Ohio State @ Notre Dame Game Overview

That involves the No. 7 seed Fighting Irish (14-1) trying to shut down Ohio State star freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, which Texas did in the semifinals.

The Longhorns limited Smith to one catch for 3 yards after he racked up 13 receptions for 290 yards and four touchdowns in the Buckeyes' first two playoff wins over Tennessee and Oregon.

Texas put as many as three defenders around Smith to keep him in check, but eighth-seeded Ohio State (13-2) prevailed 28-14 at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 at Arlington, Texas.

Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly gave no indication that Smith was rattled by his unusually quiet game. Instead, it seems like he is focused on helping Ohio State win its first national title in 10 years.

"He's always a forward-looking guy; what's next, what's the next challenge and what do we get to do?" Kelly said.

Smith's 1,227 receiving yards this season are the seventh-most in the nation, but Notre Dame has a star freshman of its own that could help make life difficult again for the touted receiver on Monday night.

Cornerback Leonard Moore, who was named the Freshman Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday by the Football Writers Association of America, has tallied 10 pass breakups and two interceptions this season for the Fighting Irish.

Moore logged only one tackle in Notre Dame's 27-24 semifinal win over Penn State on Jan. 9 but had two passes defended in a 23-10 quarterfinal victory over Georgia one week earlier.

The Fighting Irish pride themselves on playing man coverage, and Moore made it clear that will remain the case on Monday.

"A lot of teams have gone to a zone mindset when playing them," he said. "I think Penn State played a decent amount of man because that's their identity. Going into this game, we're not going to change who we are. We're going to play man coverage like we do every week."

Smith's slow night against Texas allowed Ohio State's other weapons to contribute. Carnell Tate had seven catches for 87 yards and running back TreVeyon Henderson took a screen pass 75 yards for a score.

"They came out and bracketed (Smith) and everyone else had to win and do their job. That's exactly what we did," Tate said. "When (Smith) does his job, it opens it up for us. When we do our job, it opens it up for (Smith)."

Tate is regarded as the Buckeyes' third-best receiver behind Smith (14 touchdowns on 71 receptions) and Emeka Egbuka (75 receptions, 947 yards, 10 touchdowns).

"You're not going to be able to stop their receivers totally," Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. "They're a talented bunch. So, we'll come up with a plan and be able to adapt and adjust based off what's going on in the game."

Freeman's squad will also have to deal with Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who has completed 73.9 percent of his passes (65 of 88) for 919 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions in the Buckeyes' three playoff games.

The Fighting Irish secured their three-point win at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Mitch Jeter's 41-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining. That the field goal came after a Notre Dame interception was not surprising.

The Fighting Irish have plucked 19 picks this season, the fifth-most in FBS. They also rank second in pass defense (165.3 yards per game) and scoring defense (14.3 points allowed per game).

The team above them in the latter two categories? Ohio State.

The Buckeyes allow just 251.1 total yards and 12.2 points per game and present the ultimate test to a Notre Dame offense led by quarterback Riley Leonard.

The Duke transfer hasn't had an explosive playoff like Howard, completing 67.1 percent of his throws (53 of 79) for 514 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, but Leonard can extend plays with his legs. He has added 145 rushing yards and two scores on 43 carries during the playoffs.

Leonard's 866 rushing yards on the season are second behind running back Jeremiyah Love (1,122), who has logged just 65 yards on the ground over Notre Dame's last two games.

The Fighting Irish's line may be a bit more fragile without left tackle Anthonie Knapp, who will miss the championship due to a high ankle sprain sustained during the Penn State game. Tosh Baker is expected to replace Knapp and make his first start of the season.

Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke, who did not play in the second half against Texas because of an upper-body injury, should be good for Monday, according to defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Notre Dame has not played for a title since losing the 2013 BCS National Championship to Alabama. Its last title was in 1988.

The Buckeyes are back in the CFP championship game for the first time since losing to Alabama in January 2021.

--Craig Merz, Field Level Media