And of course, quarterback Riley Leonard is from Fairhope, Ala., southeast of Mobile. He came to Notre Dame via transfer from Duke, but he also grew up a Fighting Irish fan, his great grandfather having played for Notre Dame in the 1940s.

Ohio State has rolled through the CFP. The Buckeyes have been favored in all three games — vs. Tennessee, Oregon and Texas — and covered comfortably in all three. It got a little iffy late in the CFP semifinal against the Longhorns. But the Buckeyes have mostly cruised.

Ohio State is chasing its first college football national championship in a decade, while Notre Dame has not won since 1988.