Marcus Freeman is one of the biggest names in college football right now — not just because the Notre Dame head coach has led the Fighting Irish to the brink of its first national championship since 1988, but because of how he has done it.

Rod Heard II is a starter on one of the best defenses in the country and will play in the College Football Playoff final on Monday.

Big-time college football has rarely been king in New England, a region long dominated by pro sports. But when Notre Dame takes on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night, there will be plenty of Massachusetts natives, at least on one sideline.

Notre Dame football players Riley Leonard, Leonard Moore, Aneyas Williams, and Jaden Greathouse share their thoughts on facing Ohio State in the national championship game

There's two teams left in the College Football Playoff. Does Ohio State or Notre Dame win the title? College Football Fix breaks down the title game.

Eleven players from New Jersey will be in uniform in Monday's College Football Playoff title game, including three from Bergen County.

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.

No one is going to mistake blue bloods Notre Dame and Ohio State for a Cinderella, but the winner of Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship will complete one of the greatest redemption arcs in modern college football history.

College Football Playoff national championship game odds, predictions, picks for Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday, Jan. 20.

Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday in Atlanta. The Buckeyes are seeking their first title since 2014 -- the first year of the expanded four-team CFP -- while Notre Dame is trying to snap a championship drought that dates back to 1988.

The Irish may be underdogs, but that doesn't make them likeable, especially when everything about their history suggests the opposite.