Ohio State has a more talented roster than Norte Dame. Ohio State should win the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 20 in Atlanta against Notre Dame. Doing so will redeem Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day fully from the shocking loss at home to rival Michigan on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. He needed this CFP run.
Ohio State should be able to throw the ball against Notre Dame and should be able to pressure Notre Dame Quarterback Riley Leonard. They also should be able to shut down Notre Dame’s vaunted rushing attack. If Ohio State does those three things, they will in the football game. Do you have a list of three things you must do to be successful?
Ohio State’s Wide Receivers
The Ohio State group of wide receivers is outstanding. Texas double-teamed freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith. That allowed Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and Tight end Gee Scott to all have five or more catches. When you consider Notre does not have quite the defensive secondary that Texas had, this matchup does not bode well for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish cannot cover the Ohio State wide receivers, who should be running free on crossing routes all game. This matchup could determine the game and is worth watching.
Pressure Riley Leonard
Ohio State’s defensive line is outstanding, and the Buckeyes employ a variety of exotic blitzes. All quarterbacks suffer degraded performance when they are under pressure. It has been stated Leonard has not been great under pressure for Notre Dame. Getting pressure on the quarterback is important for Ohio State.
Captain Jack Sawyer and his defensive line friends need to play well and keep the heat on Leonard. The exotic blitzes put in by the Buckeye Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles have helped the team be in this position. If Ohio State wins the National Championship, Knowles will probably leave the Buckeyes for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Ohio State’s Run Defense
The Buckeyes have a good run defense, and the Fighting Irish have a good running game. Something has to give. The Buckeye defense should be motivated against Notre Dame Running Back Jeremiyah Love. He shot off at the mouth saying he wanted the Buckeyes. That does not count the rest of the Notre Dame rushing attack. The backup Jadarian Price and Leonard are both key parts of the Notre Dame rushing attack.
Beware, Special Teams
Notre Dame is much better than the Buckeyes on special teams and has made some big plays in this playoff. The Buckeyes need to be careful when Notre Dame is punting, kicking a field goal, or kicking off. They could fake a kick. Similarly, when the Buckeyes are kicking, Notre Dame could block the kick. The Buckeyes must watch that as special teams could be the great equalizer in this game. The game could come down to the Buckeyes Kicker Jayden Fielding. The Buckeyes could be in big trouble as he has been inconsistent.
Conclusion
Turnovers will be important in this game. If the Buckeyes are -2, or worse, in the turnover battle heading into the fourth quarter, this game will be close. Neither team can afford to turn the ball over. If the Buckeyes are successful in the three keys mentioned in this article and do not surrender big plays on special teams, they will not lose this game.
Texas is, arguably, more talented than Notre Dame who the Buckeyes beat by 14. Oregon is more talented than Notre Dame, and the Buckeyes were leading them 34-0 before our seats got warm. Notre Dame must play near perfect to win. I predict a scarlet and gray hooray and a National Title for the Buckeyes.
