swing the game: Which quarterback will make a costly mistake? Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard has thrown an interception in every CFP game so far and Ohio State’s Will Howard has had some truly devastating turnovers in the two games the Buckeyes lost this season. This could be the game for either team where a turnover leads to a game-shifting touchdown.
Follow all the action in Atlanta below.
Live12 updates
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College Football Playoff: Tickets near $4,000 apiece in hours before Notre Dame-Ohio State kickoff
Click the photo above to read the story. (David Rosenblum/Getty Images) -
CFP national championship players to watch, keys to the game: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
Will Notre Dame or Ohio State be hoisting the national title trophy on Monday night? (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) -
How will national championship play out? Two key coaches weigh in on Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
Click the photo above to read the story. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images) -
Emotional meeting after Michigan loss helped Ohio State refocus for championship run — ‘There was crying frustration. Anger.’
Click the photo above to read the story. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) -
Why the CFP format is unlikely to change next season
Click the photo above to read the story. (David Rosenblum/Getty Images) -
Ryan Day, OSU have rebounded from crushing Michigan loss, but a title game defeat would still be a gut-punch
Click the photo above to read the story. (Steve Limentani/Getty Images) -
Why Marcus Freeman should turn down NFL … for now
Click the photo above to read the story. (Doug Murray/Getty Images) -
The College Football Playoff has one glaring problem
Click the photo above to read the stry. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) -
Viewer’s guide to the new College Football Playoff
The first 12-team College Football Playoff wraps up Monday night in Atlanta. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) -
‘The distractions become bigger:’ How will Ohio State, Notre Dame avoid losing focus amid CFP pregame hype?
Click the photo above to read the story. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) -
Good evening folks and welcome to our college football national championship live tracker!
We still have a little over an hour until kickoff in Atlanta, so here’s some light reading material while we wait
