“This is not a talent-equated game”: Urban Meyer breaks silence on his pick for the Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup

Urban Meyer offered his view on the upcoming College Football Playoff national championship game between his former teams Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Buckeyes will square up against the Fighting Irish at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday.

Analyzing the game, Urban Meyer commended Notre Dame for its intangibles, including their never-say-die attitude. However, he tempered his praise with a cautionary note.

“I’d always meet with the staff after I did a thorough evaluation because, man, that changes the whole world of how you plan a game,” Meyer said on his podcast, The Triple Option. “If that team across the sideline has better dudes than you got then, once again, that changes it. And I look at roster-roster."

Speaking about Notre Dame's roster, Meyer said:

“Remember, Notre Dame lost either three or four really good players on (defense) ... Offensively? I just – this is not a talent-equated game on paper. It’s not. And, on film, I would say it’s not."

The Ohio State Buckeyes boast one of the most talented rosters in the nation, and they have consistently showcased a high level of football throughout their first three playoff games. Notre Dame, on the other hand, has reached the national title game with just one former five-star prospect on its roster.

Urban Meyer describes what the game would look like

Urban Meyer expects a tough contest between Ohio State and Notre Dame in Atlanta. He believes the resilient Fighting Irish will push the red-hot Buckeyes. However, he predicted that Ryan Day's team would come out victorious in the highly anticipated encounter.

“Ohio State covers the spread," Meyer said on his podcast. "I think Notre Dame is going to, the defense is going to keep this thing close... I think this is a low-scoring game at halftime, and I think the Buckeyes walk away in the second half.”

Meyer has strong connections to both Ohio State and Notre Dame. During his coaching career, he served as the wide receivers coach at Notre Dame from 1996 to 2000. He would later became Ohio State's head coach and stayed with the team from 2012 to 2018.