The countdown for the ultimate college football showdown has begun. This season, Big Ten Ohio State and independent Notre Dame emerged as the best two teams to compete for the National Championship title. As a highly popular national event, only the best will be part of the final game, and that includes the officiating crew. This year, the SEC will be sitting out of the CFP National Championship game for the second straight season. So, it’s only fitting that the game features an SEC twist with Steve Marlowe. 

Brett McMurphy gave an interesting update on who will be the referees of the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame clash. “SEC officials will work Monday’s College Football Playoff national title game b/w Ohio State & Notre Dame. It’s the same crew that worked the Fiesta Bowl b/w Penn State & Boise State,” the senior CFB analyst wrote. Now, this is an SEC all-star crew led by Sylacauga’s Steve Marlowe, who’s covered a wide range of high-profile SEC games. 

Steve Marlowe’s officiating crew has already covered important postseason games this year, including the SEC Championship game between Georgia and Texas. His crew also oversaw the CFP quarterfinal game between Penn State and Boise State. The Fiesta Bowl saw 23 penalties called by Steve Marlowe’s crew, where the Nittany Lions eventually won 31-14. 

Steve Marlowe’s team will consist of capable officials, including Field Judge Phillip Davenport of Jasper, Umpire Brent Sowell, and alternate David Smith, among others. The latter two are Alabama alums who played for the Crimson Tide in the 1980s. As both OSU and ND aren’t from the SEC, it’s not surprising Steve Marlowe’s crew fit in. Besides, both the Buckeyes and the Irish haven’t played a single game this season with this crew, making it an unbiased situation for both teams in terms of possible advantages. And hopefully, this would put an end to OSU’s bad luck with referees.

Can Steve Marlowe and crew rewrite OSU’s bad luck?

Here’s one eyebrow-raising fact about Ryan Day and Ohio State. There hasn’t been a single holding penalty called on their opponents this season, with just 3.7 penalties called per game. Hear it from CFB analyst Josh Pate, who stated on social media, “It’s legitimately insane how badly Ohio State gets screwed via officiating. There are 134 teams in FBS… Ohio State is 134th in opponent penalization.” Can this all-star crew somehow change this narrative?

Ohio State is entering the CFP final as an 8.5-point favorite over Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame. The Buckeyes have been dominant in their playoff performances against their first three opponents—Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas. They defeated them all by double digits! Meanwhile, the Irish advanced to the final game by beating Indiana, Georgia, and Penn State. 

On January 20, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will reveal who the best team in college football is. There’s no doubt this will be a fair game led by Steve Marlowe’s crew. After all, what less can you expect from an all-star officiating crew?