There’s a simple explanation for why Ohio State will beat Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Championship Game on Monday in Atlanta:
The Buccaneers be victory.
Otherwise, everything they’ve done over the past month and three impressive wins will be for naught in their bid to repair a name tarnished during and after a shocking 13-10 loss to touchdown underdog Michigan in Columbus on Nov. 30.
I don’t have time to be kind to coach Ryan Day in Legion who wants him to be fired, the dust will be smoking. Four straight losses to the Wolverines leaves little room for empathy or imagination, even with the title game in sight.
You see, while Notre Dame is looking for a title, the Fighting Irish don’t face the same consequences or ridicule if they lose.
The narrative that Day is unfit to lead a program as storied as Ohio State will emerge despite his 69-10 record.
That is the responsibility of having the richest and most talented teams in 12 teams.
If the Buckeyes play as well as they can—see a 42-17 drubbing of Tennessee followed by a 41-21 demolition of No. 1 seed Oregon—not the error-prone bunch that ended up being tested before putting away Texas 28-14 in the semifinals, then the Fighting Irish won’t stand a chance.
Ohio State could be that good. They were nearly flawless in their first two postseason games, but nine penalties, three of which resulted in potential field goals, made the Buckeyes look human compared to the Longhorns.
Still, they continued their streak of never making the postseason with Texas besting 7-7 and 14-14.
The road to victory starts with star receiver Jeremiah Smith getting more than one catch for just 3 yards, as was the case against Texas. While the Buccaneers did a great job getting Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate and the tight ends involved, the reality is that the offense just wasn’t good enough after scoring in the first three games in a row.
The Buckeyes had just two offensive TDs the rest of the game and needed an 83-yard scoop-and-score by defensive end Jack Sawyer to win.
Goal No. 1 would be a quick start like a 21-0 first quarter blitz on Tennessee and a 34-0 lead for the bewildered Ducks. Why are you giving the Fighting Irish a glimmer of hope?
All the pressure is on Ohio State, and Notre Dame, under coach Marcus Freeman, a former Buckeye quarterback, is somewhat favored. Or maybe the Buccaneers aren’t likable.
You shouldn’t. Don’t Americans like the story of redemption? At the moment there is no one better than a heavyweight who stands up to a beating.
The Buckeyes were slated to be counted out after the Michigan debacle, but that defining moment led to heated discussions among players and staff. The result was a renewed determination to right their wrongs.
The team fully buys into the concept of “Ohio vs. World”, and the players really want to win the tournament on par with their coach who is in trouble like them.
As the quote from the movie Apollo 13 says, “Failure is not an option.”
Notre Dame may be the underdog, of course, but it won’t be because it’s the most talented team on the field, the best on that night.
That’s something Ohio State has been working for weeks to avoid.