Notre Dame football: 3 reasons the Irish can upset Ohio State
By Brad Weiss
![SOUTH BEND, IN - DECEMBER 11: Newly hired Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coach Marcus Freeman is introduced during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Purcell Pavilion on December 11, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) SOUTH BEND, IN - DECEMBER 11: Newly hired Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coach Marcus Freeman is introduced during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Purcell Pavilion on December 11, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/68629e9e50237c00f6b2c94445b4109ffb10c9f10d6a78efde5603380c4dd810.jpg)
The Notre Dame football team has a tall task in Week 1, but here is why they can actually upset the Ohio State Buckeyes this September.
It is the biggest game of the first week of the college football season, as the Notre Dame football team travels to Columbus, Ohio to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams are considered legitimate College Football Playoff contenders this season, and this matchup will go a long way toward setting the tone for the rest of the season for either program.
The Irish are sure to be underdogs, especially playing on the road, but here, we look at why Notre Dame football could upset the Buckeyes inside Ohio Stadium.
Notre Dame football: 3 reasons the Irish can upset Ohio State
Elite defense against C.J. Stroud
Unless you live under a rock, you know how good a quarterback C.J. Stroud is, and that he is likely going to be a legitimate Heisman contender in 2022. Last season, Stroud won the quarterback competition in Columbus and would go on to throw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns against only six interceptions.
Stroud was stellar all season long, and when looking at his game log, he did not have a bad outing throughout the entire campaign. He stepped onto the field in his first full season as the starter and downright dominated, so you can expect more of the same from him in his second season at the helm.
If the Irish are going to do anything this season, they need to have one of the best defenses in a row, and if Notre Dame is to upset Ohio State, this group needs to play at an elite level. They have the playmakers at each level to do so, and if Stroud stumbles even a bit in this one, the Irish could have just enough to push past the Buckeyes.