Notre Dame's game plan to get Ohio State on its heels could not be any more obvious

This is Notre Dame's lot in life when it comes to the College Football Playoff. Despite having the worst loss of any team who made the 12-team field to start, look who is still here. Notre Dame was always going to carry the underdog mantra however far they made it in the playoff. I mean, I picked Indiana, Georgia and Penn State to beat them. Look at how stupid I am right now. And guess who I am picking?

Ohio State may be a heavy favorite to win the College Football Playoff on Monday night and be crowned national champions, but there are a few ways where Notre Dame can conceivably come out on top. In one of his articles for Sports Illustrated, Senior Editor Reed Wallach touched on some of the prop bets he likes. The one that caught my attention is Riley Leonard having over 14.5 carries.

If Notre Dame wants any shot of pulling off the upset in Atlanta on Monday night, it would require great ball control offensively, as well as playing tremendous defense. Keeping it low-scoring is the best way for Notre Dame to do the improbable. It is why I am hammering the idea of Leonard having 15-plus carries in the national title bout. He has to win this game with his legs ... and a few big throws!

If Notre Dame cannot run the ball effectively vs. the Ohio State defense, the Irish will have no shot.

Riley Leonard's legs have to be the reason why Notre Dame wins the CFP

While Leonard does intrigue me a good bit as an NFL prospect, he is more of a runner than a thrower. I think his size and mobility, as well as his steadiness in crunch time will serve him at the next level. He may only be a backup in the league, but that does not matter right now. What does is his ability to execute offensive coordinator MIke Denbrock's game to perfection, both running and throwing it.

In some ways, I feel that Al Golden's defense can conceivably hang with the Ohio State offense for at least a little while. However, I fully expect for Ohio State's punishing rushing attack and explosive weapons out on the perimeter to prove too handle for the Fighting Irish to handle throughout the duration. This is why dominating time of possession is so beyond critical for Notre Dame in this game.

Overall, Notre Dame is going to have to play a near-flawless game to come out on top, whereas Ohio State just needs to not play deplorably bad to potentially get the victory. Ohio State has more depth and slightly better athletes than Notre Dame. Again, it is all going to come down to execution. Notre Dame may be able to execute at a very high level, but the Fighting Irish do not have margin for error.

If Leonard has upwards of 20 carries, then we have to like the Irish's chances of winning the playoff.