The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes meet in college football national championship on Monday night, and only one team could be the winner.
It marks the end of the first-ever expanded College Football Playoff. Neither team entered the tournament as favorites, and each team had to fight their way to reach the championship game. It’s sure to be a scandal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, but some of each team’s top talents have expressed at least one common thing to bring them together: their faith.
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard celebrates with fans in the stands after beating the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. (Amber Searls-Imagn images)
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, Ohio State quarterback Will Howardrunning back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka have all spoken about their faith in God in the days leading up to the game.
“I really think things happen for a reason, not just with us, but with Ohio State. I think we are the two main teams that most publicly demonstrate our faith,” he told reporters last week. Sports Michiana. “I don’t know if this is a divine teaching, you know, that put us here.
“I truly believe that Jesus has been looking over both of our shoulders all season and put these two teams on a pedestal for a reason.”
Howard spoke about his faith in God after the team’s victory over Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
“First and foremost, I have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me this opportunity to stand on this stage at the Rose Bowl,” Howard told ESPN. “The younger me would be impressed now.”
Egbuka spoke to Sports Spectrum about it during the season how faith was influenced his performance on the field.
“I would say over the last couple of years we’ve kind of – there’s been a number of players on the football team that have restored their faith in Jesus Christ. And that was something that was important to me my freshman year,” the star receiver said at the outlet in November.
Emeka Egbuka of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
Egbuka, a graduate student, recalled the turning point for him in his interview. He was invited by his teammates to attend the Mass and said it was the first time he felt a real connection to his faith.
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“Since then, my life has changed. A complete 180, and I have a similar testimony for many players on the team. We have been praying for some kind of revival like this for our team, and we have decided to share with everyone what God has done in our football team.”
Egbuka said he opted not to enter the NFL Draft last season because he felt a calling “bigger” than football.
Henderson said the exhaust in a separate interview, he said that despite his standout rookie season, which included success and NIL deals, he had come to terms with his faith after injury.
“He saved my life from the way of destruction. He saved me. He set me on this path of eternal life… you see so many people walking that great path of destruction, but I’m so thankful that Jesus, He saved me from that path and put me on His path.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman restored the pregame Mass when he took over in 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman restored the pregame miss when he took over for Brian Kelly in 2021. He was baptized into the Catholic Church and received his First Holy Communion in September 2022.
Freeman credited Notre Dame for this stimulating the student population to grow their faith.
“It’s not just in Catholicism. It’s the reality of having a faith and believing in something bigger than yourself,” he said.
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Next Monday night, each team will pray and then wrap up for the final 60 minutes of their season.
Paulina Dedaj, Chantz Martin and Peter Burke of Fox News contributed to this report.
