Monday night, Ohio State and Notre Dame will offer something college football has never seen before

ATLANTA – Ohio State and Notre Dame are two college football programs rooted in history and tradition.

For the Buckeyes, iconic names range from coach Woody Hayes and running back Archie Griffin to coach Ryan Day and defensive end Jack Sawyer. Their look – a collection of scarlet and gray with helmets covered in Buckeye leaves – is synonymous with success.

The Fighting Irish celebrate the names of coach Lou Holtz and quarterback Joe Montana, as well as coach Marcus Freeman and quarterback Riley Leonard. They wear gold helmets that shine in any environment, especially against the backdrop of Touchdown Jesus, the large mural that has become a campus landmark.

Yet despite the shows presence in a sport more than a century old, Monday brings something never seen before.

Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet in Atlanta in a national championship game.

In a season full of new developments, college football will see two iconic teams face off for the first time in this setting.

How Ohio State and Notre Dame got to Atlanta

College football changed its postseason format ahead of the 2024 season. Instead of four teams participating in the College Football Playoff, the field expanded to 12.

In the past, perfection was often the standard to reach the top of the sport. That changed this season, and Ohio State and Notre Dame were at the forefront of the new landscape.

The Fighting Irish reached the final round by defeating Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the playoffs. However, making the playoffs seemed like a daunting task in September.

Notre Dame, a week after an impressive win at Texas A&M, lost as a heavy favorite at home to Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference, which includes teams such as Kent State and Akron.

This defeat often brought down a season. In the final CFP rankings, the Fighting Irish were fifth, suggesting they would not have had a chance to play for a national title in previous seasons.

Ohio State certainly wouldn’t have been on the field in previous years.

The Buckeyes opened their season with five straight wins before losing to Oregon on October 12. The one-point loss didn’t do much harm to Ohio State’s resume.

If the Buckeyes managed business, they would likely get a rematch with the Ducks in the Big Ten title game, with the winner advancing to the CFP.

Things changed dramatically on November 30 when three-touchdown favorite Ohio State lost at home to Michigan. With a 10-2 record, the Buckeyes wouldn’t have had a chance at a national title in the four-team era.

But this season was different, giving Day and Freeman a chance to prove their teams belong at the top of college football.

“I think the new format has allowed our team to grow and build throughout the season,” Day said. “Even though losses hurt, they really allow us as coaches and players to take a hard look at the issues and resolve them.”

What a victory would mean for Notre Dame

Notre Dame last won a national title in 1988. The Fighting Irish have since struggled with inconsistency in their race back to the top, with Freeman – a former Ohio State linebacker (2004-08) – being the program’s fifth head coach since Holtz. retired after the 1996 season.

Under the leadership of coach Brian Kelly (2010-21), Notre Dame regained some of its glory.

The Fighting Irish competed in the BCS National Championship Game – a previous postseason format that selected the top two teams from the regular season to play in a title game – during the 2012 season. They also made two CFP appearances (2018, 2020) in the four-team era.

However, when Notre Dame arrived on the big stage, it often delivered a poor performance. Freeman, winning three playoff games this season, has started to turn things around.

A win against his alma mater would cement an impressive rise through the coaching ranks for someone in only his third season at the helm.

“Every year our aspirations are to win a national championship,” Freeman said. “That’s why all these players choose to come to Notre Dame, one of the reasons is to be part of a program that can win a national championship.”

What a win would mean for Ohio State

Ohio State has rarely been blown out in big games, but Day has earned a reputation similar to Kelly’s at Notre Dame.

The Buckeyes have been the face of consistency in college football. They have won at least 10 games in 12 straight seasons, excluding the 2020 pandemic campaign in which OSU played in just eight contests.

Day is the only active coach in the country to have led his team to at least four CFP appearances since 2019 – the year he took over as full-time head coach.

Amid this success, Ohio State hasn’t won a national title since the 2014 season, when Hall of Fame coach Urban Meyer was at the helm.

Only two active head coaches (Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Georgia’s Kirby Smart) have won national championships. Failing to achieve that goal was no rebuke to Day as a bad coach.

However, coupled with four straight losses to rival Michigan, Day’s tenure sparked frustration among the Ohio State fan base. A chance to change that narrative awaits at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons.

“There should be no doubt, that’s all,” Day said. “Whether it’s a game or a season, that’s it. We have to finish this thing the right way. Whether you’re talking about the foundations and building what you wanted to do this season and finishing it the right way or leaving no doubt, I mean, all those things come into play. That was it. .. for this moment, right here.