It's fitting that the first 12-team college football playoff will feature two of the country's most storied programs in Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Buckeyes are in search of their first national title since 2014 and their third this century.

Both the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish won three CFP games to get to the finals and upset higher seeds along the way.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be closely watching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship for one key reason. This past season, the Bengals had a special year, though not a good year. Quarterback Joe Burrow played at an MVP level while Ja'Marr Chase was the NFL 's leading receiver.