The final college game of the season will take place tonight as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish compete in the national championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This is the first season of the College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams. The Buckeyes and Irish are ranked 8th and 7th in the polls, respectively.
But if you’ve been paying attention all season, then you know that Ohio State is the most talented team in the country. Yes, they lost in a rivalry game, but that’s as stingy a defense as any in the country.
The Buckeyes also have the best wide receiving core in the country, and it’s not particularly close. Notre Dame’s secondary is legit, but in this game they will face their biggest challenge. The Irish are missing a cornerback and one of their best interior linemen on defense. It hasn’t bitten them yet, but that should change tonight.
Marcus Freeman has already proven himself to be one of the best coaches in college football. His defensive coordinator, Al Golden, could be hired by the NFL. His offensive coordinator, Mike Denbrock, made Desmond Ridder a third-round pick. Freeman has an eye for talent when it comes to players and coaches. This is why Notre Dame is here.
As you would expect, this game is packed with talent. However, the two players likely to be selected earliest will not play. Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons and Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison are expected to be selected in the first round. I have a feeling we’ll be talking about Simmons quite a bit over the next few months.
It could be argued that the two most influential players in this game are not yet eligible for the draft. Jeremiah Smith is already the best receiver in the country for the Buckeyes, while Jeremiah Love is a walking, explosive playmaker.
Cornerback Jordan Clark, Safety Xavier Watts, Running Backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Offensive Tackle Donovan Jackson, Cornerback Denzel Burke, Edge Rushers JT Tumimoloau and Jack Sawyer, Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka and Defensive Tackle Tyleik Williams are all players who will hear their names called during the NFL Draft.
