Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507821
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 23, 2023 41 GAME PREVIEW: OHIO STATE yards out at NC State and nearly made another from 56 yards away. That boot banged off the left upright high enough up to a point that it seemed like the kick would have been good from 60 yards. Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi said he has seen Shrader make one from 70 yards in practice. Notre Dame's coverage teams have been effec- tive, too, and it feels like every time the Irish play under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium something good is going to happen on special teams. Advantage: Notre Dame COACHING You just cannot argue against an overall head coaching record of 47-6 for Ohio State's Ryan Day through Week 2 of the 2023 season. Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman only has one less loss in 36 less games. That is just absurd to think about. The narrative with Ohio State right now is that it cannot win the big game because of what has happened the last two years against its archrival Michigan, but we've got to remember the Buck- eyes were a missed field goal as time expired away from knocking off Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. They've also gone 11-2 in each of the last two seasons. Under Day's guidance, they're just winners. Notre Dame, meanwhile, went on a 9-1 tear after losing to Stanford in the middle of last sea- son with the lone loss coming to Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and USC. Freeman has cer- tainly figured things out after becoming the first Notre Dame head coach to ever lose his first three games. He's still got a long way to go to accom- plish what Day has in such a short period of time, though, so he's the underdog in this matchup. Advantage: Ohio State INTANGIBLES The fear is Notre Dame Stadium is going to be swarmed by scarlet and silver this weekend. Ohio State has not played at Notre Dame Stadium since 1996, and this is just the third time the Buckeyes have ever made the short trip to South Bend, so a hostile takeover is certainly not impossible. There will obviously still be more Notre Dame fans inside the House That Rockne Built, and the Irish have the edge in quarterback experience. In big games like this, that is not insignificant. Notre Dame handled a tricky situation opening the season overseas magnificently, and the Irish did not let a 105-minute rain delay in their first true road game of the season trip them up at NC State either. The Irish are the more battle-tested team going against an Ohio State team that has played at Indiana and at home against Youngstown State and Western Kentucky. Notre Dame is as prepared as it ever will be to host one of the top teams in the nation. It's now or never for the Irish with Hartman nearing the midway point of his one-year rental in South Bend, and everybody knows it. The Irish will be juiced up to try to notch a monumental victory in the penul- timate weekend of September. Advantage: Notre Dame OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. X-WR 18 Marvin Harrison Jr. 6-4 205 Jr. 0 Xavier Johnson 6-1 210 Gr. SLOT 2 Emeka Egbuka 6-1 206 Jr. 11 Brandon Inniss 6-0 207 Fr. LT 71 Josh Simmons 6-5 310 Jr. 77 Tegra Tshabola 6-6 322 So. LG 74 Donovan Jackson 6-4 320 Jr. 67 Austin Siereveld 6-5 317 Fr. C 75 Carson Hinzman 6-4 300 So. 59 Vic Cutler 6-3 300 Gr. RG 55 Matt Jones 6-4 315 Gr. 66 Enokk Vimahi 6-4 313 Sr. RT 70 Josh Fryar 6-6 313 Sr. 51 Luke Montgomery 6-4 302 Fr. TE 8 Cade Stover 6-4 251 Sr. 88 Gee Scott Jr. 6-3 240 Sr. 84 Joe Royer 6-5 255 Sr. Z-WR 4 Julian Flemming 6-2 210 Sr. 17 Carnell Tate 6-2 191 Fr. QB 6 Kyle McCord 6-3 215 Jr. 33 Devin Brown 6-3 213 So. 13 Tristian Gebbia 6-2 210 Gr. RB 32 TreVeyon Henderson 5-10 212 Jr. 3 Miyan Williams 5-9 226 Sr. 19 Chip Trayanum 5-11 233 Sr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DE 44 JT Tuimoloau 6-4 270 Jr. 97 Kenyatta Jackson 6-5 258 So. DT 91 Tyleik Williams 6-2 290 Jr. 90 Jaden McKenzie 6-2 286 Sr. NG 58 Ty Hamilton 6-3 295 Sr. 51 Mike Hall Jr. 6-2 280 Jr. DE 33 Jack Sawyer 6-4 265 Jr. 92 Caden Curry 6-3 260 So. WILL 22 Steele Chambers 6-1 232 Gr. 11 C.J. Hicks 6-3 230 So. MIKE 35 Tommy Eichenberg 6-2 239 Gr. 30 Cody Simon 6-2 235 Sr. CB 10 Denzel Burke 6-1 190 Jr. 18 Jyaire Brown 5-11 183 So. NS 6 Sonny Styles 6-4 230 So. 3 Cameron Martinez 5-10 198 Sr. BS 8 Lathan Ransom 6-1 210 Sr. 14 Ja'Had Carter 6-1 203 Sr. AS 41 Josh Proctor 6-2 205 Gr. 25 Malik Hartford 6-2 194 Fr. CB 1 Davison Igbinosun 6-2 190 So. 7 Jordan Hancock 6-1 185 Jr. Ohio State Buckeyes Depth Chart Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PK 38 Jayden Fielding 6-0 175 Sr. 23 Parker Lewis 6-3 220 Sr. P 29 Jesse Mirco 6-4 220 Jr. 42 Joe McGuire 6-2 235 Fr. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. LS 43 John Ferlmann 6-2 228 Jr. 48 Max Lomonico 6-3 225 Jr. KR 0 Xavier Johnson 6-1 210 Gr. 19 Chip Trayanum 5-11 233 Sr. PR 2 Emeka Egbuka 6-1 206 Jr. 9 Jayden Ballard 6-2 198 Jr. SPECIAL TEAMS In his first 53 games as the Ohio State head coach, Ryan Day posted an overall record of 47-6. PHOTO COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETICS