Notre Dame football: Why the Irish will beat Ohio State in Week 1
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team may be a big underdog when it comes to tonight’s matchup against Ohio State, but here is why they will win.
Tonight is the night, as the Notre Dame football team will invade the Horseshoe and take on No. 2 Ohio State. Seen as a huge underdog by most betting publications, the Notre Dame football team has a chance to shock the college football landscape, and give first-year head coach Marcus Freeman a win in his regular-season debut.
However, it is not going to be easy, and to beat Ohio State, the Irish will have to play a perfect game. Below, we discuss why the Irish could come out on top in this one.
Notre Dame football: Why the Irish will beat Ohio State in Week 1
Elite defensive unit
We have heard all week about the Ohio State offense, and how quarterback CJ Stroud could be in line to win the Heisman Trophy. We have also heard about their excellent wideout in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back TreyVeyon Henderson, and first-round tackle Paris Johnson Jr., so there is no shortage of talent on that side of the ball for the Buckeyes.
However, that group will be going up against an excellent Irish defense, one that could boast as many as three first-round picks in next year’s NFL Draft. If Isaiah Foskey can get to Stroud, and the front seven can slow down Henderson and this Buckeyes run game, you have to like the combination of Brandon Joseph and Cam Hart in the defensive backfield slowing down a prolific Buckeyes passing attack.
Strong offensive line play
Hopefully for the Irish, the team can get Jarrett Patterson back for the game, as he suffered a foot injury a few weeks back and has been working his way back into the lineup. He participated in practice this week, which is a good sign, and if he is ready to go, the Notre Dame football team has arguably the best offensive line in the country.
Now, Ohio State does have a potential first-round edge rusher in Zach Harrison, so he is someone to keep an eye on, and they are strong as a unit up front. If the Irish can control the line of scrimmage when they have the ball, they can grind out the clock, keeping Stroud and that dynamic Ohio State offense off of the field.
Marcus Freeman
It could be a game of destiny for Marcus Freeman, who played his college ball at Ohio State and was born in the state of Ohio. This is certainly a homecoming for Freeman, who got his coaching start as a graduate assistant with the Buckeyes, and has since gone on to be named head coach of one of the more storied programs in college football history.
Freeman returning home for his first regular season game as the head coach of the Irish is the stuff you write movies about, and maybe, the Irish will get the happy ending they are hoping for. Beating Ohio State would put them on the map in terms of this year’s College Football Playoff, and would be the biggest win in program history in quite some time.