See, college football fans, it’s all coming down to this! The first-ever 12-team playoff is giving us a wild finish, and the last two squads standing? Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes and Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Both teams got counted out, dragged, and doubted. Now, they’re one game away from glory. But the real question is, who’s really earned that chip? Big-time national analysts got some bold sayings and takes on who deserves the nod. Let’s dive in—this debate is about to get spicy.

On January 11th, Dan Wetzel wasn’t mincing words on College Football Enquirer when he started hyping Ohio State’s grind “I know they lost twice, but look at it—if Ohio State wins this… and hear me out, Irish fans—if, okay, well, we’ll get to you.” Man was setting up the Buckeyes like they’re Rocky Balboa. His point? Ohio State’s path to the championship has been absolutely brutal. No lie.

Think about it: they’ve taken down No. 4 ranked Penn State (20-13), absolutely dogged Josh Heupel’s No. ranked 7 Tennessee in the 1st round, annihilated No. 1 ranked Oregon in the Rose Bowl (41-21), and man-handled Steve Sarkisian’s No.3 ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl. And beat the breaks outta Curt ‘Google me’ Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers on week 13. That’s 5 wins against top-12 teams. Wetzel broke it down: “They’d have beaten all three of the other final four teams.” Dan Wetzel low-key included Notre Dame in there. Buckeye Nation, y’all got every reason to puff your chest right now.

But hold up, don’t sleep on Marcus Freeman and the Irish. The Irish had the comeback of the year. After getting clowned for that week 2 loss to Northern Illinois (16-14), everybody had written them off. Twitter was a straight-up flaming Freeman. Fast forward? They’re 14-1, with dubs over Indiana, Georgia (Who woulda thought), and Penn State in the playoffs.

Pat Forde said it best: “Neither No. 1 Oregon nor No. 2 Georgia made the semis. Notre Dame took out Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. That’s a statement.” Facts. Beating Georgia and Penn State back-to-back is a diabolical work by Marcus Freeman while half of his secondary banged up. No wonder Marcus Freeman won George Munger Coach of the Year award. So who really deserves it? Dan Wetzel low-key had it for Ohio State. Just couldn’t say it directly.

Who really deserves it: Marcus Freeman or Ryan Day?

This debate is like splitting hairs. On one side, you’ve got Ryan Day’s Buckeyes, who faced the toughest schedule imaginable and bulldozed through it. “Losing to Michigan put them behind the eight ball..and they have come out swinging.” Since week 14 loss against Michigan, Ohio State are on a demonic run. Their wins are undeniably impressive, but can you crown a team with 2 losses over a 14-1 squad slept on by everyone? Notre Dame, Man, their story is straight out of a Disney movie. From almost losing the locker room to beating top dogs and literal Dawgs like Georgia? That’s heart.

Let’s talk about Marcus Freeman for a sec. The Asian- black American stepped into a job where everyone was watching, waiting for him to fail. Since Brian Kelly dipped for Baton Rouge job, and Freeman had to build the culture. And he did it his way—no gimmicks, just grind and hardcore defense. On the flip side, Ryan Day’s been through it too. Losing to Michigan had Buckeye fans ready to pack his bags. But he stayed locked in, rallied the squad, and now they’re playing their best ball when it counts. That’s leadership. Say what you want about him, but Day ain’t folding under pressure.

So, who deserves it more? That’s like choosing between a Ferrari and a Lambo—they’re both fire. If Ohio State wins, they’ve got the toughest road to glory locked down. If Notre Dame wins, it’s the ultimate redemption arc. One thing’s for sure, though: this game is gonna be straight-up legendary. As Wetzel said, “This is beyond a legitimate national championship.” So grab your popcorn, your wings, and maybe a cold one—it’s about to go down.