Two months after a fourth consecutive loss to rival Michigan, Ohio State (13-2) is on the brink of winning a national title. They’ll face Notre Dame (14-1) Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Ideastream Public Media’s sports commentator Terry Pluto says he’s excited about the matchup.
“As it was playing out, after the first round or two, I was hoping they would end up facing each other, just because it's a classic Midwest (matchup)," Pluto said. "Secondly, I get a little tired of hearing all the SEC is the best conference in football -- You know, Alabama, LSU, all those schools."
Pluto said both teams also have huge fanbases in Ohio and nationwide.
“There's a lot of cross-pollination, especially in Northeast Ohio, who are Notre Dame fans.”
Ohio State and Notre Dame have played each other six times since 1995. Ohio State is 6-0 in those matchups.
This is the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, and it gave a a team like Ohio State, who had the late-season loss to Michigan, a chance to redeem itself and still win a title.
“I like it,” Pluto said. “One of the biggest jokes a number of years ago, it’s like, well, we can’t have complicated playoffs with teams playing multiple games after the regular season, because, well, these are student athletes and, you know, it would cut into their study time. And of course, what is the division (that) has played tons of playoff games every year? Division III, you know, where there are non-scholarship athletes playing.”
Pluto said the format also sets it up for the best team to win.
“For example, Ohio State came in, they had to knock off Tennessee," Pluto said. "They had (an early season) loss to Oregon, they had to knock them off (and) Oregon was ranked number one. And then they had to knock off Texas, you know, a classic power.”
It was a similar path for Notre Dame after a shocking early loss to Northern Illinois.
“They went through Indiana (and) Georgia, an SEC power, and they knocked off Penn State.,” Pluto said. “In other words, you look at this and say, both of these teams earned the right to be here. It's not as if they were just anointed.
Ohio State is in the championship game less than two months after their upset loss to Michigan. It was coach Ryan Day’s fourth consecutive loss to the Buckeyes’ rival, prompting talk that Day should be fired. Pluto said this championship run changes that narrative.
“(Had he) opened the play with a home loss to Tennessee, (calls for his firing) would have been deafening," Pluto said. "I mean, I remember after that Michigan game, I bet I got a dozen emails from fans that they should fire Ryan Day now, they shouldn't even let him coach against Tennessee. Of course, not that people are thinking logically after losing four years in a row to Michigan.”
Pluto said the 12-team playoff system gave Day the chance to reestablish himself as a good coach.
“I mean, he didn't win all those games by accident, and Ryan Day went back to a more aggressive passing attack with Chip Kelly, his mentor, who is the one who calls the plays,” Pluto said.
Without the expanded playoff, Pluto believes Day would have been fired.
“Now, you look at this, if he wins the national title, he will probably get a bonus and an extension,” Pluto said.
Still, many fans vocalized on social media that beating Michigan means more than a national title.
“I think it's stupid,” Pluto said. “I mean, the playoff system has changed all that and makes it fun to watch these teams. The Michigan game is really important, but a national title is why you play when you're at Ohio State or you're Notre Dame or you're at Alabama or any of these prime schools.”
