The moment we’ve been waiting for is here. The College Football Playoff championship game is set for Monday in Atlanta, featuring a matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame. The recent expansion to a 12-team format has proven to be very effective in determining a national champion.

The journeys that led both teams to the final were quite different. The Buckeyes smoothly overcame Tennessee and Oregon, but faced a tough challenge from Texas in the semifinals. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish defeated Indiana and triumphed in nail-biting games against Georgia and Penn State.

Several captivating narratives surround this matchup. Both storied programs have been eager for a national title; Notre Dame last claimed one in 1988, while Ohio State’s last win came in 2012. Additionally, two of the Bowl Subdivision’s emerging coaches, Marcus Freeman and Ryan Day, will be pitted against each other, with one poised to become only the third active coach to earn a championship. Notably, this marks the second year in a row that an SEC team will be absent from the final, highlighting the rising dominance of Northern teams.

Who will take home the title on Monday? Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg share their predictions, along with a discussion on the coaching prospects for Deion Sanders at Colorado and Bill Belichick at North Carolina in this week’s edition of the College Football Fix.