This is the first College Football Playoff National Championship featuring two teams from the Midwest. The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are equally excited to be playing in Atlanta tomorrow night. Sunday morning, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day explained how his Georgia-based Buckeyes are excited to play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium once again.“Georgia has really, over the last decade or so, continued to build and grow and develop young players, and it’s great to see our guys come back to the Atlanta area,” Day explained. “Most of our guys who are on the roster from Georgia are from the Atlanta area, and when they saw that the National Championship game was in Atlanta from the jump, they were excited about that opportunity if it arose and we reached this game. They’re excited.”The ‘World Famous’ Buckeyes’ usage of the transfer portal is greatly exaggeratedThere are teams that have used the transfer portal to build their teams either to their benefit (see the Colorado Buffaloes) or to their detriment (see the Florida State Seminoles).  Ryan Day has brought in players like quarterback Will Howard, cornerback Caleb Downs and running back Quinshon Judkins through the transfer portal. Even though their roster may be worth an estimated $20-$25 million. However, Day says he did not build his team entirely through the portal. Team culture must still mean something.Ohio State cornerback Caleb Downs answers questions during the College Football Playoff Media Day on Saturday, January 18, 2025 inside the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)“But we also try to make sure that we’re using a lot of great judgment on who we bring into our program,” said Day. “So when you look at guys like Will Howard and Caleb Downs, Seth McLaughlin and Quinshon Judkins and the guys we brought in, I think we only ended up with seven transfer guys this year, they all fit but they all made an impact on our team.”Meanwhile, Downs had ties to Georgia. After Nick Saban announced his retirement in 2024, Downs had the opportunity to play for the Bulldogs. Downs was the number one safety in the country in 2023 and won a high school title with Mill Creek. Even his position coach, Travaris Robinson, joined Kirby Smart’s staff in Athens. Eventually, Downs chose Ohio State over Georgia. “Georgia was a really big school for me, just because I grew up here,” Downs said. “And being really familiar with the coaching staff, Coach Kirby, (Will) Muschamp and T-Rob had just went there. So it was a really big opportunity to go there.”Freeman seeks to honor King’s legacy through his stewardship of the team here in AtlantaMeanwhile, Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman has always led with his faith in God and praising his team for their successes on the field. With the game taking place on Dr. Martin Luther King Day, here in Atlanta, Freeman seeks to honor King’s legacy by reminding his team about what he stood for.  Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman answers questions during the College Football Playoff Media Day on Saturday, January 18, 2025 inside the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)“January 20th, MLK Day, is about celebrating the life of Dr. King and the impact he’s made on our country. None of that light should be taken away by this National Championship game,” Freeman said. “The example he set for so many others of not only to talk about the beliefs you have but to actually put those beliefs into action and to make change and to fight for what you believe in is a legacy that I hope to follow and every person in our program follows. And no matter what the color of your skin is, the example he set for Americans I think is tremendous.”Freeman says his ethnicity is important, but not the main thingEven though he is the first Black and South Asian head coach to play for a National Championship, Freeman’s focus always remains on his team. “As far as the attention being on this football game and not me being the first, I think it’s great because when you start putting the focus on me being the first African American or me being the first Asian American coaching this game, that takes away from the team,” Freeman said. “I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for the team and everybody getting their job done. I know that’s what the media or perception has to be. There has to be a person or cause and effect for why we’re in this position, but the reality is it’s everybody. It’s everybody in this program is getting their job done. I like to make sure the focus stays on the team and not just one person.”Riley Leonard really loves Notre Dame. But how much?This season, Riley Leonard has thrown for 19 touchdowns and 2,606 yards with a 66.4 completion percentage. The dual-threat QB also has scored 16 touchdowns and rushed for 866 yards on 167 carries. But, before Monday night’s game, Leonard shared one message on social media: Holding the Pen. That is from a speech by his head coach, Marcus Freeman. “You know, history is written by conquerors, and we’re holding the pen.” Riley Leonard walks off the field with as the Offensive MVP after the 2025 Allstate Sugar Bowl game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday, January 2, 2025 inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)“Obviously we take care of our players, but that’s not what Notre Dame prides itself on,” Leonard explained. “You think of Notre Dame, you think of the 40-year decision. You think of the education, the type of man you’re going to become, the type of man you’re going to become spiritually, the type of teammate you’re going to become. And after that, you’re able to benefit financially off of it. I think one thing we do really well here is learning financial literacy with NIL. We’re going through classes. We have a player development guy who’s always teaching us about taxes and things like that. So that’s been really good.”The College Football Playoff National Championship will feature The Ohio State Buckeyes versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Kickoff is scheduled for Monday night, 7:30 PM, on ESPN. The post College Football Playoff National Championship: Ohio State and Notre Dame equally excited to play in Atlanta appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.