Quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offense have faced a fierce gauntlet of defenses in their path to the College Football Playoff title game. The Fighting Irish battled their way through Penn State (No.

As the Fighting Irish gear up for their first title shot in nearly 40 years, Paul Finebaum casts doubt on their chances against powerhouse Ohio State.

It might take a lot for the Irish to pull an outright upset over the Buckeyes, but this game should be closer than the spread would indicate

Ohio State is fully capable of making Notre Dame pay for its mistakes, but it doesn’t force nearly as many turnovers and commits more on offense as well. The Buckeyes are tied for 54th in the FBS in takeaways (19) and rank 44th in turnover margin (plus-four), which bodes well for the Irish.

The No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (13-2) in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.