In the capital of college football, where “it just means more” and “accomplish greatness” are said earnestly, it will be one team with a Big 10 shade of red, and another with an independent tint of gold perhaps unfamiliar to most in Georgia, playing for the college football national championship on Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Don’t shudder if you are a fan of the Bulldogs or Yellow Jackets, or Panthers, Owls or Eagles, three other teams that could one day earns spots in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. And to others living in the state who are fully emotionally vested in the SEC, who were shut out of the championship game for the second consecutive year, or ACC, which hasn’t won the big prize since 2018, it’s OK. The other teams are trying to win, too.
Instead, embrace the history of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame, with each team featuring several players from Georgia, if that helps increase interest. Or just appreciate that it’s a potential life-changing few hours for those involved.
“We started the season talking about reaching our full potential, and we’ve got one guaranteed opportunity to do that,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “Let’s continuously put all the work we can into these last 48 hours or however many hours we have left to prepare for this moment and then go play.”
And it may be quality football.
Ohio State’s roster was bought -- fair to say in the NIL era -- to win a title. It finished first among FBS teams in total defense (251.1 yards per game) and scoring defense (12.2 points per game), and 12th in scoring offense (35.8 points per game).
Notre Dame, whose football coffers aren’t bare, finished ninth in total defense (298.3 yards per game) second in scoring defense (14.3 points per game), and sixth in scoring offense (37.0 points per game).
Each knocked out one of the SEC’s best: Notre Dame knocked off champion Georgia and Ohio State beat Tennessee and runner-up Texas to get to the final game, so their bona fides seem as solid as Stone Mountain.
Sunday’s final media availability for the two coaches was less focused on X’s and O’s -- understandable considering this will be the first-ever 16th game for each team so what more can be asked -- and more on the philosophical, such as mantras, with a few cliches thrown in.
“There’s a lot of messaging that happens,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “When you play this long of a season, there’s different messages that you can come in and out of during the season, but we try to keep them as consistent as possible. The idea of leave no doubt is don’t leave it to one play, don’t leave it to one call, don’t leave it to the photo finish, don’t leave it to the judges to call at the end of a boxing match. That’s it. Not that that’s easy, but that’s the reason behind it.”
For those who don’t believe that college football is played better in the South and not South Bend, Ohio State, with seven players from Georgia, will try to win its ninth title. Notre Dame, with four players from Georgia, will try to win its 12th.
Again, if it helps increase your interest, Day complimented the state’s quality and quantity of recruits.
“Georgia has really, over the last decade or so, continued to build and grow and develop young players, and it’s great to see our guys come back to the Atlanta area,” Day said. “Most of our guys who are on the roster from Georgia are from the Atlanta area, and when they saw that the National Championship game was in Atlanta from the jump, they were excited about that opportunity if it arose, and we reached this game.”
