Ohio State vs. Notre Dame football history: H2H, Records, and more ahead of CFP National Championship Game

The first College Football National Championship Game with the expanded 12-team playoff is set. The Ohio State Buckeyes will play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Mercedes Benz Stadium to crown the champion on Jan. 20.

The Buckeyes are a perennial contender, with six playoff appearances in the last 10 years, three championship game bids, and a national title in the 2014 season.

Notre Dame is a surprise entry. The Fighting Irish haven’t won a championship since 1988. In their only championship game appearance this century, they were manhandled by Alabama in 2013.

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame football Head-to-Head

Ezekiel Elliott (15) and Ohio State beat the Fighting Irish at the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. - Source: Imagn

The Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish have played eight times before, including twice in the postseason. Ohio State holds the series lead at 6-2, including victories in both Fiesta Bowl meetings, in 2005 and 2015

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was on the Ohio State roster in 2005 but missed the postseason game with a knee injury.

Did Ohio State play Notre Dame this year?

Ohio State and Notre Dame did not face off in the 2024 season ahead of the national championship game. However, they did meet early in the 2023 season. On that occasion, the Buckeyes scored a touchdown on a Chip Trayanum one-yard touchdown plunge with one second left to win in South Bend.

Both teams featured different personnel, including other staring quarterbacks, While Kyle McCord started for the Buckeyes, Sam Hartman was under center for the Irish.

Notable records in the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Football Series

The series saw the Fighting Irish win the first two matchups, but Ohio State is riding a six-game winning streak. In the usually low-scoring matchups, Ohio State has 40+ points twice, scoring a series-record 45 points in 1995. The 45-26 score is also the most lopsided affair between both teams.

As for individual records, Eddie George set the rushing mark in the series with 207 yards for Ohio State in 1995. Terry Glenn also had the longest pass reception in series history with an 82-yard play from Bobby Hoying. The passing yards record belongs to Trow Smith, who threw for 341 yards in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.

When was the last time Notre Dame defeated Ohio State?

While the Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish in 2013, we have to go back to 1936. That game played in front of a then-record 50,000 fans at Notre Dame Stadium, ended 7-2 after Nick Wasylik threw two straight incompletions into the end zone, which at that time resulted in a touchback. The Fighting Irish haven’t beaten Ohio State since and they can end the drought with a national championship.

Who is favored in CFP National championship game?

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the early favorites to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Ryan Day’s team is favored by 9.5 to defeat the Fighting Irish in Atlanta. As for the over/under, it was set at 45.5 points.