Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531388
GAME PREVIEW: OHIO STATE BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2025 59 C O L L E G E F O O T B A L L P L A Y O F F version of Notre Dame's loss to North- ern Illinois. Everyone expected the Buckeyes to not just beat the Wolverines, but blow them out. They were favored by 19.5 points, according to FOX Sports. Most agree it was the second-most embar- rassing loss of the college football sea- son, and some in Columbus who value that game more than life itself might argue it should be No. 1. However, Ohio State's response to Michigan was also akin to Notre Dame's response to NIU. The Buckeyes had 21 days to stew over their loss and listen to all the criticism. Experts called them fraudulent and said they (reportedly) spent $20 million on their roster for nothing. Michigan fans paid a plane to fly around Columbus with a banner that read "Extend Ryan Day." Some even harkened back to former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz's criticism of Ohio State and Day last sea- son, when he said the Buckeyes lose to teams that are tougher than them. But when the College Football Play- off began, No. 8 Ohio State unleashed a season's worth of fury on Tennessee, Or- egon and Texas. Day and company won their first two CFP games by a combined score of 83-38. And with a win over the Longhorns, they advanced to face No. 7 Facts & Figures NO. 7 NOTRE DAME VS. NO. 8 OHIO STATE Date: Jan. 20, 2025 Site: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET Television: ESPN Radio: Notre Dame IMG affiliates and ESPN Series facts: The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 6-2, and the Irish have not beaten them since 1936. Notre Dame lost to Ohio State in each of the past two seasons, most recently a 17-14 heartbreaker in South Bend. Buckeyes running back Chip Trayanum scored a 1-yard touchdown with one second left, while the Irish had 10 players on the field in their goal- line defense. Head coaches: Ohio State — Ryan Day (69-10, sixth season at OSU and overall); Notre Dame — Marcus Freeman (33-9, third season at ND and overall) Noting Ohio State: The Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the country, according to ESPN's FPI … The following OSU players could have been selected in the 2024 NFL Draft but chose to return: wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, de- fensive linemen Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams and JT Tuimoloau, linebacker Cody Simon, cor- nerback Denzel Burke and nickel back Jordan Hancock … Injuries have hit the offensive line, most notably starting center Seth McLaughlin who suffered a torn Achilles in mid-November and was lost for the season … Ohio State has the No. 4 passing offense in the nation at 9.2 yards per attempt … Defensively, the Buckeyes — led by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, a Broyles Award finalist — are No. 1 in the na- tion with 12.1 points allowed per game. Ohio State's defensive line had recorded 30.5 of the team's 47 quarterback sacks through 14 games, with senior end Jack Sawyer contributing 8. PHOTO COURTESY OHIO STATE