Notre Dame football: Can the Irish hang with Ohio State offensively?
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has a tall task in Week 1, battling Ohio State on the road, and will need a big game from their offense to pull off the upset.
Based on the initial FPI rankings put out by ESPN, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the 2022 Notre Dame football team are two of the top-5 teams in the country. Incredibly, these two teams will meet up in Week 1 of the 2022 college football season, so we will get to see right out the gate which one is a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
When it comes to this year’s Irish team, the biggest questions come on the offensive side of the ball. Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne are battling it out for the starting quarterback job, and there are very few scholarship players at the wide receiver position. Luckily for the Irish, the entire starting offensive line is back, and Michael Mayer is the best tight end in the country.
Running back Logan Diggs is considered one of the top rising stars in the country per 247Sports.com and will be counted on in a big way after Kyren Williams left for the NFL. So while there is talent, is there enough talent to go blow for blow with the high-octane offense of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State boasts a potential Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in C.J. Stroud, and while they lost two first-round wideouts in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, there is more than enough talent returning for them to be one of the more explosive offenses in the country in 2022.
Notre Dame football loaded on defense
Notre Dame football may have questions on offense, but one thing is for sure, and that is their defense is going to be special this season. Between the talent on all three levels, and the experience they have as a group, this team should be able to get stops against Stroud and company, but can the offense capitalize when they do?
The truth is, if the Irish can take care of business against Ohio State in Week 1, it will go a very long way in them being legitimate CFP contenders. Many believe this is the year Ohio State wins it all, and if the Irish are going to beat them on the road, they are going to have to put up points, as we all know the defense is going to do their job.