Josh Pate breaks down Riley Leonard's simple assignment for Notre Dame-Ohio State game

Quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are heading to the National Championship Game on Monday night after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 in the Orange Bowl. They will compete against the Ohio State Buckeyes, who earned their spot with a 28-14 win over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl.

On Thursday, college football analyst Josh Pate appeared on the CBS Sports show "HQ Spotlight" to talk about the finale. He spoke about the importance of Leonard playing within his capabilities and avoiding mistakes that could cost the game.

"The Notre Dame quarterback in 2024-25 playing a phenomenal game doesn't mean he throws for 330 and four TDs through the air," Pate said. "He converted some critical third downs. He made sure not to turn the ball over. And then fast forward to the Penn State game last week, they had three passes of 30 plus yards. They had a 54 yard TD pass."

Pate explained that he doesn't need Riley Leonard to replicate that performance in the National Championship. Instead, he needs Leonard to avoid turnovers, move the ball steadily downfield and make one or two key plays when it matters most.

"I can rest with the outcome if I know the quarterback position doesn't lose me the game because I know how complimentary the rest of my team is," Pate added. (4:45)

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Riley Leonard is not a quarterback who is expected to carry the offense

While Riley Leonard is an effective quarterback, he is not regarded as a superstar like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, and he is not expected to carry the offense. To win the National Championship, Notre Dame will need to lean on Leonard's running ability rather than his passing game. This would involve giving him a big number of carries, supported by the team's outstanding defense.

To add, as Josh Pate said, Leonard's other main focus must be making smart decisions and avoiding turnovers, as Notre Dame has little margin for error in the contest, given that Ohio State's defense is just as incredible.

Leonard was able to do that in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. He had his second-highest yardage game of the year, throwing for 223 yards and a touchdown on 15 of 23 passing. Additionally, he had 18 carries for 35 yards and a score. However, turnovers remained a factor, as Riley Leonard threw two interceptions in the game, which nearly cost Notre Dame the game.