The revamped college football playoffs are one game away from crowning a champion, and your 2025 FBS picks are ready for the big game. Ohio State and Notre Dame both had to win three consecutive playoff games to reach this stage of the competition, and you can make free 2025 college football playoff picks for the big game. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has been excellent so far this season, but he will be tested against a very strong Notre Dame defense. Make sure you carefully analyze the expert college football picks in combination with the 2025 college football playoff odds before making predictions of your own.
Matchup: 2025 FBS Overview
- Teams: Ohio State vs Notre Dame
- Date: Monday, January 20th, 2024
- Time: Kick-off is at 7:10 PM EST
- Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Win Probabilities:
It has been quite the battle for both squads to reach this stage of the competition, and the win probability gives Ohio State a significant edge in this matchup. Thanks to a dominant offense and a consistent defense, the Ohio State Buckeyes have a 71.88% chance to win this game. Despite Ohio State’s significant advantage, Notre Dame still has hope. Having already emerged victorious in multiple games this season as underdogs, Notre Dame is poised to challenge the college football playoff odds with its 28.12% win probability.
Projected Final Score:
A projected final score has been generated using insights from recent college football games, expert picks, and predictions. Both teams will be confident they can limit their opponents’ scoring, and the projected final score for the 2025 FBS championship is Ohio State 25-17 Notre Dame.
Ohio State vs Notre Dame 2025 FBS Odds
| Ohio State | Notre Dame | |
| Moneyline | -425 | +260 |
| Spread | -8.5 (-120) | +8.5 (-120) |
The final college football game of the season is upon us, and Ohio State is coming into this matchup as a sizable favorite on the 2025 FBS odds. The college football playoffs have never been this competitive, and both of these squads needed to go through a gauntlet of contenders to reach this stage of the competition. Ohio State’s superior offense has them as -8.5 point favorites on the college football playoff odds. Both of these teams have the ability to score points, but their strength is primarily in their defensive play. As a result, the 2025 FBS odds have the total points at 45.5 points.
| Over 45.5 Points | Under 45.5 Points |
| -125 | -118 |
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
Why Ohio State Could Cover
Ohio State has an advantage in this specific matchup, having won six consecutive games against Notre Dame. They also won back-to-back games against the Fighting Irish in 2022 and 2023, and they will be looking to make it a 21st-century three-peat on Monday night.
Ohio State will bring several advantages to this game. While its offense gets plenty of praise for its scoring abilities, its defense has stepped up more often. Notre Dame has a strong run game, so Ohio State will need to prioritize its run defense in this matchup. If it can consistently force its opponents into difficult third-and-longs, it will put itself in a fantastic position to pick up the win and cover.
The second big advantage Ohio State has is the deep ball threat. Quarterback Will Howard is very accurate on his deep shots and has already connected with his receivers countless times in the postseason for big gains. Notre Dame will look to turn this into a grinding style of game, but Ohio State cannot fall for the trap. As long as the Buckeyes continue to focus on creating explosive plays down the field, they will win and cover with ease, making them a fantastic college football 2025 FBS prediction to make.
Why Notre Dame Could Cover
Notre Dame must unite as a team and give their utmost effort in their upcoming matchup against Ohio State. They are coming into this game as moderately large underdogs against Ohio State but will still have belief they can pull off another upset this season.
Ohio State has an explosive offense to complement its lockdown secondary, but Notre Dame has a serious advantage in the trenches. Their offensive and defensive lines are both superior compared to Ohio State, and they will need to play gritty football in the interior. Running back Jeremiyah Love is still partially injured, but Ohio State’s mediocre linebacker room will struggle to contain him. Notre Dame can get the cover and possibly win outright if they dominate possession of the football, avoid any costly turnovers, and lean on the run game that has got them this far. If they can do all three of those things, they could even upset Ohio State outright as +260 underdogs on the college football odds.
How to Make Ohio State vs Notre Dame 2025 FBS Picks
The best place to make your free Ohio State vs Notre Dame 2025 FBS picks is Sportzino. Not only does Sportzino have the standard moneyline FBS 2025 odds for the championship game, but they also have spreads, totals, and player props. By using the expert college football picks and predictions provided above, you can maximize your chances of making correct 2025 FBS predictions on Monday night. Both of these teams will be extremely confident it will be them collecting the championship trophy at the end of 60 minutes, but only one will emerge as champions. Regardless of whether you plan to predict Ohio State or Notre Dame to win the 2025 college football playoffs, Sportzino is the place to make all of your college football picks and predictions for free.






