Breaking down the College Football Playoff championship, by the numbers

Two teams remain. A battle between the seventh and eighth seeds. With one trophy on the line. In the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

Those are just a few of hundreds of numbers that describe Ohio State and Notre Dame, two of the sport’s preeminent brands.

Here’s what to know — cultures, coaches, quarterbacks and more — about the two programs ahead of Monday’s national championship clash.

How we got here

Unlike the four-team Playoff era, where near-perfection was almost a prerequisite for getting in the tournament, Notre Dame and Ohio State both had moments where they were counted out.

And before that, they were Playoff contenders. Let’s start with Notre Dame.

In a roller-coaster season, the Irish took a deep dive early before slowly ascending over the last four months. They entered 2024 with postseason aspirations and an intriguing roster, led by Duke transfer Riley Leonard at quarterback, an explosive running back in Jeremiyah Love and a formidable defense.

It lasted two weeks.

After a season-opening win at Texas A&M, Notre Dame’s expectations dropped dramatically with a Sept. 7 loss to Northern Illinois, who Notre Dame paid $1.4 million to make the trip to South Bend, Ind. The Huskies won as a 28.5-point underdog, and the Irish’s Playoff odds plummeted to 32 percent. The assumption was that Notre Dame, as an independent program without a conference to conquer, would likely have to win out to earn a playoff berth.

It did.

The following week, Notre Dame responded with 66 points against Purdue. It downed three top-25 teams (Louisville, Navy, Army) and won 10 games by double digits, staying consistent while others around the country faltered. Notre Dame stood on its defense, forcing a nation-leading 32 turnovers.

The Irish entered the Playoff as the No. 7 seed and handled No. 10 Indiana in comfortable fashion before downing No. 2 Georgia (23-10) and defeating No. 6 Penn State (27-24) via a last-minute interception and field goal.

Meanwhile, Ohio State’s had its own ups and downs.

The Buckeyes went “all in” on football after last season, former athletic director Gene Smith said in the offseason, optimizing their name, image and likeness efforts and aggressively building a championship-ready roster a year after their rival, Michigan, took the crown.

Star cornerback Denzel Burke, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka returned, while the Buckeyes landed one of the top transfer portal classes, including quarterback Will Howard, and signed a top-five class — including No. 1 prospect Jeremiah Smith at wide receiver.

It was a team that did the Buckeyes proud, including even a one-point loss at Oregon in October. The Ducks entered the CFP undefeated and ranked No. 1, and the result was a no-bad-press type of game for both teams, widely dubbed the matchup of the regular season.

Fast-forward six weeks, after a steady climb to the No. 2 ranking entering the final week of the regular season, and the narrative quickly turned on coach Ryan Day’s team after archrival Michigan edged Ohio State for the fourth straight year. The game ended in pepper spray, police escorts and a deep conversation about whether Day was the right fit in Columbus, and whether he could lead the Buckeyes to a title.

“If the Buckeyes don’t win a title, then what?” would’ve been the debate around water coolers everywhere (if this was the 1990s).

In a four-team Playoff world, Ohio State’s season would have ended there, with all that uncertainty. And consternation continued after OSU landed the No. 8 seed in the Playoff — even though analytics projected the Buckeyes to be among the championship favorites.

Instead, Day and OSU stepped out of the quicksand and dominated No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon and No. 5 Texas by an average margin of 19.7 points.

Ohio State, with the second-hardest slate in the nation, per ESPN’s FPI, finished the regular season a condemned 10-2 that could’ve easily been a 12-0. It’s only been up from there.

The coaches

Ohio State promoted Day in December 2018 to succeed Urban Meyer. His 69-10 record includes a 49-5 mark in the Big Ten — 1-4 against Michigan, and 48-1 against the rest of the league. He makes $10.02 million a year, ranking second in the Big Ten behind USC’s Lincoln Riley ($10.04/year) and fifth nationally.

As a player, Day actually played quarterback for his current offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, at New Hampshire.

Freeman was also promoted, from defensive coordinator to head coach, in 2021 after Brian Kelly left for LSU. In December, Freeman and Notre Dame agreed to a six-year contract through 2030 that is believed to be among the most lucrative for college head coaches without a national title on their résumé.

Freeman was a linebacker at Ohio State from 2004 to 2008 before bouncing around the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans in the 2009 NFL season. He started his coaching career with the Buckeyes as a graduate assistant in 2010.

The quarterbacks

Last year, Notre Dame scouted both Leonard and Howard before landing Leonard, the Duke transfer. It’s clearly worked out for all parties. Leonard, from Fairhope, Ala., fits as a run-first QB in Notre Dame’s rush-heavy offense, while Howard is more of a pass-first player befitting Ohio State’s loaded WR room.

Leonard started the year slow but has warmed up behind an offensive line that practically began anew — it returned six total career starts from last year. Leonard is still not one for deep shots, as Notre Dame has just five pass plays of 40-plus yards, but his skill set complements the scheme.

Meanwhile, Howard makes the Buckeyes’ receivers go. His 26 completions of 30-plus yards rank tied for fourth in the nation.

The senior from Downingtown, Pa., ranks sixth nationally in yards per attempt (9.4) and fourth in completion percentage (72.6). His arm strength and deep-ball accuracy are ingredients in the potion that allowed Smith, the freshman receiver, to emerge as a wunderkind.

The stars