• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 19, 2025

CFP Finale: Ohio State’s Redemption vs. Notre Dame’s Independence

Ohio State and Notre Dame play for the national championship Monday night, concluding the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

Adam Cairns-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff national championship game is set to conclude strong postseason runs for Ohio State, Notre Dame, and ESPN.

Redemption Arch

Ohio State is favored to beat Notre Dame by more than a touchdown, which would give head coach Ryan Day his first title after his job status in Columbus was anything but certain just over a month ago

The Buckeyes failed to reach the Big Ten championship game after losing to rival Michigan as three-touchdown home favorites in November. At that point, Day’s $37 million buyout became a major talking point.

But three CFP wins later, Day is now 60 minutes away from possibly quieting the naysayers and clearing up his once murky future. This is Day’s sixth season at Ohio State, having signed a contract extension in 2022 that sees him earn a salary of more than $10 million.

Striking Gold

For Notre Dame, this CFP run has continued to validate the school’s independent status.

The recent wave of realignment raised questions about the Fighting Irish bucking tradition and joining a conference. Notre Dame can’t earn a first-round bye in the current structure of the CFP (even if they were undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation) which reserves those slots for conference championship game winners. 

And under third-year head coach Marcus Freeman (who received a contract extension in December), Notre Dame rallied from an embarrassing—and expensive—home loss to Northern Illinois in September, but now has a chance to upset Ohio State to win its first national championship since 1988.

Watch Party

The Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup should draw a big audience for ESPN, which typically doesn’t get to broadcast the best games involving these two schools. 

ESPN’s bread and butter is the SEC, which delivered big time this regular season, and the network also has ACC and some Big 12 rights. Ohio State’s biggest matchups usually end up on Fox, and Notre Dame’s on NBC.

But ESPN has the CFP’s media rights locked up through 2031 and benefits from postseason matchups regardless of conference affiliation. 

While viewership of the semifinals was down compared to last year, each round has drawn more viewers than the previous one, with all 10 CFP games thus far averaging nearly 15 million viewers. Last year’s Michigan-Washington national championship game drew 25 million viewers.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

(NCL_OSU_11_SUGAR_LAURON 04JAN11) Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) slips around the Arkansas Razorbacks defense during first half of the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, January 4, 2011.

Terrelle Pryor’s Case for NIL Backpay Dismissed in Court

Pryor played seven years in the NFL after leaving OSU amid a scandal.

Netflix Beats Projections Again—and Plots Big Holiday Sports Slate

The streaming giant again beats analyst projections in every respect.

Cleveland’s WNBA Team Follows Golden State’s Proven Blueprint

The franchise will play its first WNBA season in 2028.

Featured Today

Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive
July 13, 2025

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway walks off the court after losing to Colorado State Rams at Climate Pledge Arena.

Memphis Basketball and Softball Placed on NCAA Probation

Memphis has had multiple NCAA issues since hiring Penny Hardaway.
July 16, 2025

Alabama’s New Era Contends With NIL—and Nick Saban Rumors

Kalen DeBoer is entering his second season as head coach.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
July 16, 2025

President Trump Is Actively Working on an NIL-Related Executive Order

It’s unclear what the executive order would include.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian waits to lead his team out of the tunnel ahead of the Longhorns' game against the Baylor Bears, Saturday, Sept. 23 at McLane Stadium in Waco.
July 15, 2025

Is a Texas Takeover About to Hit the SEC, On and Off..

The Longhorns are favored to win the SEC in their second year in the conference.
Georgia takes the field for the first half of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
July 15, 2025

SEC Lands Starring Role in Netflix College Football Docuseries

Netflix brings its sports storytelling to the heart of SEC football.
May 15, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; United States Capitol seen as People rally outside the Supreme Court before justices hears oral arguments in Trump v. CASA, Inc. At issue in the case is if the Supreme Court should stay the district courts' nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
July 15, 2025

Pro-NCAA Bill Takes First Step Toward Being Introduced on House Floor for..

It could be the first bill of its kind to make it to the House floor.