The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes will meet in the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday night and only one team could be the winner.
It will mark the end of the first-ever expanded College Football Playoff. Neither team came into the tournament as favorites, and each team had to scratch and claw to reach the championship game. It’s sure to be a fight at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but some of each team’s top talent has expressed at least one common thing that unites them: their faith.
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard celebrates with fans in the stands after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. (Images by Amber Searls-Imagn)
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka have all spoken about their belief in God in the days leading up to the game.
“I really believe things happen for a reason, not just to us, but to Ohio State. I think we’re the top two teams that publicly show our faith the most,” he told reporters last week, according to Sports Michiana. “I don’t know if this is some divine teaching, you know, who put us here.
“I truly believe that Jesus was looking over our shoulders the entire time.” [whole] season and I put these two teams on a pedestal for a reason.”
Howard spoke about his belief in God after the team’s upset victory over Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
“First of all, I have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me this opportunity to be on this stage at the Rose Bowl,” Howard told ESPN. “Younger me would be amazed right now.”
Egbuka spoke with Sports Spectrum during the season about how faith affected his performance on the field.
“I would say over the last two years we have been a certain number of players on the football team who have restored their faith in Jesus Christ. And that was a big thing for me my freshman year.” the star receiver told 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 Nov. 23, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
Egbuka, a graduate student, recalled in his interview the turning point for him. His teammates invited him to attend Mass and he said it was the first time he felt a true 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 a type of revival like this on our team, and decided to share with everyone what God has been doing in our football team.
Egbuka said he opted out of the NFL Draft last season because he felt a calling that was “bigger” than football.
Henderson told the outlet in a separate interview that despite his standout rookie season, which included success and NIL deals, he had turned to his faith after an injury.
“He saved my life from going down that path of destruction. He saved me. He put me on this path of eternal life… you see so many people going down that great path of destruction, but I am so grateful that Jesus, He Me He rescued me from that path and put me on His path.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman reinstated Mass before the game when he took over in 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman reinstated pregame mass when he replaced Brian Kelly in 2021. He was baptized into the Catholic Church and received his first Communion in September 2022.
Freeman credited Notre Dame for encouraging the student body to grow their faith.
“It’s not just about Catholicism. It’s the reality of having a faith and a belief in something bigger than yourself,” he said.
On Monday night, each team will have a prayer and then pack in for the final 60 minutes of their season.
