Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Preview

Notre Dame Rush Offense vs. Ohio State Run Defense

The Irish have been among the best teams when it comes to running the ball as they are ranked 14th in the nation averaging 210.8 rushing yards per game with 44 touchdowns and an average of 5.8 yards per rush. The Irish have rushed for 200 or more yards in 8 games this season with 1 game where they rushed for 300 or more yards while having 7 games where they averaged 6 or more yards per rush. Jeremiyah Love leads with 159 attempts for 1,122 yards with 17 touchdowns and an average of 7.1 yards per rush. Quarterback Riley Leonard has 167 attempts for 866 yards with 16 touchdowns and an average of 5.2 yards per rush. Jadarian Price has 117 attempts for 733 yards with 7 touchdowns and an average of 6.3 yards per rush. Aneyas Williams has 34 attempts for 219 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 6.4 yards per rush. Kedren Young has played in 6 games and has 21 attempts for 116 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 5.5 yards per rush. The Irish have allowed 69 tackles for loss this season.

Ohio State has been outstanding against the run this season as they are ranked 3rd in the nation allowing just 89.9 rushing yards per game with 12 touchdowns and an average of 2.7 yards per rush. The Buckeyes have had 8 games where they held the opposing team to less than 100 yards with the most notable instance being when they held Oregon to -23 yards in the playoffs. Of the 7 teams that were able to rush for 100 or more yards on them, only 3 were able to rush for 150 or more yards, and 2 of those games were both losses as they allowed 155 yards to Oregon in the regular season and 172 yards to Michigan to conclude the regular season. The Buckeyes have held 12 teams to less than 4 yards per rush this season with 7 of those teams averaging 2 yards or less per rush. Ohio State has not had much difficulty in getting into opposing backfields with 106 tackles for loss this season. The leading players in tackles for loss are: JT Tuimoloau with 19.5 tackles for loss, Cody Simon with 11.5 tackles for loss, Sonny Styles with 9.5 tackles for loss, and Jack Sawyer and Lathan Ransom each having 9 tackles for loss.

The Irish are coming off a performance against Penn State where they had just 117 yards (tied for the lowest amount of yards with Louisville earlier this season), but it is notable that Jeremiyah Love was still not 100 percent healthy from injury but still managed to have a major impact in the 4th quarter with a touchdown run. The Irish were able to continue to utilize the depth that they had as Aneyas Williams made multiple plays to help move the chains. The Buckeyes will be among the many teams that the Irish have faced this season that are strong against the run as of the teams played thus far, 12 teams are in the top 60 run defenses. The Irish have managed to repeatedly make plays and gain a lot of yards against strong run defenses all season long. The Irish will be arguably the best rush offense that the Buckeyes will face all season as the only teams that come close are Tennessee and Penn State. Regardless of if Jeremiyah Love is at full strength or not quite 100 percent, the Irish will need to use Riley Leonard, Jadarian Price, and Aneyas Williams to make plays on the ground. This will certainly be an interesting matchup to keep an eye on.

Edge: Even

 

Ohio State Rush Offense vs. Notre Dame Run Defense

The Buckeyes have been around the middle of the rankings for rush offenses this season as they are ranked 66th nationally averaging 163.2 rushing yards per game with 32 touchdowns and an average of 5 yards per rush. Ohio State has been held to less than 100 yards in 3 games this season when they had 64 yards, 77 yards, and 81 yards against Nebraska, Michigan, and Texas respectively. The Buckeyes have rushed for 200 or more yards in 3 games this season, but those were all early in the season against Western Michigan, Marshall, and Iowa. Ohio State has had 7 games where they averaged 5 or more yards per rush, but it should be noted that 5 of those games were the opening 5 games of the season when they had 7 yards per rush (Western Michigan) and 9 yards per rush (Marshall). Since those opening 5 games, the only other times where they averaged that high of a number was 5.2 yards per rush and 5.8 yards per rush against Northwestern and Oregon (Playoffs), respectively. There have been 4 games where they averaged 4 yards or less per rush with the lowest being 2.1 yards per rush and 3 yards per rush coming from Nebraska and Michigan, respectively. TreVeyon Henderson leads with 132 attempts for 967 yards with 10 touchdowns and an average of 7.3 yards per rush. Quinshon Judkins is very close behind with 183 attempts for 960 yards with 12 touchdowns and an average of 5.3 yards per rush. James Peoples has played in 8 games with those games being games where the lead was insurmountable for opposing teams and on the season has 49 attempts for 197 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 4 yards per rush. Quarterback Will Howard has 89 attempts for 169 yards with 7 touchdowns and an average of 1.9 yards per rush. Wide Receiver Jeremiah Smith has 5 attempts for 52 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 10.4 yards per rush. The Buckeyes have allowed 55 tackles for loss so far this season.

The Irish have been solid against the run this season as they are ranked 41st in the nation allowing 133 rushing yards per game with 14 touchdowns and an average of 3.7 yards per rush. The Irish have held 4 opposing teams to less than 100 yards with 2 of those happening in the playoffs when Indiana had 63 yards and Georgia had 62 yards. The Irish have only allowed 3 teams to rush for 200 or more yards with those being: 222 yards (Navy), 207 yards (Army), and 204 yards (Penn State). The Irish have only allowed 2 opposing teams to average 5 or more yards per rush with Navy having 5.2 yards per rush and USC having 7 yards per rush. The Irish have also held 6 opponents to less than 3 yards per rush as well this season. The Irish have done well in getting into opposing backfields this season with 82 tackles for loss with the leading players being the following: Rylie Mills (injured and out for the season) with 8.5 tackles for loss, Jaiden Ausberry with 6.5 tackles for loss, Jaylen Sneed with 6 tackles for loss, and Howard Cross and Junior Tuihalamaka each having 5.5 tackles for loss.

The Irish are coming off a performance where they faced Penn State, which was among the best rushing offenses they have faced this season. The Irish had troubles at times with Penn State and the rushing offense that managed to rush for 204 yards. Ohio State is somewhat similar to Penn State as both teams utilize 2 players in the running game that have similar totals in terms of yards. However, Ohio State is not very deep as TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have nearly 80 percent of the total rushing yards. Beyond them the only players that have made notable contributions are James Peoples who has only played in blowout wins, Will Howard who has a lot of attempts but not many yards (but does have a decent of touchdowns), and Jeremiah Smith who occasionally gets 1 rushing attempt in a game that either gains a good chunk of yards or a minimal amount of yards. With this being the conclusion of the season, and being lighter in terms of depth, this could hurt them as there will be next to no players to rotate in to make plays. Even though the Irish struggled against Penn State, this matchup looks to be a lot more favorable this time around. It should be noted that the Irish have lost some players up front on the defensive line, but in their absence have had just as many players step up to make plays. Look for the Irish to bounce back in this area and return to comparable success that they had earlier in the playoffs.

Edge: Notre Dame

 

Notre Dame Pass Offense vs. Ohio State Pass Defense

The Irish do not pass nearly as much as they run and are ranked 102nd in the nation as they average 194.3 passing yards per game with 22 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a completion rate of 66.3 percent. The Irish have passed for 200 or more yards in 8 games this season with 2 of those games happening in the playoffs. The Irish have had a completion rate of 70 percent or higher in 5 games this season while only having just 1 game with a completion rate that was below 60 percent when they had a completion rate of 56.7 percent (Florida State). Riley Leonard has 247 completions on 372 attempts for 2,606 yards with 19 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a completion rate of 66.4 percent. Steve Angeli has 24 completions on 35 attempts for 268 yards with 3 touchdowns and a completion rate of 68.6 percent. Jaden Greathouse now leads with 36 receptions for 464 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 12.9 yards per reception. Beaux Collins is closely behind with 37 receptions for 458 yards with 3 touchdowns and an average of 12.4 yards per reception. Jordan Faison has 29 receptions for 350 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 12.1 yards per reception. Jayden Harrison has 18 receptions for 215 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 12 yards per reception. Kris Mitchell has 20 receptions for 208 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 10.4 yards per reception while Jayden Thomas has 18 receptions for 167 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 9.3 yards per reception. Mitchell Evans leads the tight ends with 39 receptions for 369 yards with 3 touchdowns and an average of 9.5 yards per reception. Eli Raridon has 9 receptions for 70 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 7.8 yards per reception. The Irish have allowed 23 sacks and 21 quarterback hurries with 31 passes broken up.

The Buckeyes have been excellent at defending the pass as they are ranked 1st in the nation allowing 161.3 passing yards per game with 8 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a completion rate of 59.8 percent. Ohio State has held 3 opposing teams to less than 100 passing yards, with the lowest amount being 62 yards from Michigan. The Buckeyes have allowed 4 opponents to pass for 200 or more yards with 2 of those games coming in the playoffs (Oregon and Texas) along with 1 game where they allowed 300 or more yards (Oregon, regular season). Ohio State has held 4 teams to a completion rate that is 50 percent or less while allowing 8 teams to have a completion rate of 60 percent or higher with 1 team having a completion rate of 70 percent or higher. The Buckeyes have done very well at getting to opposing quarterbacks with 51 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries and an impressive 63 passes broken up.

The Irish are coming off a performance against Penn State where they had a season high 267 passing yards that utilized 2 quarterbacks as Riley Leonard was temporarily injured during the 2nd quarter and Steve Angeli came in for the final offensive drive and led the Irish to a field goal that would be the only points the Irish had in the 1st half but made a massive difference down the line. Ohio State has the highest ranked passing defense, but has shown that it can be vulnerable at times with many opponents being very accurate at times this season. The Irish have shown that they can be quite accurate this season and could use this as an advantage along with a way to move the chains and help even things out.

Edge: Ohio State

 

Ohio State Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense

The Buckeyes favor passing the ball as they are ranked 25th in the nation averaging 265.1 passing yards per game with 35 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a completion rate of 71 percent. Ohio State has passed for 300 or more yards in 4 games this season with 1 game with 400 or more yards which was against Western Michigan early in the season while the others were against Oregon twice and Tennessee in the playoffs. The Buckeyes were held below 200 yards in 2 games this season against Penn State and Michigan. Ohio State has had 7 games where they completed 70 percent or more of their passes with 5 of those games where they completed 80 percent or more of their passes. The Buckeyes were held to a completion rate of 60 percent or less in 2 games this season which were the opener against Akron and the regular season finale against Michigan. Will Howard has 292 completions on 402 attempts for 3,779 yards with 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a completion rate of 72.6 percent. Devin Brown has appeared in 9 games and has 11 completions on 20 attempts for 114 yards with 1 touchdown and a completion rate of 55 percent. Julian Sayin has appeared in 4 games with 5 completions on 12 attempts for 84 yards with 1 touchdown and a completion rate of 41.7 percent. Jeremiah Smith has been outstanding this season and leads with 71 receptions for 1,227 yards with 14 touchdowns and an average of 17.3 yards per reception. Emeka Egbuka has 75 receptions for 947 yards with 10 touchdowns and an average of 12.6 yards per reception. Carnell Tate has 50 receptions for 698 yards with 4 touchdowns and an average of 14 yards per reception. Brandon Inniss has 13 receptions for 157 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 12.1 yards per reception. Running back TreVeyon Henderson has 27 receptions for 284 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 10.5 yards per reception. Quinshon Judkins has 20 receptions for 140 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 7 yards per reception. Gee Scott Jr. leads the tight ends with 26 receptions for 249 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 9.6 yards per reception. Will Kacmarek has 8 receptions for 86 yards with an average of 10.8 yards per reception while Bennett Christian has 2 receptions for 61 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 30.5 yards per reception. The Buckeyes have allowed 14 sacks and 19 quarterback hurries with 37 passes broken up.

The Irish have been outstanding when it comes to defending the pass this season as they are ranked 2nd in the nation allowing 165.3 passing yards per game with 12 touchdowns, 19 interceptions (5 returned for touchdowns), and a completion rate of 50.7 percent. The Irish have held every opponent except for 1 to a completion rate that is below 60 percent, with Georgia having a completion rate of 62.5 percent. The Irish have held 10 opponents to 200 yards or less with 5 opposing teams having 100 yards or less. The Irish have allowed 5 opponents to pass for 200 or more yards with just 1 opposing team (USC) to pass for 300 or more yards. The Irish have had success in getting to opposing quarterbacks with 38 sacks and 46 quarterback hurries along with an impressive 61 passes broken up.

The Irish are coming off a performance against Penn State where the only players that were able to catch passes were part of the running back and tight end units which featured the best tight end this season. The Buckeyes will be the best passing team that the Irish have faced since USC and Georgia. The Irish have played very well with a strong defensive backfield that has many players that are capable of making plays as multiple players have shown that they can make plays multiple times in multiple games. The Buckeyes primarily use Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate but will also use others, but not nearly as much. If the Irish are able to contain those 3 players and get to Will Howard, it will be of significant help. With that being said, the Irish have proven numerous times this season to be among the best pass defenses.

Edge: Even

 

Special Teams

Mitch Jeter has returned to full strength after battling injuries this season while being mainly successful on extra points and is 13 out of 20 on field goals with an accuracy rate of 65 percent and a long of 49 yards. Zac Yoakam had to fill in at times and is 2 out of 5 on field goals with an accuracy rate of 40 percent and a long of 42 yards. Marcello Diomede was also used and is 0 out of 1 on field goals. James Rendell has punted 48 times with an average of 41.5 yards per punt. Jayden Harrison has returned 12 kickoffs for 320 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 26.7 yards per return. Max Hurleman has returned 22 punts for 128 yards with an average of 5.8 yards per return. The Irish have blocked 6 kicks and have had 4 kicks blocked.

Jayden Fielding is 11 out of 15 on field goals with an accuracy rate of 73.3 percent and a long of 46 yards. Joe McGuire has punted 46 times with an average of 41.9 yards per punt. TreVeyon Henderson has returned 7 kickoffs for 61 yards with an average of 8.7 yards per return. Brandon Inniss has returned 13 punts for 110 yards with an average of 8.5 yards per return while Caleb Downs has returned 6 punts for 98 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 16.3 yards per return. The Buckeyes have blocked 2 kicks and have had 0 kicks blocked.

Stronger Unit: Notre Dame

 

Final Thoughts

The Irish are coming off a thrilling 27-24 win over Penn State in the semifinals of the playoffs that started out slow before turning into an intense 4th quarter that saw Mitch Jeter kick the game winning field goal with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation. The Buckeyes are coming off a 28-14 win over Texas in the semifinals of the playoffs that was closer than it looked as in the closing minutes of the game when Texas was trying to tie the game and would give up the ball very deep in Ohio State territory that led to a late touchdown. The Irish have had to overcome many injuries this season and will now be without Antonie Knapp at the left tackle position and will see the originally intended starter of Charles Jagusah start after spending the regular season injured. Even with that happening, the Irish have shown numerous times this season that many players have stepped up in the place of others as the depth of many position groups has shown. Those who have come back from injury this season have been playing at a very high level after coming back from those injuries. In comparison, Ohio State does not seem to utilize as much depth at some positions as they almost exclusively use 2 players in running the ball and primarily favor using 3 players for receiving in the passing game. While the Buckeyes do not allow a lot of passing yards, the Irish will likely try to use the strength of being accurate to move the chains and to take pressure off the ground game to extend drives. The Irish will want to use long and extended drives to help give the defense a rest and reduce time off the clock. The defense and special teams for the Irish will certainly be counted on to make plays, whether that means shortening the field to give the offense opportunities to score or making a surprise play to extend a drive for the offense. If the Irish are able to shut down the ground game of Ohio State and get pressure on Will Howard, then it will help tremendously. With that being said, the Irish continue to utilize their strengths on the biggest stage of them all.

Prediction: 🏆 Notre Dame 24, Ohio State 17

 

As always, GO IRISH!

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