ATLANTA -- If there's an area where Notre Dame has had a decided advantage over its opponents this season, its been on special teams.
The Irish have flummoxed opponents, and have turned unfavorable situations into positive moments all season long. And it's a large part of the season why they've gotten to the title game against Ohio State.
Now, it's the job of the Buckeyes to be ready for a myriad of things Notre Dame is set to throw at them.
"These guys are really good on special teams," coach Ryan Day said Sunday. "They keep you on your heels all the time. They fake punts, they fake field goals, they find different, creative ways to get guys in the game."
Notre Dame's units have been outstanding in all facets, including in the College Football Playoff.
Against Georgia in the quarterfinals, Notre Dame brought its punt unit onto the field for a fourth-and-1 from its own 18-yard line. The Irish then quickly hurried the offense back onto the field to try and draw the Bulldogs offsides. It worked, and the Irish retained possession.
This came after Notre Dame returned a kickoff for a touchdown to open the second half.
In the third quarter against Indiana in the first round, the Irish lined up in a Swinging Gate formation on fourth-and-8, and forced an Indiana timeout.
"You have to be alert. Notre Dame's punt team, they'll have fakes, they'll have all that stuff," Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis said. "And they do a really good job complementing their fakes. They're always going to have something new, so you've always got to have really good rules. Their punt return team -- we used to call it punt block -- they're going to try to come after it...Trying to think of different ways they're going to try to be aggressive on each unit. We have to always prepare for everything."
There have been a myriad of other fakes and additions for Notre Dame's special teams this season, including a fake punt for a touchdown that didn't count, and a fake punt against Georgia Tech in Atlanta back in October.
Former quarterback, and current walk-on receiver Tyler Buchner, has been a valued asset as well on the punt teams, which adds for another unique challenge.
And when the game rolls around Monday, Notre Dame will surely have something up its sleeve.
"Their special teams do have a lot to them, non-standard things that you need to prepare for," defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. "So we've been practicing it a bunch."