Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was able to keep a team-first approach after having extra defensive attention make him almost invisible in the Buckeyes' Cotton Bowl win over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Notre Dame is embracing the challenge of playing man-to-man pass coverage against Ohio State's talented receivers.

After all, that extra attention limited Smith to one catch for three yards but opened up opportunities for his teammates in the 28-14 win that earned Ohio State a berth in Monday night’s national championship game against Notre Dame.

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s superstar freshman receiver, sounded downright giddy at the possibility of seeing single coverage on Monday night. Notre Dame has a terrific secondary, and typically relies on that group.