Riley Leonard opened the national championship game with a do-it-all drive that made it appear the Notre Dame quarterback could win the title by himself. As it turned out, Leonard needed more help.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard struck first Monday night to lead the Irish to a 7-0 lead against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game. Leonard, the Fairhope, Ala., native, carried the ball nine times for for 34 yards, ending with a 1-yard run with 9:45 left in the half.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have struck first in the national championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s all thanks to Irish quarterback Riley Leonard, who capped off a 18-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Leonard had 9 carries for 34 yards on the drive, which chewed 9:45 off of the clock.

If the numbers behind people tuning into college football has told us anything, Ohio State turns on television sets and streaming devices. We’ve seen that continue during the College Football Playoff,

Notre Dame football is getting hit in the transfer portal a few days after losing to Ohio State in the National Championship game. Marcus Freeman’s team is finishing up an exceptional season in South Bend that included wins in the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is leaving the Fighting Irish to become the Cincinnati Bengals' next defensive coordinator, the team announced on Saturday