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Proximity battle

Alabama and Georgia are out; a neighboring matchup forms.
Proximity battle

A typical matchup during the CFB championship the past couple years has been the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. it’s neighboring state’s team the Georgia Bulldogs. Over the past decade, these two teams have experienced their fair share of matchups in championship/playoff games; whether that was in the SEC Championship, a New Year’s Six game, or in the CFB National Championship. With Alabama not making the playoffs, and Georgia being eliminated early, can we expect to see a new adjacent state matchup beginning?

Over the past weekend the first ever 12 team CFB National Championship was set, following the victories of The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Both teams have given it their all during these treacherous playoffs, and have no plans of stopping short. The Irish were seeded at a controversial seven seed, while having to take down the up-and-coming Indiana HoosiersGeorgia Bulldogs, and the Penn State Nittany Lions. It has clearly not be an easy task for the Irish, as they continue to prove to the nation why they belong in the championship.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard celebrating, after scoring a touchdown against Penn State. (Sam Navarro)

Similar to Notre Dame, the Buckeyes spent the playoffs proving that they are still the powerhouse they were prior to their loss to Michigan. It seems that this was coming easy to the Buckeyes as they “boat-raced” both #9 Tennessee and #1 Oregon, giving the Ducks their first loss of the season. However, they faced a tough matchup against #5 Texas in the semi-finals, but that too resulted in an Ohio State victory.

Matchup History

Despite the two teams being in neighboring states, they have only faced off against each other a total of eight times. The Buckeyes currently have maintained the lead in the series with a 6-2 record over the Irish. Notre Dame has not beaten Ohio State since their second meeting ever in 1936. Ohio State has won the past six matchups including victories in 2023 and 2022.

Championship Bound

Throughout the entire season, Ohio State was always seen as one of the top powerhouses in college football. They finished their season with a 10-2 record, with their only losses coming from #1 Oregon, as well as a disappointing loss to their up north rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. After Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, many fans began to question whether or not this would be the same team they saw earlier in the season. At the time of their matchup, Michigan sat at an underperforming 7-5 record. Even though the Buckeyes had lost to the Wolverines the three previous seasons, they entered this game as -19.5 point favorites.

Notre Dame however, had a slightly different scenario when entering the playoffs. Notre Dame started off the season strong with an impressive win over #20 Texas A&M. Sadly, the triumph from their success wouldn’t last long, as they were upset by unranked Northern Illinois (NIU) from the MAC. Their loss gave NIU their biggest win in team history. Luckily, after this game they would go on to beat Purdue by almost 60. Their success would continue from this point, as they advanced to the playoffs on a ten game win streak, which included wins against three ranked opponents.

As both teams have their eyes set on the championship, they continue to share an important aspect in common, their Christianity. Notre Dame has always been known for their beliefs in Catholicism and sharing their Catholic faith. Throughout this season Ohio State has been seen praying as almost an entire team before and after their games. Many have praised Ryan Day and the program for their acts, as they believe sports is an excellent way to spread the word of God.

Ohio State football players seen praying before their bowl game against Texas (Graham Allen)

Both fan bases have taken a turn for the better, from the beginning of the season until the end. When it seemed to be lost, both Marcus Freeman and Ryan Day have gained their respect back from their fans. Before the playoffs, Buckeye fans started calling for Ryan Day’s job, yet because of his success in the playoffs, it seems to have quieted down.

It won’t be an easy road for these teams to win, yet with the power of both Ohio State’s and Notre Dame’s offenses and defenses, it should certainly be a very entertaining game come Monday January 20.

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