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ESPN’s Football Power Index predicts outcome of Ohio State-Notre Dame game

Bryce Lazenby

By Bryce Lazenby

Published:

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) always predicts the outcome of each college football game. Now, there’s only one game left and it’s the College Football Playoff National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame.

The model sees these teams as pretty evenly matched, giving the Buckeyes a 55.3% chance to win and the Fighting Irish a 44.7% chance.

These teams have played 8 times in history, with the Buckeyes winning 6 of those contests. The last matchup came in 2023 when the Buckeyes went to South Bend and escaped with a 17-14 win. The Irish last defeated the Buckeyes way back in 1936, winning a 7-2 game at home.

To get to this point, both the Buckeyes and Irish had to win 3 games. The Buckeyes dominated Tennessee and Oregon and then defeated Texas in the semifinal round. The Irish, meanwhile, took care of SMU, Boise State and Penn State to get here.

Entering this matchup, the Buckeyes have a 13-2 record. The team has the No. 30 total offense, the No. 1 total defense, the No. 12 scoring offense, and the No. 1 scoring defense. The Buckeyes haven’t allowed more than 21 points in any of their CFP games so far.

The Irish, on the other side, enter with a 14-1 record. The team boasts the No. 52 total offense, the No. 9 total defense, the No. 6 scoring offense, and the No. 2 scoring defense.

Both of these teams have elite defenses, so this is unlikely to be a shootout. This game could easily come down to which defense is able to force the most turnovers.

The College Football Playoff National Championship will kick off from Atlanta on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Bryce Lazenby

Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.

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