Ohio State vs Notre Dame starting QB tonight: CFP National Championship QB Depth Chart

The Ohio State Buckeyes face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP national championship game on Monday. Both teams have marched forward with impressive victories in the 12-team College Football Playoff and will fight to be crowned as the best college football team this season.

The Buckeyes secured a 28-14 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic semifinal game earlier this month. This will be the program's second time in the title game under Ryan Day.

On the other hand, the Fighting Irish have impressed fans as the undisputed underdogs this season. They only lost to Northern Illinois in Week 2, after which they put up a 13-game winning streak. In the Orange Bowl CFP semifinal game, they defeated Penn State 27-24.

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Who is Ohio State's starting QB for the CFP national championship?

The Ohio State Buckeyes have Will Howard as their starting quarterback for the national championship game. Howard joined the program this season and quickly became an important part of Ryan Day's offense. He has recorded 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns in 15 games and has thrown 10 interceptions.

Howard began his collegiate journey with the Kansas State Wildcats in 2020. During his true freshman year, he played in nine games and put up 1,178 yards and 10 TDs. During his four-season stint with the program, Howard tallied 5,786 yards and 48 TDs. He was also honored as a second-team All-Big 12 in 2023 and third-team All-Big Ten in 2024.

Ohio State's QB depth chart:

Apart from Will Howard, the Buckeyes have Devin Brown, Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz as options in their QB depth chart. All three have seen limited time on the field this season and will shoulder the responsibility of supporting Howard if things go south.

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Who is Notre Dame's starting QB in the CFP national championship?

Riley Leonard is the QB1 for the Fighting Irish against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He joined the program this year after spending three seasons with the Duke Blue Devils. In 15 games, Leonard has recorded 2,606 yards and 19 TDs while throwing eight interceptions.

During his three-season stint with the Blue Devils, Riley Leonard tallied 4,450 yards and 24 TDs passing. He has been an influential part of Marcus Freeman's offense this season and will hope to lead the Fighting Irish to their first national title since 1988.

Notre Dame's QB depth chart:

Apart from Riley Leonard, the team also has Steve Angeli as an option in its QB depth chart. Angeli is a redshirt sophomore who has been a part of Notre Dame since 2022. He has seen limited time on the field in 10 games this season and has recorded 268 yards and three touchdowns.