The Fighting Irish are playing for their first national championship since 1988, while the Buckeyes last won it all in 2014.
ATLANTA — The college football season comes to an end Monday night, with two traditional powerhouses playing for the national title.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-1) face the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Notre Dame, seeking its first national title since 1988, defeated Indiana, Georgia and Penn State to reach the championship of the College Football Playoff. Ohio State, which won the title in 2014, beat Tennessee, Oregon and Texas to get to Atlanta.
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Fourth quarter
With just :26 remaining, Notre Dame started at their own 25-yard line, but a pass to Jeremiyah Love was covered. One final pass was complete to Jaden Greathouse, but the clock ran out on the Irish.
FINAL SCORE: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23
Mitch Jeter squibbed the ensuing kickoff, which TreVeyon Henderson returned to the Ohio State 24 with 4:07 left in regulation.
After Quinshon Judkins was held to three yards on first down, Will Howard ran for eight yards and a first down at the Ohio State 35 with 3:17 remaining. The clock ran under three minutes before Howard took the first-down snap and fell forward to the line of scrimmage. Notre Dame used its first timeout with 2:50 remaining in the game.
Howard was again held to no gain on second down and the Irish used their second timeout ahead of a 3rd-and-11 play with 2:45 remaining.
As Notre Dame crashed the line of scrimmage, Howard threw deep to a wide-open Jeremiah Smith, who hauled in the 56-yard pass inside the Irish 10. The clock ticked down to the two-minute timeout with the Buckeyes on the verge of closing out the national championship.
After a false start penalty, Judkins dove into the line on first down, forcing the Irish to use their final timeout. Howard carried on second down, then again on third down after an Ohio State timeout with 1:13 remaining.
After the second Ohio State timeout with :29 left, Jayden Fielding kicked a 33-yard field goal to seal the Buckeyes’ first national title since 2014.
SCORE: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23
Ohio State ran almost three minutes off the clock on their ensuing drive, but the Notre Dame defense forced a punt from the Buckeyes’ 39-yard line. Max Hurleman returned the kick to the Irish 10 to start the Notre Dame drive with 6:18 remaining in the game, down 31-16.
The Irish have all three of their timeouts remaining.
Riley Leonard started the drive with an 11-yard completion to Beaux Collins while under pressure, then found Mitchell Evans on consecutive plays for receptions of five and 33 yards, down to the Ohio State 31. After a sack on first down, Collins caught a 3-yard pass, then Leonard went deep for Jaden Greathouse for a 30-yard touchdown.
On the two-point conversion try, Jordan Faison took a pitch from Leonard and threw to a wide open Collins to make it a one-score game with 4:15 remaining.
SCORE: Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 23
The Irish entered the fourth quarter needing a turnover and they got one on the first play from scrimmage in the quarter.
Emeka Egbuka caught a pass from Will Howard and gained 24 yards before Drayk Bowen punched the ball free. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa recovered for the Irish at the Notre Dame 21.
Facing third down, Riley Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for 30 yards to the Ohio State 48. A holding penalty gave the Irish a first down at the Buckeyes’ 38, but they lost two yards over the next two plays, setting up a third-and-12. Leonard threw to Mitchell Evans for seven yards, then found Greathouse for 11 yards to convert on 4th-and-5.
After a first-down completion to Greathouse, another holding call on an Ohio State defensive back gave Notre Dame a new set of downs and first-and-goal at the Buckeyes’ 8-yard line. Leonard lost a yard on first down, then threw two incompletions.
Down 16, Marcus Freeman opted for a field goal try to cut into the lead with just under 9 1/2 minutes remaining, but Mitch Jeter clanked the 27-yard attempt off the left upright.
SCORE: Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 15
Third quarter
Notre Dame was on the verge of forcing a third-and-long for the Ohio State offense, but RJ Oben was flagged for roughing the passers on an incompletion. Replays showed Oben shoving Ohio State quarterback Will Howard to the ground after he threw an incompletion.
In addition to a new set of downs, the penalty moved the ball into Notre Dame territory. One play later, the third quarter came to a close with Ohio State facing 2nd and 8 from the Irish 45.
SCORE: Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 15
The Irish finally got the offense clicking again on their ensuing drive, going 75 yards in 10 plays, capped off with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Riley Leonard to Jaden Greathouse. Leonard connected with Jeremiyah Love for the two-point conversion to pull Notre Dame within 16 with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter.
The drive was aided by a third-down pass interference call on Davison Igbinosun. Leonard completed four passes for 56 yards on the drive.
SCORE: Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 15
The Notre Dame defense kept the Buckeyes’ offense out of the end zone for the first time in the game, but Jayden Fielding kicked a 46-yard field goal to extend the Ohio State lead to 31-7 with 7:52 left in the third quarter.
It was more of the same for the Notre Dame offense to open the second half.
The Irish gained eight yards on three plays, then lined up to punt. But backup quarterback Steve Angeli, lined up as the up-man, took the direct snap, but threw low to Jordan Faison, who dropped the fourth-down pass.
The latest stalled drive set Ohio State up at the Notre Dame 33 with a little more than 11 minutes left in the third quarter.
SCORE: Ohio State 28, Notre Dame 7
Ohio State received the second-half kickoff and kept the offense rolling.
After an incomplete pass to Jeremiah Smith, Quinshon Judkins raced 70 yards to the Notre Dame 5-yard line, just 15 seconds into the second half. Judkins dove in for his third touchdown of the game two plays later, capping off a drive that took just 2:14 off the clock.
SCORE: Ohio State 28, Notre Dame 7
Second quarter
Notre Dame gained one yard on three plays of their next possession and again were forced to punt with 4:48 remaining in the half.
Howard completed four more passes to set a title game record with 13 completions to start a game. TreVeyon Henderson had the 14th pass in his grasp before Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts pulled it loose.
Howard found Judkins for the running back’s second touchdown of the game with 27 seconds left in the half. The Ohio State quarterback finished the half 14-of-15 for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
HALFTIME SCORE: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 7
Ohio State marched down the field to take its first lead of the game, going 76 yards in 10 plays to go up 14-7. Quinshon Judkins ran in from nine yards out for the touchdown.
Howard remained perfect, completing 6 of 6 passes for 36 yards on the drive.
SCORE: Ohio State 14, Notre Dame 7
Penalties stymied Notre Dame’s offense on their second drive, with a false start and a holding call pushing them back to 3rd and 23 from their own 12. After an 8-yard completion, the Irish were forced to punt and Ohio State took over on their own 24 with 12:21 left in the half after a holding penalty of their own.
SCORE: Notre Dame 7, Ohio State 7
Ohio State started the second quarter with first down at the Notre Dame 13. Two plays later, Will Howard threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith to tie the game at 7.
Howard was 5-for-5 for 46 yards on the drive.
SCORE: Notre Dame 7, Ohio State 7
First quarter
Ohio State is making the most of their first possession on offense, as well.
Quarterback Will Howard ran five yards to the Notre Dame 13-yard line for a first down as the first quarter expired, extending a drive in which the Buckeyes only faced third down once.
A 19-yard run by TreVeyon Henderson and a 15-yard pass from Howard to Quinshon Judkins on consecutive plays moved Ohio State deep into Notre Dame territory during the drive.
END OF 1ST: Notre Dame 7, Ohio State 0
Ohio State wins the toss and defers. Notre Dame starts the game on offense.
Facing 4th and 1 from the Ohio State 45, after being stopped for no gain on consecutive plays, Marcus Freeman kept the offense on the field. Quarterback Riley Leonard picked up three yards for the first down.
Later in the drive, Leonard again forced his way up the middle for a first down on 3rd and 1, then called his own number again, going in standing up for the touchdown and a 7-0 Irish lead with 5:15 left in the quarter.
Leonard had nine carries for 34 yards and completed three of five passes for 31 yards during the 18-play, 75-yard drive.
SCORE: Notre Dame 7, Ohio State 0