Notre Dame strikes first
That was the perfect start for Notre Dame. Strung together a bunch of first downs, ate a ton of clock & went for it (and got it) on fourth down twice.
Touchdown, Notre Dame!
You could not script a better opening drive for Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish went 75 yards in 18 plays, taking nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Quarterback Riley Leonard — who converted multiple fourth-down attempts on the possession — capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Notre Dame leads 7-0. It’s the first time Ohio State has trailed during the playoffs.
Notre Dame relying on quarterback's legs
Irish quarterback Riley Leonard entered tonight's title game with 866 rushing yards this season and 16 touchdowns on the ground — both single-season bests for Leonard. And Notre Dame has effectively kept Ohio State guessing by utilizing both Leonard's passing and rushing on this first drive, including asking Leonard to convert on a third down, and later a fourth down. Already, Leonard has four carries for 17 yards.
We’re off!
The College Football Playoff championship game is underway!
Notre Dame has the ball first and the first play from scrimmage was a run that lost one yard.
Moments from kickoff
Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" is blaring through the speakers inside this completely full stadium as the captains meet at midfield alongside Dr. Bernice A. King, who is an honorary captain on the day the nation honors her father, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Ohio State won the toss and will defer to the second half, which means Notre Dame will take the opening kickoff.
All-American freshmen could face off
As just a freshman, Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore has helped the Irish produce one of the country's stingiest defenses against the pass.
And, as just a freshman, receiver Jeremiah Smith has helped Ohio State deploy one of the country's deepest corps of pass-catchers.
Each shares something in common, being named All-Americans by the Football Writers Association of America after superlative debut seasons in college football. (Moore was named the defensive freshman of the year by the FWAA, as well.) The drama Monday will come if those two face one another in coverage.
How the crowd is made up
Rough estimate is Ohio State fans outnumber Notre Dame fans 55-45 or 60-40. It’s fairly even.
What it's like inside the stadium
Temperatures dipped significantly in Atlanta overnight into the teens, but that did not keep fans from filling Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Bands are on the field from the respective universities with 20 minutes remaining before kickoff, and the stands are virtually full.
The tunnels and concourses of the stadium remain bone-chilling cold, particularly where the wind rushes through doors and entrances. But on the field, there's no noticeable dip in temperature.
Is hand healthy for Ohio State QB?
Will Howard injured his non-throwing hand during a semifinal victory against Texas, as cameras captured a golf ball-sized bruise swelling mid-game. Howard said he will be fine to play.
“The hand is good,” he said. “It’s just a weird bruise thing on my hand. It didn’t hurt at all. It just looked terrible. I didn’t even realize until after the TV realized that my hand was pretty blown up.”
Ohio State yet to trail
To reach the College Football Playoff national championship game, the Buckeyes won three games, all by double digits, all while never trailing for a single second. After jumping out to a 21-0 lead against Tennessee in the first round, and a 34-0 lead over Oregon in the quarterfinal, the Buckeyes allowed Texas to tie their semifinal twice, for a total of 22 minutes, but never relinquished the lead fully.
In its own three playoff victories, Notre Dame has led for 90 minutes, 30 seconds, been tied for 63:05 and trailed for 26:25.