After the longest College Football Playoff yet, the 2025 FBS odds and the National Championship game are set for the first season of the expanded, 12-team playoff.
The Ohio State Buckeyes, at 13-2, overcame a rare two-loss regular season and one of the most embarrassing losses in program history to eventually crush the field in the playoff and land back in Monday’s National Championship.
Meanwhile, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have enjoyed a fantastic 14-1 campaign en route to the matchup in Atlanta. Having defeated the Georgia Bulldogs during their journey to the title game, Notre Dame will be confident in its ability to defeat the underdog.
With the National Championship on the line on Monday night in Atlanta, check out our Ohio State vs. Notre Dame predictions, including the 2025 FBS odds, with kickoff set for January 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Current Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Ohio State | -425 | -8.5 (-120) | O45.5 (-125) |
| Notre Dame | +260 | +8.5 (-120) | 45.5 (-118) |
Ohio State vs Notre Dame Matchup Overview
Teams: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
Date: Monday, January 20, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Win Probabilities
The prediction tip for the winner in the game between Ohio State and Notre Dame is Notre Dame. The winner probabilities are 27.78% (Notre Dame) and 80.95% (Ohio State).
Projected Final Score
Our predicted final score for this 2025 FBS matchup is Notre Dame 13-35 Ohio State.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
A decade ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Oregon Ducks to win the national championship in the first season of the four-team playoff, making college football history. Now, 10 years later, the Buckeyes have the chance to repeat that history and win the national championship as the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff comes to a close.
It is quite amazing that the Buckeyes got here at all. Just a month and a half ago, they were No. 2 in the country and headed for a playoff bye week, but they seemingly fell apart. Not only was their loss in The Game to the rival Michigan Wolverines a deflating upset, but the drama surrounding it was deeply messy.
Somehow, Ohio State rebounded from such a loss and reeled off three straight wins to make the National Championship game. Even more impressive is that Ohio State’s rarely been tested over the last month. In wins over the Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Longhorns, and the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, Ohio State boasted an average scoring margin of 19.6 points.
That cruise control through January has set the Buckeyes up with a date with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Unlike the Ohio State Buckeyes, Notre Dame didn’t face any kind of existential crisis on the eve of the playoff. Its sole loss this year—though humiliating, seeing as it came against the Northern Illinois Huskies—was back in September, which allowed plenty of runways for it to rebound and prove its National Championship credentials.
The Fighting Irish did just that, reeling off 10 straight wins and only being held within a single score—a 31-24 win over No. 15 Louisville—once during that stretch. The playoff has seen them tested a bit more, with an average scoring margin of 8.6, but the Sugar Bowl win against Georgia is especially encouraging.
Why the Ohio State Can Cover
From the top of the roster to the bottom, the Ohio State Buckeyes are a superior team to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They should win on Monday, and they should do so comfortably. In such a matchup, however, it’s important they take care of any potential variables that could swing the outcome.
In the case of the Fighting Irish, that means doing everything possible to limit the electrifying Jeremiyah Love and the Irish running back corps. The dynamic sophomore has been fantastic all year and has served to breathe life into Notre Dame’s offense. Love has ripped off 17 touchdowns on the year, averaging over seven yards per carry. In the big games, he has leveled up further with a yards per carry of 8.1 against ranked opponents.
Love has the type of skill set that can see him be the best player on the field at any given time. If the Buckeyes can at least contain him and prevent the explosive runs that have fueled the Irish offense, they’ll be in a great position. With linebacker Sonny Styles playing like one of the best defenders in the country in recent weeks, the Buckeyes’ second and third level defenders are poised to come up with that type of defensive performance.
With Love effectively contained, Ohio State simply needs a clean, efficient offensive performance to cover and win the National Championship outright.
Why the Notre Dame Can Cover
With a fairly limited quarterback in Riley Leonard, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s path to covering—and potentially outright winning—Monday’s National Championship comes through their defense.
Will Howard, the quarterback for Ohio State, not only relies on his teammates, but the Fighting Irish defense also plays a significant role. They flexed their muscle against Penn State’s versatile offense last weekend and will need to do so again. Luckily for the Irish, however, they absolutely can.
In the 2024-25 season, Notre Dame’s defense allowed more than 24 points a single time and held opponents to 17 points or fewer in 10 games. The three-game playoff to this point has only served to emphasize the Fighting Irish’s defensive strength. Against the Nittany Lions, Indiana Hoosiers, and Georgia Bulldogs, the Fighting Irish have allowed an average of 17.0 points per game while limiting the opposing offenses to just 4.9 yards per play.
Notre Dame has reduced multiple offenses to bland, nonthreatening units. If it can repeat that feat against the Buckeyes, it will cover on Monday night.
How to Make Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Picks
Ready to make picks on the 2025 FBS Ohio State vs. Notre Dame matchup on Monday, January 20? Make sure to head over to Sportzino, where you can find every college football game all season long and so much more!
