Will Howard vs. Riley Leonard's statistical comparison ahead of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday. Entering kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Buckeyes are an eight-point favorite over the Fighting Irish after three dominant playoff wins over Tennessee, Oregon, and, most recently, Texas.

One of the most prominent storylines of this highly anticipated matchup is the battle of signal-callers. While Riley Leonard and Will Howard have never faced off, the two were once roommates at the infamous Manning Passing Academy, according to Archie Manning.

Each respective quarterback has led their team to the biggest stage, but one has clearly outperformed the other during the playoff thus far. Here is a statistical comparison for Howard and Leonard.

Will Howard vs. Riley Leonard's stats comparison

Completion Percentage

Riley Leonard completed 247 of his 372 pass attempts entering Monday's game, with a completion percentage of 66.4%. Will Howard completed 292 of his 402 pass attempts so far, good enough for an eyebrow-raising 72.6% completion percentage.

Passing Yards

Leonard has thrown for 2,606 yards so far this season and threw for a season-high 229 yards on Oct. 12 versus Stanford. Howard has thrown for 3,779 yards, with a season-high 326 yards in Ohio State's loss to Oregon on Oct. 12. Howard has thrown for 240 or more yards in nine of 15 games so far this season.

Passing Touchdowns/Interceptions

Leonard threw for 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions entering the national championship. He threw for a season-high three touchdowns in two separate performances.

Howard has thrown for 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions so far this season, throwing for a season-high four touchdowns versus Iowa on Oct. 5. He had five games with three or more passing touchdowns.

Rushing Yards

Leonard carried the ball 167 times this season, racking up a jaw-dropping 866 yards on the ground. Howard carried the ball 89 times for 169 yards so far this season.

Rushing Touchdowns

Leonard ran for 16 touchdowns so far this season, while Howard added seven touchdowns on the ground.