Both the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish elevated their programs to championship caliber with big moves in the offseason

Ohio State is fully capable of making Notre Dame pay for its mistakes, but it doesn’t force nearly as many turnovers and commits more on offense as well. The Buckeyes are tied for 54th in the FBS in takeaways (19) and rank 44th in turnover margin (plus-four), which bodes well for the Irish.

Former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz fired a jab at Ohio State coach Ryan Day Wednesday, continuing one of college football's strangest feuds. Responding to an ESPN video questioning whether Holtz would attend the College Football Playoff National Championship Monday,

Buckeye fans can relax (a little) because history indicates the odds are in their favor for the national championship game.

Day’s Buckeyes had eventual national champion Georgia on tilt in the playoffs a couple of years ago, but the Ohio State lost a heartbreaker. Day’s record vs. Michigan is rough for Buckeyes fans to digest, but Ohio State’s leader is 60 minutes away from potentially adding a national championship to his resume.

Recently, longtime college football personality Paul Finebaum took aim at the Irish, saying that many fans in college football are not a fan of them because of their alleged "arrogance" over lack of a conference affiliation.

Notre Dame will face Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal in Miami, the sixth time the Fighting Irish have played in the Orange Bowl.

Doesn't matter where -- around Notre Dame Stadium, past the Grotto or Touchdown Jesus.  The point is, the former Irish athletic director who hired Marcus Freeman should be ripping off his shirt, pounding his chest and whooping at the top of his lungs.

The national championship matchup is set. The Ohio State football team will take on Notre Dame next Monday night in Atlanta with everything on the line. Both the Fighting Irish and the Buckeyes were tested in the semifinal round as Notre Dame narrowly outlasted Penn State,