The College Football Playoff is down to the No. 7 seed and No. 8 seed.
The national championship game in the inaugural 12-team CFP will pit the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish up against the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes.
The championship matchup was set following the Buckeyes’ 28-14 Cotton Bowl win over the No. 5-seeded Texas Longhorns on Friday. Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins scored a tiebreaking touchdown midway through the fourth quarter before the Buckeyes’ elite defense sealed the semifinal victory with an epic goal-line stand.
Texas had a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line inside the last four minutes, but the Longhorns’ first three attempts at a game-tying score were denied as they lost seven yards. Then, on fourth-and-goal, Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer recovered a fumble he forced on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and ran it 83 yards to the house — the longest fumble return in CFP history.
The Buckeyes were champions of the debut CFP in the 2014-15 season when Urban Meyer was head coach. Now, after beating the No. 9-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in Round 1, stunning the previously undefeated No. 1-seeded Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl and fending off Texas in the Cotton Bowl, Ryan Day’s team has a chance to win the first-ever 12-team CFP.
The Fighting Irish punched their ticket to the national title game on Thursday, rallying for a 27-24 Orange Bowl win over the No. 6-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions. Notre Dame’s semifinal victory saw wideout Jaden Greathouse score a game-tying 54-yard touchdown with four minutes left, cornerback Christian Gray come up with a huge interception inside the final minute and kicker Mitch Jeter drill a go-ahead 41-yard field goal in the final seconds.
Notre Dame didn’t win any games in its previous two CFP appearances. But Marcus Freeman’s team is now on the brink of the program’s first national title in decades following a first-round win over the No. 10-seeded Indiana Hoosiers, a Sugar Bowl victory over the No. 2-seeded Georgia Bulldogs and a late comeback against Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
With the national championship stage set, here’s what to know about the Notre Dame vs. Ohio State showdown:
When is the CFP National Championship Game 2025?
The CFP National Championship Game will be played on Monday, Jan. 20.
What time does the CFP National Championship Game 2025 start?
Notre Dame-Ohio State is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. PT.
Where is the CFP National Championship Game 2025?
The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish will square off in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL‘s Atlanta Falcons. The venue also hosted the quarterfinal Peach Bowl between Texas and Arizona State.
What TV channel is the CFP National Championship Game 2025 on?
The title game will air on ESPN.
How to stream the CFP National Championship Game 2025 live online
It will also be available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State series history
Ohio State and Notre Dame are set to meet for a third straight season, but it will be just the ninth all-time matchup. The Buckeyes have won the last six meetings, giving them a 6-2 record against the Fighting Irish.
Ohio State recently defeated Notre Dame 17-14 last season in South Bend, Indiana.
When did Ohio State football last win the national championship?
This will be Ohio State’s third CFP title game appearance. The Buckeyes won the first-ever CFP in 2014-15 and then fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2020-21 title game.
Ohio State also captured the BCS national championship in 2002-03.
When did Notre Dame football last win the national championship?
It’s been decades since the Fighting Irish won the national championship, last doing so in 1988.