Ohio State and Notre Dame would have fallen outside the College Football Playoff in previous years, but now they're facing off in the national championship game.
The revamped College Football Playoff introduced this season includes 12 teams, so the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish made the cut and won their way through three rounds of playoff action.
Ohio State has cruised to the final despite facing No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon and No. 5 Texas along the way. The Buckeyes were largely considered a better team than their seed indicated, but they lost to Michigan in the season finale, losing the opportunity to play for the Big 10 championship.
The Buckeyes eventually took down Oregon, this year's Big 10 champions, in the CFP quarterfinals.
Notre Dame didn't quite have as explosive of victories, but it got through the first two rounds fairly unscathed. The Fighting Irish defeated No. 10 Indiana and No. 2 Georgia before a date with No. 6 Penn State in the semifinals.
The Nittany Lions were a tough matchup, but the Fighting Irish narrowly won, 27-24, thanks to a late interception and field goal.
Both teams have taken vastly different paths this season, but each have proven they can defeat the best teams come playoff time. Now they'll face off in the first-ever College Football Playoff national championship in the 12-team playoff era.
The Sporting News has all the details on how to watch the College Football national championship.
CFP national championship game kickoff time
- Date: Monday, Jan. 20
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The CFP national championship kicks off on Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
How to watch CFP national championship
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: Fubo
Fans can tune into the CFB national championship live on ESPN. The network will have a handful of broadcast options across its "megacast" for the game.
ESPN will be the main telecast, while ESPN 2 will featured a field pass with The Pat McAfee Show. ESPN U will broadcast the command center, and ESPN News will have the skycast.
ESPN Deportes will also broadcast the game in Spanish.
For those without cable, Fubo will have a live stream on its platform.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers so you can try the service before you buy.
For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99, a $30 savings. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
CFP national championship radio station
- Radio station: SiriusXM channels 81, 84, ESPN Radio
Fans can listen to the CFP national championship live on SiriusXM channels 81 (Ohio State broadcast) and 84 (Notre Dame broadcast).
Get SiriusXM for free for your first month. Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.
ESPN Radio will also have the game on its platform.
College Football Playoff schedule
Quarterfinals
| Date | Bowl Game | Matchup | Location |
| Dec. 31 | Fiesta Bowl | Penn State 31, Boise State 14 | Glendale, AZ |
| Jan. 1 | Peach Bowl | Texas 39, Arizona State 31 (2OT) | Atlanta, GA |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl | Ohio State 41, Oregon 21 | Pasadena, CA |
| Jan. 2 | Sugar Bowl | Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10 | New Orleans, LA |
Semifinals
| Date | Bowl Game | Matchup | Location | Time | TV Channel |
| Jan. 9 | Orange Bowl | Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24 | Miami | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN, Fubo |
| Jan. 10 | Cotton Bowl | Ohio State 28, Texas 14 | Dallas | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN, Fubo |
National Championship
| Date | Bowl Game | Matchup | Location | Time | TV Channel |
| Jan. 20 | CFP National Championship | Notre Dame vs. Ohio State | Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN, Fubo |
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