CFP National Championship Bracket 2025: Odds and Guide for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
The first College Football Playoff to feature 12 teams has not gone as many likely predicted. Who could have seen the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds reaching the CFP National Championship Game?
However, that's exactly what has happened, with No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State set to face off for the national title on Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It will be the ninth all-time meeting between the Fighting Irish and the Buckeyes, who currently hold a 6-2 lead in the series.
Ohio State has actually won its past six meetings with Notre Dame, including victories in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Fighting Irish's most recent victory over the Buckeyes came in 1936.
Ahead of Monday's CFP National Championship Game, here's a look at the betting information for the contest, followed by more on each team.
Game Odds
Spread: Ohio State (-8.5)
Over/Under: 46.5 total points
Moneyline: Ohio State (-360; bet $360 to win $100); Notre Dame (+285; bet $100 to win $285)
Ohio State (13-2)
Ohio State's regular season had a disappointing conclusion, as it lost 13-10 at home to rival Michigan. The Buckeyes fell to 10-2, and they didn't make it to the Big Ten Championship Game, which featured Oregon and Penn State.
That didn't prevent Ohio State from reaching the CFP, though, and it's a good thing it didn't.
The Buckeyes' Playoff run has featured victories over Tennessee (a 42-17 victory in the first round), Oregon (a 41-21 victory in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal) and Texas (a 28-14 victory in the Cotton Bowl semifinal). And they haven't faced much adversity during that path.
Ohio State hasn't won a national championship since the 2014 season, the first year of the four-team CFP. It would only be fitting if the Buckeyes also won a title in the first season of the new 12-team format.
The Buckeyes' offense is led by senior quarterback Will Howard (3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns), who has a pair of top wide receivers to throw the ball to in freshman Jeremiah Smith and senior Emeka Egbuka. However, Notre Dame has a tough man-to-man pass defense that could make things a bit challenging for Ohio State's passing attack.
Lately, though, nobody has been able to stop the Buckeyes' offense. So if that continues, they could handily win on Monday night and capture the national championship.
Notre Dame (14-1)
On Sept. 7, Northern Illinois defeated Notre Dame 16-14 in one of the most surprising upsets of the college football season. It also marked the Fighting Irish's lone loss of the season.
Since then, Notre Dame has mostly been on cruise control, ending the regular season with 10 consecutive wins to reach the CFP as an independent program. The Fighting Irish may not have been tested as much as some of the other Playoff teams, but they clearly belonged in the field, as they've shown in recent weeks.
In the CFP, Notre Dame has recorded victories over Indiana (a 27-17 win in the first round), Georgia (a 23-10 win in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal) and Penn State (a 27-24 win in the Orange Bowl semifinal). But Ohio State will be the toughest test yet.
The Fighting Irish have a strong rushing attack led by sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love (1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns), so they could try to keep the ball on the ground. But the Buckeyes have a stout run defense that may make it challenging for Notre Dame.
It's been quite some time since the Fighting Irish have won a national championship, as their most recent title came during the 1988 season. So they have a chance to end a long drought.
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