The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff is set to crown a national champion on Monday as 7-seed Notre Dame takes on 8-seed Ohio State at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This will be the ninth meeting for two of college football's most storied programs and marks the third consecutive season the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish will face off -- the longest such streak in the series' relatively brief history.

QB Riley Leonard and the Fighting Irish have faced a fierce gauntlet of defenses on their path to the title game, but the nation’s top-ranked unit awaits them on Monday.

A look at the factors that could help Ohio State prevail against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff final on Monday night in Atlanta.