Two of the most storied programs in college football history get reacquainted, as the Buckeyes and Irish get set to square off against each other for only the seventh time in history. The teams first met in 1935, with the Irish winning a close contest that year, 18-13, and then the following year by a final score of 7-2.
Since then, Ohio State has been on a roll in the series, sweeping Notre Dame in a hyped-up pair of games in the 1990's (45-26 in 1995, 29-16 in 1996) and notching a pair of Fiesta Bowl victories in 2006 (34-20) and 2016 (44-28). But the 2022 matchup brings a lot of interesting storylines with it!
The most interesting storyline going into this game? Former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman, who played for the Buckeyes from 2004-2008, returns home to face his former team as the new head coach of the Fighting Irish. Not only that, his teammate James Laurinaitis, who was one of the Buckeyes' greatest linebackers, is on his coaching staff as a scout and analyst.
Freeman was promoted from the Defensive Coordinator role in December 2021, taking over for longtime former coach Brian Kelly, who left to take the head coaching position at LSU. I was happy to see a former Buckeye get a shot at the big time, but also pleasantly surprised at how well Marcus Freeman has done in his first season in South Bend as a recruiter, snagging a Top 5 recruiting class.
But even though I'm happy to see a first-class man leading the Irish, I hope the Buckeyes hang a big loss on him tonight.
Ohio State definitely is the favorite going into this game, currently favored by 17 points. But something tells me they may be in for a dogfight if they come into this game complacent or try to sleepwalk through everything.
Let's take a look at the key matchups to watch for tonight!
1. New Ohio State DC Jim Knowles and this Buckeye defense vs. the Notre Dame offense and QB Tyler Buchner: Ohio State definitely had a down year last season in all areas of the defense. The Buckeyes weren't ranked in the Top 25 in any statistical category on defense (points per game allowed, yards allowed or takeaways), and they struggled mightily at stopping the pass last season, ranking 86th overall, and giving up at least 240 yards per game through the air. But Jim Knowles was brought over from Oklahoma State to fix the struggles in this defense. Where does that start? Bringing the pressure up front. Under his watch, the Cowboys' defensive line climbed all the way from #44 to 5th in the country in terms of applying quarterback pressure. He'll have a much more talented defensive roster at Ohio State, as well as help from a fellow coach on the staff in defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who absolutely LOVES terrorizing opposing quarterbacks! There's a reason Coach Johnson calls his unit the "Rushmen". If the Buckeyes can bring the pressure early and often, it could be a long night for a young quarterback in Buchner.
2. The Ohio State defense vs. Irish running back Chris Tyree, and a stout Notre Dame offensive line: While I'm definitely focused on seeing if the Buckeyes can bring the pressure up front, they also need to focus on shutting down any running game Notre Dame has. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: A solid running game is a quarterback's best friend. If the Irish are able to consistently run the ball with Tyree, that will allow Buchner time to possibly pick the Buckeyes apart while he's playing pitch and catch with a talented group of receivers behind great protection. Ohio State's secondary should be greatly improved under Jim Knowles, but they are largely untested right now. If the Buckeyes fail to shut down the running game, it may be a long night for a secondary that's a big question mark going into a big matchup like this.
3. CJ Stroud and a high-octane offense vs. the Notre Dame secondary: Ohio State has always been known to light teams up offensively. In 2021, they were the most explosive offense in America. They had the #1 scoring offense in the country last season. The bad news for the rest of the college football world? The majority of their offensive starters return, led by a Heisman hopeful in quarterback CJ Stroud. I'm definitely interested to see how Stroud approaches this first game, and what kind of plays are called tonight. I expect Ohio State to be aggressive and physical, but I also expect the Buckeyes to kind of "feel things out" in the early going against the Irish. But if the Scarlet and Gray machine gets going, and fires on all cylinders, look out! If things go well for Ohio State offensively early in this game, look for Stroud to take his shots. If that's the case? Notre Dame is in big trouble!
Buckeyes vs. Irish. Ohio State vs. Notre Dame. Two teams with legitimate National Championship aspirations. And it'll all go down at 7:30 tonight in front of a capacity crowd at Ohio Stadium. 105,000+ of the craziest, loudest, most passionate fans on the banks of the Olentangy River are ready to rock the House That Harley Built! GO BUCKS!
Sources: ESPN, CBS Sports, Eleven Warriors
Picture Credit: nitrobetting.eu
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