The clear edge for Ohio State comes with the talent at cornerback and in the secondary. Notre Dame’s receivers have not been dominant this season, and one of them (Jordan Faison) was a walk-on as a recruit. The Irish, as a result, have had to rely on transfer portal and unexpected additions like Faison.

Both teams sign elite high school recruiting classes year after year as their foundations, and they have used the transfer portal judiciously but with great success.

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.