
With the CFP National Championship on the horizon, political rivals from Ohio and Indiana are engaging in a tradition as American as the game itself—a friendly wager. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Indiana Governor Mike Braun are putting their confidence in their respective college football teams—The Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish—to the test, staking local sweet treats on the outcome of the upcoming title clash.
According to an announcement from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office, Ohio's famed Buckeye candies are the Buckeye State's stake in the friendly bet. The sweets, a specialty from Marsha’s Homemade Buckeyes in Perrysburg, symbolize Governor DeWine's confidence in an Ohio State victory. In their statement, DeWine states, "As two powerhouse collegiate football teams battle it out on the gridiron in the College Football Playoff National Championship, I am confident that The Ohio State Buckeyes will defeat Notre Dame and claim the national title."
Conversely, Governor Braun is backing the Fighting Irish—rooted in the local soil of South Bend, Indiana, and represented through a bundle of Indiana-made sweet treats from the South Bend Chocolate Company. Governor Braun told reporters, through Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's official website, "The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have had an incredible run in this year's College Football Playoffs, and I have no doubt they’re ready to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes and claim the National Championship."
The showdown is set for January 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where these collegiate titans will vie for the crown of college football. Fans nationwide will tune in at 7:30 p.m. to see whether the Buckeyes will add another trophy to their case or if the Fighting Irish will paint Atlanta gold and blue. The game, broadcast on ESPN, is a testament to the fervor and spectacle that college football inspires at every level—from the end zones to the statehouses.