SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offense have faced a fierce gauntlet of defenses in their path to the College Football Playoff title game.
The Fighting Irish battled their way through Penn State (No. 7 in total defense), Georgia (No. 30) and Indiana (No. 2). Now, the nation’s top-ranked defense stands in the way of a return to college football’s mountaintop for the first time since 1988.
Notre Dame (14-1) and Ohio State (13-2) meet Monday night in Atlanta for the 12-team format’s first national championship game.
Ohio State’s defense is ranked No. 1 overall and No. 3 against the run. The Buckeyes have outscored playoff opponents Tennessee, Oregon and Texas 111-52, and have limited them to 62.3 yards a game rushing (1.9 yards a carry).
It was the Buckeyes’ defense that delivered the dagger in the 28-14 semifinal victory against Texas — Jack Sawyer’s 83-yard scoop-and-score as the Longhorns were poised to strike late in the fourth quarter.
Leonard and Notre Dame rely on the run to open up the Fighting Irish offense, and they’ll face a daunting challenge in the Buckeyes, who opened as 9.5-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
“I love the underdog status,” Leonard said. “I love it, I love it. I love it. There’s nothing that motivates me more than to see certain things said or certain spreads out there, which I don’t really look at, but it was brought to my attention today what it is. So I love it.”
Leonard expects a bruising Ohio State attack.
“I could imagine them playing a lot like Penn State,” Leonard said. “Penn State was a really hard playing team … very physical up front in the way they attack the quarterback.”
Notre Dame gained 116 yards rushing in its 27-24 victory against Penn State, with Leonard accounting for 35 yards.
Against Georgia, Notre Dame only passed for 90 yards, but Leonard broke through for 80 yards rushing. The Fighting Irish had 154 yards on the ground.
Notre Dame averaged 421.3 yards of total offense in the regular season, but against three rock-solid defenses in the playoffs, the Fighting Irish average 340.7 yards of total offense.
Notre Dame has made big plays when it has needed to, and Leonard feels the Fighting Irish offense is battle-tested.
“Luckily, we’ve played against a lot of good defenses this year, and a lot of good defensive lines, which Ohio State has a really good one,” Leonard said. “I think after beating Penn State and beating Georgia, we kind of understand, like, you know, we’re up there with anybody.”
Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse, whose juke move against Penn State cleared the way for a 54-yard touchdown that pulled Notre Dame to 24-24 with the Nittany Lions, also loves the underdog role.
