Sports

CFP championship updates: Ohio State-Notre Dame live score, highlights

On Monday night, nearly five full months after it began, the 2024 college football season will draw to a close and a champion will be crowned.

The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff will wrap up when Ohio State and Notre Dame face off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in the national championship game, with one of the two prestigious programs set to add another piece of hardware to their already sizable trophy cases.

Watch the College Football Playoff championship live with Fubo (free trial)

Despite being the No. 8 seed, the Buckeyes have looked like the country’s best team for much of the event. Coach Ryan Day’s squad has rolled through its first three playoff games, defeating Tennessee, Oregon and Texas by a combined 59 points. The 28-14 victory against the Longhorns on Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl was harder earned than the others, with the win not being secured until an 83-yard Jack Sawyer scoop-and-score touchdown off a fumble recovery with 2:13 remaining.

Standing between Ohio State and its third national title this century is a Fighting Irish team that has been similarly impressive over the past month. Since a stunning 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, No. 7 seed Notre Dame has reeled off 13 consecutive wins, the last three of which have come over Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the playoff. The Irish iced a 27-24 victory against the Nittany Lions on Jan. 9 in the Orange Bowl with a Mitch Jeter 41-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining.

The game will pit third-year Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman against his alma mater, as he played linebacker at Ohio State from 2004-08. If Notre Dame comes out on top, Freeman will be the first Black coach in FBS history to win a national championship.

Follow along here for the live score, updates, highlights, how to watch and more from Ohio State vs. Notre Dame in the CFP championship:

CFP championship game score updates

This section will be updated after kickoff.

CFP championship game time today

  • Date: Monday, Jan. 20
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)

The broadcast of the game between Buckeyes and Fighting Irish is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 20 from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

What channel is CFP championship game on today?

  • TV channel: ESPN | ESPN2
  • Streaming: ESPN App | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

Ohio State and Notre Dame’s matchup in the College Football Playoff championship will air on ESPN. Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will call the game while Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath will serve as the sideline reporters.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

CFP championship game betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday, Jan. 18

  • Spread: Ohio State (-8.5)
  • Over/under: 45.5 points
  • Moneyline: Ohio State (-375) | Notre Dame (+300)

Ohio State football schedule 2024

  • Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Akron (W, 52-6)
  • Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Western Michigan (W, 56-0)
  • Saturday, Sept. 14: BYE
  • Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Marshall (W, 49-14)
  • Thursday, Sept. 26: at Michigan State* (W, 38-7)
  • Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. Iowa* (W, 35-7)
  • Saturday, Oct. 12: at No. 3 Oregon* (L, 32-31)
  • Saturday, Oct. 19: BYE
  • Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. Nebraska* (W, 21-17)
  • Saturday, Nov. 2: at No. 3 Penn State* (W, 20-13)
  • Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. Purdue* (W, 45-0)
  • Saturday, Nov. 16: at Northwestern* (W, 31-7)
  • Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. No. 5 Indiana* (W, 38-15)
  • Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Michigan* (L, 13-10)
  • Saturday, Dec. 21: vs. No. 9 Tennessee, CFP first-round (W, 42-17) **
  • Wednesday, Jan. 1: vs. No. 1 Oregon, CFP Rose Bowl quarterfinal (W, 41-21) **
  • Friday, Jan. 10: vs. No. 5 Texas, CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal (W, 28-14) **
  • Monday, Jan. 20: vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, CFP championship game **
  • Record: 13-2, 7-2 Big Ten

* Denotes Big Ten game

** Denotes CFP ranking

Notre Dame football schedule 2024

  • Saturday, Aug. 31: at No. 20 Texas A&M (W, 23-13)
  • Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Northern Illinois (L, 16-14)
  • Saturday, Sept. 14: at Purdue (W, 66-7)
  • Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Miami, Ohio (W, 28-3)
  • Saturday, Sept. 28: vs. No. 17 Louisville (W, 31-24)
  • Saturday, Oct. 5: BYE
  • Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. Stanford (W, 49-7)
  • Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. Georgia Tech (W, 31-13)
  • Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. No. 24 Navy (W, 51-14)
  • Saturday, Nov. 2: BYE
  • Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. Florida State (W, 52-3)
  • Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Virginia (W, 35-14)
  • Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. No. 17 Army (W, 49-14)
  • Saturday, Nov. 30: at USC (W, 49-35)
  • Friday, Dec. 20: vs. No. 10 Indiana, CFP first round (W, 27-17) **
  • Thursday, Jan. 2: vs. No. 2 Georgia, CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal (W, 23-10) **
  • Thursday, Jan. 9: vs. No. 6 Penn State, CFP Orange Bowl semifinal (W, 27-24) **
  • Monday, Jan. 20: vs. No. 8 Ohio State, CFP championship **
  • Record: 14-1

** Denotes CFP ranking

CFP championship game news

  • Quarterbacks Will Howard and Riley Leonard were once roommates at Manning Passing Academy
  • ‘It’s going to be an incredible game,’ Ex-Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer on the CFP final
  • How can Ohio State beat Notre Dame? 3 keys for College Football Playoff final
  • Four players to watch for Notre Dame football against Ohio State for a national championship
  • Why did Notre Dame football captain Jack Kiser decide to play a sixth season?

Ohio State vs Notre Dame predictions 

Here’s who our staff is predicting will win the College Football Playoff national championship game: 

  • Dan Wolken: Ohio State 33, Notre Dame 10 
  • Eddie Timanus: Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17 
  • Erick Smith: Ohio State 30, Notre Dame 16 
  • Jordan Mendoza: Ohio State 23, Notre Dame 16 
  • Paul Myerberg: Notre Dame 24, Ohio State 20 
  • Scooby Axson: Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 21 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY