Notre Dame And Ohio State Arrive In Atlanta And It's The 2nd Visit Of The Season For Fighting Irish

Ohio State and Notre Dame arrived in Atlanta on charter flights Friday as the teams moved closer to the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday night.

The Buckeyes are big favorites but the Fighting Irish might have an advantage. Coach Marcus Freeman's team has previously played in Atlanta - and in Mercedes-Benz Stadium - this season.

In a game that strengthened Notre Dame's playoff hopes, the Fighting Irish beat Georgia Tech 31-13 on Oct. 19 as quarterback Riley Leonard ran for two touchdowns.

Is the familiarity with the stadium an advantage for Notre Dame?

"We hope so," Freeman said at the Atlanta airport. "Now we are on the other side of the field and in a different locker room, but we have played here. We know what it's like. Each team will have two opportunities to go into the stadium and practice so by the time Monday gets here I think both teams will be comfortable with the environment."