Then, for the biggest play of the game, Notre Dame decided to leave Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on an island. It was third and 12 and the Fighting Irish would get the ball back with a stop with a chance to tie the game. Smith completely burned his defender and he was wide open for a huge gain, and he iced the game.

Coming off a gutsy performance in the semifinal round, Notre Dame is just one game away from what would be its first national championship since the 1988 season

Ohio State and Notre Dame arrived in Atlanta on their charter flights on Friday as the teams moved closer to Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game.