The stage is set. Ohio State has taken care of business through the first three rounds of the first 12-team College Football Playoff and has earned the right to face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the National Championship. The Buckeyes dominated Tennessee and overwhelmed Oregon before dispatching Texas after a couple of tide-turning touchdowns. Meanwhile, Notre Dame ended Indiana’s improbable season, took down the SEC champion, and rallied to take down Penn State on its side of the bracket.
History is just stories told to us so they won’t have much bearing on this matchup. However, Ohio State is 6-2 all-time against Notre Dame and is 2-0 in the postseason. It’s been 89 years since the Fighting Irish bested the Buckeyes on the gridiron. However, there was a 59-year gap between matchups, and the two have faced off six times since 1995.
That 1995 season has plenty of parallels to the 2024 season for the Buckeyes. Both Ohio State teams were led by (arguably) the best receiver in football, an explosive rushing attack, and a stingy defense. That team could have used a 12-team playoff as its only regular-season blemish was thanks to an inexplicable loss at Michigan. That year, the Buckeyes lost to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl but beat Notre Dame in the regular season. Eight of that team’s 13 games were against ranked foes whereas the 2024 edition will end with seven (with six top-five matchups).
The Buckeyes enter this game as significant favorites. However, Notre Dame can not be overlooked. However, there are a few very clear Ohio State paths to victory.
The Ohio State Paths to Victory Over Notre Dame Are Clear
Keep Learning From Mistakes
Looking back, that Michigan loss ages like milk with each passing day because of what the Buckeyes have been able to do thus far in the College Football Playoff. This season, Ryan Day and his coaching staff made mistakes. From attempting to beat Michigan at its own game to not being aggressive enough in key situations, this season has not been ideal for the Buckeyes. However, through three CFP matchups, it seems these concerns have been dispelled.
Tennessee easily could have gone the same way as the Michigan game. Both teams had solid rushing attacks and stout defensive lines. The biggest concern heading into that game was that Day was going to attempt to run the ball straight at the Volunteers’ NFL-bound linemen. With that game in the rearview, it’s obvious Day and Chip Kelly have learned their lesson and hung 42 on the Volunteers’ defense that had averaged 13.9 points per game.
Heading into this matchup, Day was asked if he and Lou Holtz had talked after the infamous postgame rant last season. He responded curtly, “No.” Recently, Holtz broke his silence and tweeted out, “If Notre Dame doesn’t win, it’s because we want to preserve Ryan Day’s job,” and, “Ohio State has the talent, but Notre Dame has the heart, the culture, and the defense to win this game.”
Will Day be goaded into another Michigan-like mentality? Ohio State can beat just about anyone if it plays its game. Will it play its game or attempt to “prove” to Holtz and those like him that this team is tough? While the Buckeyes can overpower the Irish, they can do so by playing their own game. Day must not get caught up in the back-and-forth nonsense with the 88-year-old former coach.
Take Advantage of Matchups
Notre Dame has a strong defense and an incredible secondary. In addition, it boasts the ninth-best total defense, second-best passing defense, and second-best scoring defense.
The Irish tend to play more man coverage than any other team in college football and have allowed just under six yards per attempt on the year. This year, Notre Dame has been as good as it gets in the secondary. However, context is important. Of those 15 games, six were against passing attacks 100th or worse in college football. Ohio State averages 265.1 yards per game through the air. Further, 308.3 yards per game in the CFP. Notre Dame played two teams better than Ohio State and two just slightly worse.
In those games, two opponents fell short of their season-long averages (Georgia: 234 vs 281.0; Indiana 215 vs 261.3). Louisville finished exactly with its season-long average of 264 yards. USC put up its second-best passing output on the year with 360 (averaged 291.9 per game). Georgia and USC both played with backup quarterbacks.
Ohio State will be looking at what USC was able to do to create separation. The Trojans and Irish were neck-and-neck. The difference was back-to-back 99 and 100-yard pick-sixes. In that one, USC was able to gash the Irish to the tune of nine 15+-yard passes and nine 10+-yard runs. Of the team’s 557 offensive yards, 376 came off the backs of those 18 explosive plays.
If Notre Dame wants to play man, Ohio State should let them. Between Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Gee Scott, Jr., and TreVeyon Henderson out of the backfield, someone should find space. If the offensive line can continue its impressive play and keeps Will Howard upright, Ohio State should be able to take advantage.
Sell Out to Stop Love and Leonard’s Legs
Riley Leonard is not the best quarterback the Buckeyes have faced this season. However, he doesn’t have to be prime Peyton Manning to lead the Irish to victory. The former Duke Blue Devil is efficient with his passes and has completed 66.4 percent of his passes to this point. He is most lethal with his legs. Leonard is a threat whether he has designed runs or takes off on a scramble. He beat Georgia despite 90 passing yards.
In 15 games, the veteran quarterback has amassed 866 yards and 16 touchdowns off 167 carries. This is the third time the Buckeyes will face a quarterback with at least 100 carries in the year. However, Leonard is easily the most productive with Marshall’s Braylon Braxton’s 610 coming in a distant second. Ohio State has faced 22 quarterbacks this year, counting Dillon Gabriel once. In total, those 22 were held to 167 yards and four touchdowns off 149 carries. Nico Iamaleava gashed the Buckeyes for a season-high 47 yards and two scores but it took him 20 carries to do so.
To this point, Ohio State has done well against mobile quarterbacks. Its biggest test in that area is fittingly the final one.
At the same time, both Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are formidable running backs. Texas was able to exploit a mismatch not once but twice in the same way in the Cotton Bowl. That will be the difference in this one. Sonny Styles was picked on by Jaydon Blue on a pair of running back wheel routes for a pair of touchdowns. Love has 26 receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns this year and will be a check-down option if the Buckeyes can get pressure.
“One More, Then Forever”
Jack Sawyer penned a touching article for The Players’ Tribune. There is a lot in it. He details how a kid from Pickerington, Ohio was Day’s first commitment as the coach of the Buckeyes and his journey over the last four years. It’s well worth the read. He ends it by saying, “One more, then forever.”
This is it. It physically cannot get bigger than the National Championship. The 2025-26 edition of the Ohio State Buckeyes is going to look vastly different because this year’s team is incredibly veteran-laden. This is it.
The difference between becoming a legend and being forgotten is the 60 minutes of football remaining. There are a few Ohio State paths to victory. If the Buckeyes can play their game on offense and take away Leonard’s rushing threat, there is going to be a ninth banner hanging in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
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