Welcome to Glass Slipper! Buckle up, Lou Holtz; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

**NOTICE: Glass Slipper will arrive on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday this week.

I was only planning to make predictions for the college football regular season, but I feel like giving out more prizes. Same rules apply; every time I pick a winner incorrectly, it costs me $15 in rewards. I will be predicting the outcomes of the Power Four conference championship games, as well as all 11 playoff contests. That’s 15 extra chances to inflate the Prize Pot. Let’s go.

National Championship Game: No. 8 seed Ohio State vs. No. 7 seed Notre Dame

The pick: Ohio State wins, 31-16.

I’m a ball of nerves that cannot be unfurled at the moment. Everyone in my hometown will either be shedding tears of joy or inconsolably distraught in a few hours.

I’ve been warning people not to sleep on ND all year. Here’s what I wrote while the rest of America was still cracking Northern Illinois jokes.

Then this, following Week 13.

I finally reached this conclusion, two days before Christmas.

Notre Dame has earned its place on this stage; don’t let the hot take artists on your screen convince you otherwise.

We’re all aware of the primary personnel storyline here. Al Golden loves playing man coverage, and it’s public knowledge that he’s going to stick to that plan against the Buckeyes. On one hand, you can understand the decision; even without Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame’s secondary has been absolutely suffocating. Why change now? I don’t care who you have in the wide receiver room. You have to adjust to us. I respect the mindset and the confidence.

On the other hand, it feels rather immature to be stubborn when Jeremiah Smith is staring you in the face. Let No. 4 play on an island, and he’s going to burn you. Leonard Moore is awesome; he is not JJ. Be careful, Mr. Golden. Don’t let your pride block the avenue to a ring.

It is imperative that the Irish jump out to a lead in this one. In fact, I’d advise Marcus Freeman to take the ball if he wins the toss. It’s well-documented what happens when OSU snatches the momentum early. Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau begin to bounce on their tiptoes. Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom start cleaning clocks. Will Howard zips throws with confidence. Fall behind early, and you’ll be picking Scarlet and Gray confetti out of your hair at the end of the evening.

Ryan Day’s group is full of swagger, but this is not an invincible squad at all. The defense got humiliated by Oregon in October. Nebraska - who had just lost to Indiana by 49 - came into the Shoe and dragged the Bucks into deep water. Michigan triumphed without a Division I quarterback in the huddle. Ohio State can lay an egg at any given time, and that should have the entire fan base apprehensive.

I think the Buckeyes’ competitive fire will ultimately be the difference. A lot of dudes on this roster pushed their lifelong NFL dreams to the back burner for one more season in the pressure cooker. They’re not scared of this spotlight. They relish it. The Irish are hungry, but there isn’t a single program in America that can grasp the unadulterated desperation in Columbus right now. Those guys in the white jerseys know that their respective legacies are on the line tonight, and the play-to-play effort level will reflect that.

It’s been 10 long years of disappointment, heartbreak, and soul-searching. Ezekiel Elliott receiving 12 carries against Michigan State. The blocked field goal in Happy Valley. A 31-0 no-show in the Fiesta Bowl a couple months later. Baker Mayfield planting the flag. That gut-wrenching, ref-aided 2019 semifinal loss to Clemson. Getting torched by Devonta Smith in the title game the next season. The Noah Ruggles shank. Four straight Michigan disasters.

All of that is in the past now. The wait is over. Let’s hang a banner, Buckeye Nation.

• College Football Playoff Semifinals Results: 2-0

• Overall Season Picks Record: 69-29

• Current CFB Prize Pot: $435

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