Notre Dame and Ohio State are gearing up to lock horns in a stupendous national championship match on January 20 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. No matter which team wins, a championship drought will come to an end. You see, Notre Dame will aim for their first title since 1998 and though Ohio’s hiatus wasn’t as long, it has been a decade. But the stakes are even higher for the head coaches. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Ohio State’s Ryan Day will aim for their very first championship.

That’s not where things end. Both sides have a history. Freeman’s team lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in each of the past two seasons, but after going 14-1 in the regular season, Freeman is ready to face his alma mater (he was an All-Big Ten linebacker for Ohio State). However, does the HC have a reason to worry about the upcoming game?

Here’s the thing: Marcus Freeman dished out an absolute banger against the Penn State Nittany Lions and clinched a well-deserved ticket to the final. Cornerback Christian Gray’s diving catch of Drew Allar’s reckless throw with 37 seconds left in the clock came out as a watershed move in No. 7 seed Notre Dame’s 27-24 victory. Anyone who has watched the game couldn’t deny that Freeman did an amazing job in taking his team to a historic final, but the uneasy question is, at what cost? Notre Dame’s injury list would send chills down your spine if you’re a fan.

Addressing the massive loophole, ESPN college football host Matt Simms said, “Man, it’s going to be fascinating. For one, Ohio State, I think it is very favorable matchup for them because Notre Dame’s inability to continuously be aggressive in the passing game will be a concern. And I think Ohio state is built perfectly to stack the box, be physical and to push bodies around…

”Of course, with the injuries on Notre Dame’s offensive line, that’s got to be a concern. Got to be a huge concern. So Riley Leonard, they got to perform like they did against Penn State with their skill group, again and make some explosive plays when they matter.”

Several Irish starters had to be forced out of the game in the first half of Thursday night’s Orange Bowl against Penn State. Quarterback Riley Leonard, left tackle Anthonie Knapp, and right guard Rocco Spindler were all sidelined in the second quarter of the College Football Playoff semifinal. Knapp seemed to suffer a left ankle injury. Graduate senior Tosh Baker replaced him later in the game, and the worst part is he might miss out on the game vs. OSU. A really huge hiccup for a championship final.

Plus, the Irish have a record of being inconsistent and less go-getter in the passing game, something Ohio State can very well exploit into their favor. A recurrence of QB Will Howard’s early mistakes in the season (frequent turnovers, fumbles, bad throws, weaker footwork) can only save the Irish for the trophy.

Skubie Mageza, who was also a part of the conversation on ESPN College Football, stated, “I think if you’re at this as a Notre Dame fan you’re saying, ‘Man, I hope will Howard make a couple of those mistakes and gives us an opportunity to have some short-field situations’ and I think that is the key if you’re Notre Dame.”

That chance is rare whatsoever. Because Howard has come a long from that low. His resilience shines through each and every game as he continues to lead the team to back-to-back crucial victories. Freeman needs to array his card right, leaving zero room for the naysayers.

Notre Dame garnered constant criticism over their ability to compete for a title 

Analyst Cam Newton still struggles to believe that Notre Dame is going to compete for a national championship. Notre Dame hasn’t lost since it fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois way back in September. Freeman is surely learning from their previous mistakes and is clearly chiseling out the best in his boys.

A long winning streak after an upset loss feels good but Newton accredited their wins to their strength of schedule… or the lack thereof. Earlier this month, he stated, “Notre Dame played six top 25 teams in their year this year. You want to know who those top 25 teams were? Texas A&M, Louisville, Navy, Army, Indiana and a depleted UGA team.”

“They have the 58th strength of schedule. … Notre Dame has had a cakewalk to their situation, playing the teams that they’ve played, versus the teams Texas played, versus the teams Ohio State even played. So that’s what I mean when I say certain things like that. You haven’t earned the right.”

Newton has been a constant critic of Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman. Even when they qualified for the semis, the analyst threw shade and expressed his disbelief over the outcome. But it barely mattered. Freeman continued doing what he does the best: winning the games.

Let’s wait and watch the debate settle on the stupendous night of January 20. What do you think will happen?