Ohio State Buckeyes vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Prediction, 1/20/2025 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Date: Monday, January 20, 2025

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Fighting Irish (+9.0)

Total/Over-Under: 46

The Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2) are headed to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, January 20, 2025 where they will compete against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-1) in the CFP National Championship. Ohio State opens as 9.0-point favorites. The over/under is 46.

The Ohio State Buckeyes head into this matchup 13-2 this year. In their last contest, the Buckeyes faced the Texas Longhorns and took home the win by a score of 28-14. In the running game, the Buckeyes conceded 58 yards on 29 attempts, which averages out to 2.0 yds per rush surrendered. Ohio State allowed 23 completions on 39 attempts for a total of 283 yds, and a completion rate of 59.0%. At the end of the game, they ran 57 plays which converted into 370 yards. The Ohio State Buckeyes ran the football 24 different times and had 81 yds, which is an average of 3.4 yards per tote.

The Buckeyes have earned 6,425 total yards for the season. When it comes to distribution of touchdowns, Ohio State has compiled 35 passing touchdowns and 32 rushing touchdowns. They have given the ball to the opposition 15 times. Ohio State has compiled 311 1st downs offensively, and they have committed 66 penalties for 596 yards. As a unit they hold an average of 163.2 yards on the ground ranking them 66th in D-1. When talking about scoring points, the Ohio State Buckeyes are averaging 35.8 PPG.

The Buckeyes sit in 1st in D-1 when it comes to team defense, allowing 12.2 PPG. Opposing teams are running for an average of 2.7 yards per run and 89.9 rushing yards per game this season. Overall, they have conceded 1,349 running yards through 15 contests. When it comes to passing yards, the Buckeyes are giving up 2,417 yards which puts them in 28th in college football. They have allowed 161.1 yards per outing through the air in addition to allowing a completion percentage of 59.7%. Overall, they have relinquished 251.1 yards/game which puts them 1st in the country. They have yielded 8 touchdowns through the air in addition to 12 touchdowns via the ground game.

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The Fighting Irish head into this matchup 14-1 this year. In their last game, the Fighting Irish got the win with a final of 27-24 when they played the Penn State Nittany Lions. Notre Dame ran the ball for 2.8 yards per tote, totaling 117 yds on 42 carries. The Fighting Irish finished with a total of 384 yards while running 73 plays (5.3 yds per play). The Fighting Irish passing defense gave up a completion rate of 52.2%, relinquishing 135 yds on 12 out of 23 through the air. Notre Dame relinquished 42 run attempts for 204 yards (4.9 yards per rush).

When discussing how much they score, the Fighting Irish are sitting 6th in Division 1 scoring 37.0 points per contest. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish average 405.1 yards per contest, which has them ranked 52nd in D-1. The Notre Dame offense has 785 yds of penalties on 90 infractions, which is good for 29th in Division 1 in terms of giving up free yards. They have given away 8 interceptions while losing 8 fumbles and they have obtained 308 1st downs. During the season so far, the Fighting Irish have thrown for 2,915 yards through the air as well as an average of 194.3 throwing yards per contest, which has them ranked 102nd in Division 1. They maintain an average of 210.8 yards per game via the ground game and have rushed for 3,162 yards for the year.

Notre Dame has conceded a total of 1,995 rushing yards (133.0 yards per outing) and 14 touchdowns via the rush so far this year. They have allowed 12 touchdowns through the air and 165.3 yards/game, ranking them 2nd in the country. Their defense has totaled 14 fumbles recovered and 20 interceptions over the course of the season. The Fighting Irish defense has been on the field for 974 plays, which ranks them 127th in D-1. The Fighting Irish are surrendering 14.3 points per game, which has them sitting 2nd in Division 1. Overall, they have conceded 215 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Buckeyes/Fighting Irish college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Fighting Irish +9.0

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