Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507821
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 23, 2023 39 GAME PREVIEW: OHIO STATE FBS in the same statistic. First-year starter Kyle Mc- Cord, a junior, just is not operating in the passing game as well as Stroud did. Notre Dame, meanwhile, ranked 52nd in the FBS in points above average per passing play against, and the Fighting Irish only went up to No. 52 na- tionally in that regard through three games in 2023. So, they've been average the last couple years in defending the pass. Ohio State seems to be average itself when it throws the ball these days, which is totally unchar- acteristic of a Ryan Day-led offense. Notre Dame just cannot afford to go into the game thinking Ohio State is never going to figure it out through the air this year. Junior wide receivers Marvin Har- rison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka are far too talented to approach this game in that manner. Senior tight end Cade Stover is, too, for that matter. McCord actually had the 13th-best expected points added of any quarterback in the FBS through two games at 20.97. For reference, USC's Caleb Williams led the country at 48.33 at the same time. Notre Dame's Sam Hartman was fourth at 29.4. So, in all likelihood, McCord is a good quarter- back who just needs time to acclimate to his new role. And he has good receivers. The Ohio State offense should wake up a bit sometime soon. We think the Notre Dame passing defense is stout, but we are not certain yet. The Irish have not faced an arsenal like the one OSU will roll onto the field. Advantage: Ohio State NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. OHIO STATE RUN DEFENSE Through Week 2, Notre Dame had the highest points earned team total in rushing offense per SIS. The Irish's mark of 27.09 was better than that of the No. 2 team, USC, but by just over a point. The Trojans were at 26.03. Much of that has to do with a stout Notre Dame offensive line. The Irish had the sixth-most SIS run blocking points earned (25.83) per SIS through three games. Of course, a lot of it is because of junior running back Audric Estimé, too. He had the third-most individual running back points earned according to SIS through his first three games. Ohio State has some man-eaters in terms of tal- ent along the defensive line, but the Buckeyes only had minus-0.169 points below average in stopping the run per SIS to show for it through their first two games. That ranked 94th in the FBS. Both Indiana and Youngstown State ran 33 times versus the Buckeyes. The Hoosiers gained 71 yards, and the Penguins accumulated 99. The Hoosiers did not score on the ground, and the Penguins only scored once. It's certainly a tall task for anybody to run against Ohio State. But Notre Dame should be able to do it, led by its offensive line, Estimé and a competent corps of tailbacks helping him out. That would make up for 30 rushing attempts for just 76 yards in the 2022 battle between these two teams. Advantage: Notre Dame Junior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka had 1,151 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. PHOTO COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETICS Staff Predictions Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 31, Ohio State 30 In what could best be described as a defining game for this 2023 season, the Irish get a chance to knock off one of the juggernauts of college football when Ohio State comes to Notre Dame Stadium. With all other things being equal between these top-10 teams, this game will come down to quarter- back play, and Notre Dame's graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman holds a distinct advantage over junior first-year Ohio State starter Kyle McCord. Steve Downey: Notre Dame 24, Ohio State 19 If not now, then when? The Fighting Irish seem to be catching the Buckeyes at the right time. The loss of quarterback CJ Stroud (the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft) and three starting offensive line- men has OSU's offense looking mortal. Meanwhile, the early evidence — 143 points (47.7 per game) in the first three games, the most since 1944 and the fourth-most ever over a three-game opening stretch in school history — shows that the addition of Sam Hartman has made Notre Dame's offense elite and worthy of competing against the nation's best. Still, like last year's low-scoring affair (21-10), this one could come down to who wins the battle along the line of scrimmage. The Irish have the horses to win it on both sides of the ball. That, combined with an electric atmosphere at Notre Dame Stadium, should carry them to victory. Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 31, Ohio State 23 The Irish hung around with the Buckeyes for about three quarters in Columbus last September. This time, they have the better quarterback and might be stronger in the trenches. Those will be the decid- ing factors in Notre Dame's first victory over Ohio State since 1936. Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 32, Ohio State 28 It finally feels like Notre Dame has an offense capable of competing with the best of the best in col- lege football. And, oddly, it feels like Ohio State, albeit it for maybe only one year or even just part of one season, is not in that tier. The Buckeyes have had difficulties on that side of the ball breaking in new starting quarterback Kyle McCord while the Fighting Irish have hummed right along with 24-year-old bearded veteran Sam Hart- man. He'll make enough plays, as will the Irish defense, to give the home team a monumental victory — Notre Dame's first over Ohio State since 1936. Jack Soble: Notre Dame 34, Ohio State 31 Did Ohio State look invincible in its first three games? Heck, did it look invincible last season with CJ Stroud running the show? No, no it did not. Notre Dame's roster might not have quite as much talent, but it has home-field advantage, more than enough playmakers on both sides of the ball and, most importantly, Sam Hartman. This will be close, but I'll take the team with the better quarterback.