The 12-team college football playoff era awaits a milestone. For the very first time, the national champion will be crowned on Monday night (January 20) when two powerhouse Ohio State and Notre Dame lock horns for the prize. The two teams have walked down quite a similar road so far in the season. Both of them had some nasty blows in the mid-season, and both of them staged a fiery comeback, flipping the script.

However, the two teams look significantly poles apart in the National Championship front. Well, not only in the betting odds but also in the overall roster depth.

Ryan Day’s roster showcases an advantage over the opponent 

The Buckeyes have been on a tear throughout this year’s playoff, outstripping Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas by a combined score of 111-52. Thanks to a loaded roster featuring top-tier talents and depth on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame also houses a hoard of high-profile superstars on its roster as well. Just look at their rugged rushing attack and a super-efficient defense that limited three of the power CFP opponents–Indiana, Georgia, and Penn State–to an average of 17 points each game.

If you scout through the defensive sides of the ball, both of them are the chart leaders in the entire nation. Jim Knowles’ Ohio State defense has just given up 12.2 points per game, while Al Golden’s unit has allowed 14.3 points per contest. But there is one major difference that turns the head. In the two superimposing lineups, the number of five-star players in both teams showcases a huge gap.

Ryan Day and Ohio State have a dozen of the five-star players, and on the flip side, the Fighting Irish will head to the game with just one five-star player on the roster. Jordan Faison, the prized running back alone, sits on the list. However, the lone five stars is making a serious impact. Faison earned a football scholarship in 2023 and took just a year to emerge as a key cog in the Fighting Irish offense.

He put together 27 catches for 325 yards and a touchdown this season. He has started for two games this year and garnered a 71.5 offensive grade. In case you think it would be an easy win for Day and the squad, the Notre Dame trio, Riley Leonard, Jeremiyah Love, and Xavier Watts, might laugh at your instincts.

But no matter what, Ryan Day still has the edge. He will head to the game with a chip on his shoulder. It’s a win-or-bust game for the veteran head coach after he had given up a fourth consecutive game to the arch nemesis, Michigan Wolverines. So, the motive is bigger. Jeremiah Smith, Will Howard, and a lot of other impactful stars will hopefully carry his dream forward.

Marcus Freeman has done the unthinkable. To make the Irish fans believe that they can ever stand on the cusp of winning a title is huge. If he can recreate the 1988 history at Atlanta, he will go down in history as one of the most remarkable head coaches the Irish have ever had. But come on, let’s be honest, it’s Ryan Day who carries more purpose behind a win.

Ryan Day wants to lift off pressure ahead of the biggest game

It is no secret what Ohio State coach Ryan Day has undergone in recent months. Despite holding a decent overall record in his 6th-year tenure at Columbus, the beleaguered head coach couldn’t get over his popular tag of a big game loser. A 13-10 upset for the fourth straight time in the Michigan rivalry history put a damper on an otherwise stupendous campaign. The situation went so extreme that a bunch of fans dished death threats to Ryan Day and family a few weeks back. If he misses the title game, it would be a hell of a time for Ryan Day again. So, he has to do it for his family, if not for the game only.

But guess what? Day isn’t letting the heap of negativity overburden him ahead of a big day. He wants to head to the game with a clear mind. “To think too much about that right now is kind of over here,” Day said. “And I’m with you, I think you’re dead on. I think it’s worth a lot of conversation. I think when you start to get into that, though, as a coach or as a player, it can be a distraction.”

The tilt with Notre Dame demands a full range of attention. Despite being a 9.5-point favorite and having the clear edge in talent on paper, Ryan Day needs to be wide awake to avoid any slight mistake. Time will decide the rest!