The day has arrived: Notre Dame vs Ohio State. Winner takes all. This article gives you expert analysis on what Notre Dame needs to do right to walk away as national champions.
Art by The Irish Tribune
Everyone knows what this game will be about: Can the Irish continue to pound the rock effectively, and, will man-to-man coverage defensively stay their schematic bread & butter against the likes of Jeremiah Smith & Emeka Egbuka? If so, we’ll have ourselves one heck of a ballgame!
And while the -8.5 line seems outlandish (because it is), Ohio State is the favorite for a reason. That being said, if the ND defensive front can get OSU QB Will Howard rattled, they can create opportunities to turn the Buckeyes over.
Regardless, expect a physical fight, and one that is lower scoring than many think.
With so much at stake, give me the Irish to hoist the trophy, 23-21. - Peter Mulroy / First & Gold
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Head Coach Marcus Freeman will have the Irish ready. Their resiliency all season has led them to this point, a date with Freeman’s Alma Mater, Ohio State in the biggest game of the year. So how does Notre Dame win?
The answer is doing what they have focused on all season, running the ball and stopping the run.
No doubt the Irish will have their hands full offensively against this elite Buckeyes defense. OSU leads the country in points, passing, and total yards allowed per game. ND QB Riley Leonard must keep the ball away from OSU safety Caleb Downs. The sophomore DB finds ways to make plays at every level defensively and will find a way to have an impact on tonight’s outcome. If Leonard can maintain his poise and accuracy in the passing game, I would suggest targeting OSU starting CB Denzel Burke who has struggled in coverage throughout the year. One of Notre Dame’s top WRs (Faison, Greathouse, Collins) will come through in a big moment tonight.
ND rushers Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, and Leonard should find success in their outside run scheme. Running up the middle against this OSU D-Line is a tall task, with future NFLers all over the front seven. I expect Love will break off a big run or two assuming he is fully healthy.
Defensively for the Irish, I believe they can control this game if they prioritize stopping the run and pressuring OSU QB Will Howard. The QB has been great all season, especially with a clean pocket. However, his production drops dramatically under pressure. I think ND’s stout front seven is capable of taking advantage of an OSU OL who has lost their starting C and LT during the season. This pressure should force Howard into making mistakes. OSU WR Jeremiah Smith is going to get his. The freshman weapon is ultra-talented and coming off his worst performance of the season, expect the Buckeyes to try and force the ball to Smith tonight.
Stopping OSU’s run game is no easy task either. Both RBs Henderson and Judkins are great runners who bring different styles into this Buckeyes offense. ND’s defense has been tested multiple times against teams with multiple great rushers (Penn St., Georgia, Army) and has come up victorious each time.
Look for two forced turnovers from the Irish defense, a 100-plus yard rushing performance from Love, and a Mitch Jeter clutch kick to cap a CFP Championship season for Notre Dame.
"Give me Notre Dame" 24-23 - Brenden Duffy / Associate Editor / Senior Staff Writer
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In order for the Irish to win, it’s not going to require them to reinvent themselves. It won’t even require them to play perfect football.
What it’s going to demand is for them to play their best football in the postseason. What does that look like? For starters, it looks like early down success on offense. No procedural errors that drive you into eventual 3rd and longs.
With Jagusah now firmly established in the mix at LT, this is perhaps the most talented configuration ND has had along the o-line. This is in hopes that Notre Dame won’t have to lean on Riley Leonard to be the catalyst in the run game, but a complimentary piece. They’ll need that to be the case.
Notre Dame’s offense cannot lose the turnover battle like they did against Penn State. Every possession is at a premium. Be aggressive, yes. But don’t be careless.
On defense, it’s about managing the first quarter. This is where OSU’s offense has thrived- especially in the postseason. Should Notre Dame manage to do that vs OSU’s offense that is currently clicking, we have a ball game on our hands.
If Notre Dame can make this happen, it would benefit them to improve on something they’ve struggled with all season in defense- setting the edge.
In all, Notre Dame must dictate the terms of game flow. This has to be a game in which Notre Dame determines how OSU plays, not the other way around. If they can do that, the Irish will come away with their first national championship in nearly 40 years.
But it might be too much to ask. I’ve jostled back and forth on this one. It doesn’t feel right, but OSU prevails against a Notre Dame team that is closer than it’s ever been. 28-17, OSU
- Clayton Stohler / First & Gold
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This game will be a tightly contested game in the first half due to an explosive run by Jeremiyah Love and a turnover or two by the Buckeyes. Love seems to be finally getting healthy after a stint of unfortunate injuries/illness that has limited him in the playoffs so far. He is due for a big run and contains enough athleticism to hurt this daunting Buckeye defense. Will Howard has also shown a tendency to throw unwarranted passes, which Notre Dame’s talented defense can make plays on. This will cause a somewhat slow first half with a few big plays to keep both teams in it.
In the second half, Ohio State’s tandem of talented running backs finally gets going and will wear on the banged-up Notre Dame defensive line. This will force the Irish to start committing more to the run which will open up lanes for Jeremiah Smith and company. All of this allows Ohio State to pull away in the second half and their defense will seal the deal against a Notre Dame offense that hasn’t shown an ability to consistently put together enough drives to stay in the game. 31-17 Ohio State. - Noah Wehby / Writer
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The Fighting Irish keep the game close in the first quarter, which will be the biggest game trend to monitor, as Ohio State has to battle through a slugfest of a game.
Riley Leonard has some turnover woes similar to his performance against Penn State, but Mitchell Evans and Jeremiyah Love power the Irish to a 10-7 lead.
Al Golden throws even exotic looks to confuse Will Howard and Leonard Moore sticks with Jeremiah Smith albeit with one long touchdown catch.
In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame stops Ohio State on one fourth down and has a drive similar to the game-clinching one against Texas A&M. The Irish control the clock for the entirety of the fourth, and an ill-advised decision by Will Howard cements the national title for the Irish. 24-17 Notre Dame - Liam Farrell / Associate Editor / Senior Football Writer
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