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The general view across sports networks, social media, and water coolers alike, seems to be that Notre Dame will have its hands full trying to shut down a very explosive and very balanced Ohio State offense. I wouldn't argue too hard with that assessment. Photo by The Irish Tribune After all, OSU has been blowtorching opponents throughout the course of the CFP to the tune of just under a twenty point average winning margin. Ohio State QB Will Howard has come alive since the Michigan game, what was once a makeshift offensive line due to some injuries started to gel at the right time, and freshman phenom wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has been the star of the postseason. They have two outstanding running backs, another couple of pass catchers that would be number one options for many other teams, and a play-caller with plenty of experience who is known for his creativity in getting his playmakers involved. So you can see why many prognosticators have decided to count Notre Dame out before the opening coin toss, but is it all doom and gloom for the Fighting Irish as they get ready to enter their first National Championship since the 2012 season? In 1991, the New York Giants took on the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl 25. Buffalo was loaded with offensive talent that year. Jim Kelly threw for nearly 4,000 yards, two of his receiver's had over 1,000 yards each, and running back Thurman Thomas, rushed for over 1,400. Vegas installed Buffalo as a 7-point favorite, with the consensus being that the offense was just too good to be stopped. The Giants defensive coordinator at the time was none other than the legendary Bill Belichick. Belichick's game plan, which is now displayed in the Hall of Fame, was a pick your poison approach rather than trying to shut everything down at once. He informed his defensive players their best course of action for that particular match up was to purposely concede yards in the running game in an effort to limit one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the league. The short of it, is the Giants held Buffalo to 19 points and captured the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in their franchise's history. How does that relate to Notre Dame and their upcoming matchup? Simply this, pick an area to attack, attack it with everything you have left in the tank, and let the National Championship chips fall where they may. I've watched countless snaps of the OSU offense, I am fully aware of the threats they pose at all levels of the field, but this is how I would choose to try to defend the Buckeyes in the biggest game of the year. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Coverage Options No team can run the same coverage every snap of the game. They may have a general idea of how they want to attack certain teams, but so many things are dependent on personnel and alignments. A team may favor rolling out a Dime defense to get extra defensive backs on the field to defend the pass, but if the offense continuously comes out in 13 personnel (1 running back, 3 tight ends) the defense will have to adjust to account for the bigger bodies on the field. This is about choosing defensive packages that you can fall back on throughout the course of the game and in big moments knowing it'll be your best chance to get a stop. Cover 2 The idea of playing Cover 2, and having two safeties deep to limit big vertical plays is tempting when facing a team like Ohio State. Michigan had success and pulled off a huge upset victory vs Ohio State using almost exclusively Cover 2 Zone. That spawned other teams to attempt the same game plan, but OSU has done a good job adjusting throughout the course of the playoffs and Will Howard has become very adept when attacking the middle of the field, which is the biggest soft spot in a Cover 2. One of the biggest advantages Notre Dame has utilized all year, is the playmaking ability of their safeties in run support and in underneath coverage. Xavier Watts is an All-American for a reason and will need to make his presence felt if Notre Dame hopes to pull out a victory. Relegating him to deep halves coverage not only removes Notre Dame's best ball hawk from his Robber position which he has thrived in all season, but it also creates a very light box for Ohio State to run against. Jeremiah Smith and company will be the least of the Irish's concerns if OSU is picking up five to six yards every time they hand the ball off. Penn State did a good job of getting push against Notre Dame's front in the Orange Bowl, and ND will need to be much more sound in that area this time around. Cover 1 Variations Cover 1 has undoubtedly been Notre Dame's bread and butter defensively all season long. Many talking heads would lead you to believe that Notre Dame can not possibly play the very coverage that helped elevate them to the National Championship, because Ohio State has too many weapons at their disposal to play man across the board. I think the opposite is true. I would play to your strengths. I think just as dangerous as Jeremiah Smith, is wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Ohio State loves to work him out of the slot, and he has been a mismatch nightmare. With so many teams playing a safety over the top of Jeremiah Smith, Egbuka has made a living in the middle of the field, and I actually believe he is the number one threat Notre Dame should worry about. Cover 1 would help in this department for a variety of reasons. In a Cover 1 Robber look, vs a 2x1 receiver set, the linebacker/nickel lined up over Egbuka (or whoever is in the slot) could play with inside leverage and funnel everything to the "Robber" which in most cases would be Watts. Watts is the best safety in the country when it comes to reading and reacting to those in-breaking routes. With Egbuka accounted for, the single high safety could shade to Jeremiah Smith's side, which would leave Leonard Moore as a true one on one defender on the outside. The All-American Freshman has given me no reason to believe he can not hold up in that situation. The safety rolling down would also give you an extra body to fit the run, and potentially chase down Will Howard when he chooses to use his legs on option plays or when breaking the pocket. Cover 1 Lurk is a variation that would involve the safety that rolls down to play man coverage as well, but this is very susceptible against crossing patterns and rub routes. Additionally, with everyone's back turned in man coverage, if the front four does not get home in the run game it could lead to a big play on the ground. Cover 3 Variations Cover 3, as it's name implies, calls for three deep defenders, all responsible for a third of the field. It helps protects against some vertical shots on the outside, and uses four underneath defenders to try to help take away the short and intermediate game. In a traditional Cover 3, the seams become hard to defend and the flats and short outside areas become exposed with the corners bailing deep, making this an iffy concept to use against a team like Ohio State. Aside from being a vertical threat, Jeremiah Smith also gets used in the short game a bunch. Ohio State will motion him across the line of scrimmage on quick throws in an attempt to let him outflank the defense and turn short throws into game changing plays like he did vs Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Trying to rely on a safety or linebacker to get outside and beat him to the flats is a tough ask. In a Cover 3 "Cloud" look, the corner would jam and play the flats, which could alleviate some of those issues, but the safety ends up rolling into the deep third zone to replace him which presents the same problem as the Cover 2 - having your playmaking safeties both bailing deep and limiting their ability to effect things underneath. There are obviously additional coverage methods like Cover 4, and Cover 6, but those are not the type of formations you run as a base, and I don't think Notre Dame would benefit much from overutilizing them. Personnel Considerations No matter what coverage look a team decides to run, the personnel package they use it from is just as important. When I review a team like Ohio State, I think Notre Dame would be best suited living in Nickel, specifically a 4-2-5 (4 defensive linemen, 2 linebackers, and 5 defensive backs). With having an extra defensive back on the field, Notre Dame will have to live with OSU being able to pick up some yardage on the ground, but coverage wise it gets all your play makers on the field at once. Nickelback Jordan Clark, I believe, is going to play a huge role in this game. As mentioned above, Emeka Egbuka, working from the slot position, has the potential to change the game. Clark will more times than not be responsible for him, and if he does his job well, Notre Dame will be in good shape. As far as linebackers go, you need your best athletes on the field for a game like this. Drayk Bowen has proven his ability to play coverage from his linebacking spot, and Jaylen Sneed has true sideline to sideline speed which would account for the two LB spots. On the defensive line, I would have my front attacking the "A Gaps". Pressure up the middle has led to some errant throws by Will Howard over the course of the year, and if Notre Dame wants to win the turnover battle, the key will be forcing a few more. Overall Defensive Choice If it isn't broke, don't fix it. I would continue to roll with a Cover 1 look, and not buy into the hype that Jeremiah Smith is a one man wrecking crew. A lot of situations on film of Ohio State making big plays was due to poor execution from the defenses they were facing more than it was a talent disparity. This is obviously not to say Ohio State is not a dangerous offense, because they are. Notre Dame however, is one of the rare teams equipped to neutralize a lot of their strengths. The secondary has played with unique cohesion, and its helped pave the way for a unforgettable season. Because of how often teams have played a Cover 2 against Ohio State, I would love to see Al Golden show a Cover 2 shell, and roll a safety down late to get into his famous 1-Robber look. Let Will Howard feel like he is facing the same type of defense he has seen so many times as of late, and force him to adjust post snap. If Notre Dame can get the proper push up the middle and speed up Howard's processing, I know there are turnovers to be had. Getting hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage and rerouting them will also help throw off the timing of plays. A lot will, and should, be asked of the Fighting Irish's dynamic duo at cornerback once again, but they have not backed down from a challenge yet. Teams do not make the National Championship by mistake. They identify their strengths early in the season, and continue to cultivate them throughout. Just as the NIU loss was a turning point for Notre Dame, the Michigan loss for Ohio State, albeit much later in the season, really woke them up and has them playing their best football when they need it the most. Just because Notre Dame has been the best in the country against the pass, doesn't mean Ohio State is suddenly going to become a triple option team, no more than Ohio State's potent pass offense means ND should change the way they have been winning games all year long. This will be a true good on good match up, and I think all Notre Dame has to do to have a shot, is be themselves. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Junior Cornerback Benjamin Morrison has officially announced his intentions to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, forgoing his senior year of eligibility.  Morrison originally committed to Notre Dame in July 2021 as a consensus four-star and top-50 CB in the ‘22 class. The Arizona native chose the Irish over Oregon and Washington.  As a freshman the young CB instantly made his impact felt. Morrison earned consensus Freshman All-American honors after recording 33 tackles and 10 passes defended including a team-leading six interceptions in 13 games played (9 starts). He earned his first two career interceptions including a 96-yard pick-six in the Irish’s 35-14 thumping of Clemson. Morrison one-upped this performance just two weeks later against Boston College when he tied a school record of three interceptions in one game. He capped his freshman year with his sixth interception in a Gator Bowl win versus South Carolina. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. In 2023 as a sophomore, Morrison recorded 31 tackles and 10 passes defended including three interceptions in 12 games played (11 starts). Along with helping Notre Dame to a 10-3 record, he had an interception in the Irish’s Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State, which marked the ninth and last of his career.   Morrison entered this most recent season as an AP Preseason All-American Second Team selection and a team captain for the Fighting Irish. Unfortunately, his year was cut short after sustaining a season-ending hip injury during the team’s win versus Stanford. In less than six games played, the junior tallied 20 tackles and three passes defended. Despite the injury, Morrison remained around the program and was a key leader of this season’s CFP Championship run.  The junior CB leaves South Bend as one of the most talented DBs to ever play for the Irish, joining the likes of Todd Lyght and Julian Love. Morrison projects as a first-round, top-three CB in the upcoming draft. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

We've been hearing whispers for some time that Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden would be leaving Notre Dame. Today, that news became official. Photo by The Irish Tribune Over the course of the season, and especially during Notre Dame's playoff run, it had been rumored that Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden might return to the NFL to fill coaching vacancies that had been opening up toward the end of the NFL regular season. Golden, a former Linebacker coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, will return to the same franchise with a promotion after his tenure with the Irish. Golden began his football career at Penn State, where he played as a tight end from 1988-1991. Following his career with the Nittany Lions, he would have a quick stint in the NFL before beginning his coaching career in 1993 as the offensive coordinator for Red Bank Catholic High School in New Jersey. He would land a graduate assistant position the following year at Virginia before earning his first positional coaching job at Boston College in 1997 as a Linebacker coach. After returning to his alma mater in 2000 for the same position, Golden would land his first defensive coordinator position in 2001 at Virginia, where he coached until 2005. Eventually, Golden would land his first head coaching job at Temple, going 1-11 in his first season at the helm. The Owls would see steady improvement under Golden over the next 5 years, culminating in 8-4 season in 2010, and a MAC Coach of the Year award in 2009. Golden would be hired by the Miami Hurricanes in 2011, but ultimately failed to see the same success he saw with the Owls. Golden would be fired after 5 seasons with the Hurricanes, going 32-35 over that span. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Al Golden would return to the NFL as a positional coach from 2016 to 2021 before being hired by Marcus Freeman to lead his defense in 2022. During his three seasons at Notre Dame, Al Golden ran one of the most prolific defenses in college football. The defense would improve each year under his leadership. In 2022, The Irish would be ranked 39th in total defense, allowing 23.0 points per game. The following season, Notre Dame would have a top 10 defense, ranked 8th and allowing just 15.9 points per game. During his final season with the Irish, Notre Dame's defense was ranked 5th, only allowing 15.5 points per game. Golden ran a pressure-oriented scheme at Notre Dame, which culminated in a top-5 turnover margin in college football in the 2024 season. Golden's defense had a knack for taking the ball away, as the Irish would finish the season 15 interceptions, with 5 returned for touchdowns, and 17 forced fumbles. Golden's tenacious approach to defending paved the way for Notre Dame to finish the regular season 11-1, en route to winning three college football playoff games before ultimately falling short in the national championship to Ohio State. Luckily for Notre Dame, this likely wasn't a move that blindsided Marcus Freeman. As it stands, there is no indication as to where Freeman and the Irish will go to replace his dominant presence. If the Irish were to promote from within, a prime replacement candidate would likely be Defensive Back Coach Mike Mickens, who has developed some of the best Notre Dame secondary players in history. Al Golden leaves Notre Dame with an incredible legacy of success at his position. A dominant run that Irish fans won't soon forget. Expect the Irish to hire the best man available to replace him. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame got outplayed for three quarters, but showed heart in their late second half comeback bid that ultimately came up short as the Irish's national championship drought continues. Art by The Irish Tribune ATLANTA -- Too many unforced errors early in the game derailed Notre Dame's national title hopes. The Irish started the game off in the best possible way, an 18 play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ate 9:45 off the first quarter. Much of the drive was on the back of Riley Leonard's legs and utilizing the quarterback run game. Ohio State responded to the Irish's punch in the mouth with a haymaker of their own, well a few frankly. The Buckeyes scored on every single one of their first half drives, holding in a 21-7 lead into the halftime, while also getting the ball out of half. The matchup leading up to this game was the Notre Dame secondary against the Ohio State wide receiving core, but the phase of the Buckeyes' offense that the Irish couldn't contain was Will Howard in the quarterback run game. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here While Notre Dame needed a stop out of halftime to have any hope, Quinshon Judkins had a 70-yard run that eventually led to a one-yard touchdown score that eliminated all hope for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame was down by 24 after not converting on a fake punt and holding Ohio State to a field goal. The Irish then scored a touchdown on a 30-yard score by Jaden Greathouse, in which Greathouse evaded two Buckeye defenders on his way to the endzone. Notre Dame also converted the two-point conversion on a pitch to Jeremiyah Love. Momentum then continued to grow for the Irish after forcing an Emeka Egbuka fumble, and a drive that found Notre Dame knocking on Ohio State's end zone once again. The drive stalled, and Marcus Freeman ultimately decided to kick a field goal, which was missed by Mitch Jeter. Down by 16 points with limited time left in the game at the nine-yard line, Freeman's decision will be a main point of conflict in the offseason. The Irish then forced an Ohio State punt, and another Jaden Greathouse touchdown catch, and a Jordan Faison to Beaux Collins two-point conversion cut the Buckeyes' lead down to eight. Needing a stop, the Irish had Ohio State right where they wanted them in a 3rd and long, but Al Golden blitzed seven, which left Christian Gray one-on-one on the outside with Jeremiah Smith. The superstar freshman clinched it for the Buckeyes. It was a game in which Notre Dame needed to play a near perfect game; yet, with their miscues primarily in the 2nd quarter, the Irish didn't have enough late in the game to keep up with the star-studded Buckeyes. The national championship drought continues, but Notre Dame didn't go away quietly in this game. They showed fight, like they did all year. This team was special, and it was an honor covering them for 16 games this season. While it most definitely wasn't the desired outcome, the Irish have instilled that they can compete with the best in the country: a statement that couldn't be made for over three decades. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

History is written by the conquerors, and the Irish are holding the Pen. Notre Dame is looking to avenge decades of disappointment. Photo by The Irish Tribune Part I: Three Seconds, and One Man Short As OSU’s Running Back Chip Trayanum lunged towards the goal line with no time left on the clock, the stadium’s soul went numb. What was starting to feel like a party, became a familiar moment of despair in an instant. In a big stage, against a tier 1 opponent, Notre Dame looked like it belonged for 59 minutes and 57 seconds.  Marcus Freeman and his staff looked largely prepared for the moment, until they didn’t. It would be difficult to tell in real-time, but it would later be discovered that Notre Dame’s defense had 10 men on the field as the Irish handed the game winning touchdown to Ohio State. The Final would read as 17-14.  Biology begins to take over. The body protects itself from the aftermath of these moments by reverting into a state of shock immediately after they happen. The defense mechanism lasts only for so long.  Soon after, the body knows when you’re ready to feel what you were once unprepared for. It begins its natural shift to a piercing sense of despair, sadness. Why Notre Dame? Why, Notre Dame ?  The question of ‘why’ evolves into ‘how’. Reluctantly, the social media noise is too much to turn away from. That dreaded app within that dreaded device gets opened. The first thing at the top of the feed is an emboldened Ryan Day letting out the unfathomable.  “I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right about now. What he said about our team... What he said about our team? I cannot believe! This is a tough team right here! We’re proud to be from Ohio. And it’s always been Ohio against the world! And it’ll continue to be Ohio against the world! And I’ll tell you what, I love those kids! And we got a tough team!” Those words could very well be etched on Ryan Day’s trophy should he earn one on January 20th.  However, those words have also been etched in the souls of every single player, coach, and fan associated with Notre Dame football, since they were uttered. They will have been played on a haunting loop for 485 days come January 20th. At the very conclusion of the soundbite, they yearned for the day of vengeance to come. Part II: The Bumpy Road to Better Mitch Jeter jogged onto the field as Notre Dame found itself in a familiar scenario under Marcus Freeman - trailing a MAC team in week 2. This would be to kick a 62 yard field goal, and to win the game. The “no-chance” field goal sailed nowhere close to the uprights as the Irish fell 16-14 to NIU.  It was a program altering loss. Both by its devastating nature, as well as its unacceptable outcome. What was once a Notre Dame team that firmly controlled its own destiny after its needle moving win vs Texas A&M, was now the laughing stock in all of college football. The playoffs went from a relative inevitability, to a distant dream unworthy of serious discussion.  The only serious discussions amongst the Irish faithful was if Marcus Freeman was truly the man for the job. In just 2 full seasons and 2 games, the Freeman experience had featured dominant wins against premier opponents - a rarity under Brian Kelly, stretches of dominance not seen since the Holtz era, and back breaking losses perhaps never before seen in South Bend. These losses included Marshall, Stanford, and now, NIU.  With the heavy expectations going into Freeman’s third year (as is always the case at Notre Dame), this outcome was one that was powerful enough to shift the sentiment towards the program entirely. While Freeman wasn’t necessarily on the hotseat, there’s no way to ignore that he was a loss against Purdue away from the entire fanbase resigning itself to failure in 2024 and beginning the national coaching search that it had done when Weis was let go in 2009. That was what the season had been limited to.  The week following, Notre Dame was a 7 point favorite versus Purdue. There were legitimate questions on if Riley Leonard was healthy enough to play in the first place. And even if he was healthy, his performance was so bad (the worst in his career) against NIU, that it wouldn’t have been far fetched that the staff moved on to “greener pastures”. For those who have followed Notre Dame football, this was nothing new. Especially under Brian Kelly, the QB carousel was a regularity. Now would be as convenient a time as any to use Leonard as a scapegoat for a much deeper problem on offense.  Notre Dame’s staff would do no such thing as the offense completely rolled Purdue with 578 yards, 362 of them coming from the rushing attack. Leonard would rush for 100 yards, Love would rush for 109, and Price would run for 86. All of them accounting for 4 touchdowns.  The defense took the ball away as Boubacare Traore would take an interception to the house.  The Irish would win 66-7, handing Purdue its worst loss in program history. Notre Dame wasn’t back to where it was after week 1, that was something that could only happen should they make the playoffs. That was still a conversation not worth having. But Notre Dame was now on the first step on the road to recovery from that fateful day, September 7th.  From there, Marcus Freeman and his team battled through a decimating wave of injuries on all sides of the ball. Even the kicker, Mitch Jeter, was out for much of the season.  Even still, Notre Dame wouldn’t have a game closer than 31-24 vs Louisville - a game they led by 2 possessions for almost the entirety of the contest. The most dominant stretch Notre Dame’s cherished program has seen. The longest win streak. And it all lead to Notre Dame hosting the first ever playoff game in the newly unveiled 12-team format.  They would go on to beat IU 27-17, a game in which they lead 27-3 up until the final minutes. They would turn the corner as a program, as they finally won a new years six bowl game against a tier 1 opponent, 23-10.  As Mitch Jeter’s kick inched its way into the uprights to take the lead against Penn State, 27-24, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame had done what was unthinkable just 4 months before. They had punched their ticket to the National Championship game. They would await the results of Texas vs Ohio State to see who their opponent would be.  Enjoying our content? Subscribe to Tribune+  for intel & support our independent journalism. Ohio State The roads that the respective teams had to walk were similar. As quickly as the two programs drifted into their darkest moments, Notre Dame and Ohio State sprung out of the shadows almost immediately.  Following Ohio State’s embarrassing 13-10 loss to their despised rival, Michigan, there were questions on if Ryan Day was actually capable of bringing Ohio State the same glory that the program had experienced just a decade earlier.  Ryan Day and Chip Kelly came forth with a game plan that simply didn’t match Ohio State’s strengths, nor did it tap into its true identity. The staff was dead-set on establishing the run game and imposing its will within the trenches. The aforementioned game plan yielded 77 yards on the ground.  Minimal in-game adjustments were made as Will Howard and his explosive stable of wide receivers were unable to gain traction. Howard threw 2 interceptions and was unable to reach the 200 yard mark on the day. An offense that at times showed flashes of being the best in the country throughout the year, was completely neutralized.  Chip Kelly had no answers, and neither did Ryan Day. This spurred justified outrage from the Buckeye faithful. A game that quite literally carried more weight than the national championship (until recently), was yet again Ohio State’s most embarrassing folly of the season. Day would fall to 1-4 vs the Wolverines. A career mark that at one time would be grounds for termination in Columbus. Even with 2 losses, and the shame that was attached to this crumbling defeat, Ohio State would be granted a path towards redemption within the new 12-team playoff.  They would face Tennessee. An SEC blue-blood that featured a wicked defense. The Volunteer fan base showed up for the frigid showdown in Columbus to the point that the stadium was almost split in half. All good will had appeared to be lost amongst the Ohio State fanbase.  With their backs against the wall, the OSU roster that has been oft-touted as the “most expensive roster in the country” emphatically made a statement to the rest of the country that it had finally arrived as they blew the doors off the Volunteers, 42-17. And frankly, it didn’t feel like it was that close.  Ohio State nearly eclipsed 500 yards in total offense vs a defense that was in discussion as one of the country’s best. The Buckeyes would have 7.4 yards per play. Howard would have only 5 incompletions, going 24/29, 311 yards, and 2 Touchdowns.  Ohio State would have as much success on the ground, chipping away for 156 rushing yards. Their explosive, home run hitting running back, TreVeyon Henderson, would run for 80 yards on only 10 carries, accounting for 2 touchdowns.  The Buckeye defense, which was largely the reason Ohio State was in the playoffs to begin with, made light work of Tennessee’s offense, limiting the Volunteers to a futile 104 yards through the air.  If the performance against Tennessee announced their arrival, their utterly dominant performance against Oregon, a team they had lost to by only 1 point earlier in the year, announced that Ohio State was here to stay.  Their offense would reach the 500 yard mark this time, averaging 8.8 yards per play. Will Howard and his receiver room were fully in sync. Chip Kelly’s offense rolled in totality. Jim Knowles and his regularly stout defense would give Oregon zero hope. Oregon wouldn’t even reach 0 yards in total rushing. They’d in fact have -23 yards by the end of the competition.  A team that bested Ohio State just months before, was embarrassed on the national stage, falling 41-21. And again, it wasn’t that close.  While OSU’s offensive output wasn’t as impressive in their match up against Texas, and Jeremiah Smith was largely taken out of the competition vs the Longhorns with only 3 yards accounted for, Ohio State found a way. Whether it be on the ground, or through the air. Ohio State did just enough to command Texas’s respect.  With the outcome of the game in the balance, Steve Sarkisian did everything he could to find the endzone and tie the game 21 a piece. Quinn ewers would soon be attacked from his blindside by his former roommate, Jack Sawyer. The ball fell to the ground, and into the hands of Sawyer. As 33 streaked down the sideline, escorted by a Buckeye Convoy, the match-up in the Title game was now chiseled in stone.  It would be Notre Dame vs Ohio State, on January 20th. For everything.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Part III: The Changing Narrative Let’s call it how it is. This isn’t a normal Notre Dame team. It’s as if the national media conglomerates stopped following all developments in South Bend after September 7th, and only started to pay attention when the post season began. Because they did. And so with that, the narrative has been predictable. This is a “gritty” team where “they lack in talent, they make up for with good coaching.” Enter the 2012, 2018, and 2020 talking points.  It shouldn’t be ignored that in 2012, they were taken down to the wire by Purdue, BYU, and Pittsburgh. Really, they could’ve easily lost to Pittsburgh if not for an almost miraculous degree of luck. Teams that weren’t even close to the caliber of a tier 1 level of performance regularly stuck around with Notre Dame that year. Even the classic match up where Notre Dame prevailed over Stanford in Overtime. That was a special moment. One of my personal favorites. But anyone arguing Stanford was at said championship caliber, would be fooling themselves. The only time Notre Dame looked dominant over a quality opponent was Oklahoma. And even then, that was a 10-3 team.  All one has to do is re-watch the 2012 Title game versus Alabama, and it is abundantly clear that even if Notre Dame played perfectly, there was little hope in winning that match-up. The Irish played far from perfect. It was such a poor showing that it stained what was otherwise a special season. It also tainted the national opinion of Notre Dame. 12 years later, that narrative remains- right, wrong, or indifferent.  And mind you, almost the same exact thing could be said for the other two teams that made the playoffs in 2018 and 2020.  The 2018 team was the best overall team Kelly had. The overall talent Clemson had was ultimately too much for everyone. It would’ve taken, again, the perfect set of circumstances for Notre Dame to walk away victorious. But that would not come to fruition. Julian Love went down with a hamstring injury, Donte Vaughn (who was injured in his own right), was picked on from the jump. Ian Book was unable to look down the field, Clemson’s talent began to take over. Trevor Lawrence was...Trevor Lawrence. And before the second half began, the game was over.  2020 was Brian Kelly’s best coaching job. Dealing with the COVID pandemic for an entire season was no easy task. At times, having an almost month layoff in between games. The undefeated Irish went into their match-up with Alabama knowing they’d have to play perfect, as well as aggressive, to come away victorious. They did neither. The Irish once again, looked as though they were playing not to lose. The game plan made it painstakingly obvious. Brian Kelly’s post-game press conference all but affirmed these assumptions.  The 2021 team was a Georgia win versus Alabama away from making the playoffs. That same Notre Dame team that almost lost to Toledo, Florida State, and Virginia Tech. We’re talking razor thin margins here. This was also a team that was getting dominated in the trenches, had 0 answers on offense, and required an incredible 4th quarter to take the lead and then pull away. It was also a team that got embarrassed at home by Cincinnati.  There’s a lot of credit due to all of those teams. But in being honest, these were teams that stumbled their way into the national conversation.   This time it’s different. The 2024 team is the most dominant Notre Dame has had since the last time Holtz and company won it all in 1988. Its depth, which is amongst the best in the country, has been pushed to its absolute limit, perhaps more than any Notre Dame team in recent (or distant) memory. Even still, they not only “find a way to win”, but dominate. Coming from the era of “winning is hard”, it’s clear that those days are long gone.  And with that, so should the narrative that Notre Dame is “lucky” or “fortunate” to be on this stage. As if to allude to this season being some divine act of God and nothing more. We’ve seen the national media latch onto this talking point far too many times this year, and look foolish doing so. Especially now. The superlatives that have been used to describe this team by those who just started following it are annoying at best, and disrespectful at worst. Of course, luck is an element of any special season. But it hasn’t been at the backbone of what the 2024 team is.  No one at ESPN, FS1, or CBS wants to hear it (because it doesn’t fit their narrative) but this will be the first time Notre Dame isn’t the most talented team on the field all season. And while yes, Ohio State has a phenomenal roster, they’re extremely well coached - Notre Dame has those things going for them too. There’s only one position group that is head and shoulders above the other in a head to head comparison and it’s OSU’s receiver room over Notre Dame’s. That’s it. That’s the list.  So one thing we’re not going to do is entertain that angle. No. These are truly the two best teams in college football. Both have earned the stage they stand on through the level of play they have exhibited. Not only are these the two best teams, they’re the two most dominant in the country as well.  Both have had their moments where the season was absolutely in the balance. Interestingly enough, both coaches in the title were taken to task to varying degrees. And yet both of them managed to bring out the best in their teams after adversity struck.  One could argue that Notre Dame has had more adversity than anyone else in the country. Some of it self-imposed, some of it just old fashioned bad luck.  These are the injuries the Irish sustained in 2024:  Charles Jagusah (starting Left Tackle) - out for season, came back in orange bowl Ashton Craig (Center) - out for season Billy Schrauth (starting Left/Right Guard) - out for 4-6 weeks Jordan Botelho (Vyper) - out for season Boubacare Traore (Vyper) - out for season Benjamin Morrison (Cornerback) - out for season Cooper Flanagan (Tight End) - out for 4-6 weeks, re-injured, out for season Howard Cross (DT) - injured throughout the year, then out for 4 weeks Rylie Mills (DT) - out for season, injured during round 1 in playoffs Rocco Spindler (RG) - questionable Anthonie Knapp (LT) - out for season, injured in Orange Bowl. Not to mention the departures and absences:  Jason Onye (DT- unspecified absence) Jaden Mickey (Cornerback - transfer portal) Gabriel Rubio (Was not with team throughout spring, then injured for part of the season, 4 weeks) Mind you, Riley Leonard was injured all of spring camp, getting 0 real-time reps. He also has had a shoulder injury for the entirety of the season.  Mitchell Evans wasn’t even close to himself until essentially November due to his ACL injury in 2023.  Jeremiyah Love has been nowhere near 100% since November 25th, and was practically on one leg during the Orange Bowl.  Even still, this team found a way to have a combined score of 518 to 161 From NIU week to now. Since NIU, Notre Dame hadn’t trailed in a game in the second half until the Orange Bowl.  Notre Dame doesn’t have the edge in any match-up in particular. Neither does OSU. This is a close game on paper, an epic game on film, and it comes with a storyline that wouldn’t have even been worth submitting to Hollywood as a script. The two teams playing in the national championship have been on a crash course to face each other since they last faced off. Whether it be on the recruiting trail, or on the field.  Their paths continue to undeniably cross. If there are indeed “Football Gods” it’s hard not to think they played a hand in making this game happen.  A storybook season, culminating with a storybook matchup on the biggest stage in all of college football. In a book that had its first pages written at the conclusion of that fateful night of September 23rd, 2023. Now, the final chapter begins as both teams battle for the pen. That battle will determine who gets to write the last pages. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Irish upset the third-ranked Golden Gophers 4-3 in overtime on Saturday at Minnesota. We recap Notre Dame’s most impressive win of the season, thus far, below: Photo by The Irish Tribune A back-and-forth affair was ultimately decided thanks to a 30-save performance from Irish Goalie Owen Say and two-point outings from Forwards Cole Knuble and Ian Murphy. Knuble’s second point came on Forward Blake Biondi’s overtime game-winner. Murphy was the first to strike  a s he redirected Defenseman Henry Nelson’s shot past Gophers Goalie, Liam Souliere, to put the Irish up 1-0 about eight minutes into the game. Henry’s brother, Forward Danny Nelson, was also credited with an assist on Murphy’s third goal of the year.  Minnesota responded about five minutes later when Jimmy Snuggerud powered his way past the Irish defense before tying the game up at 1-1.  In the first period, both teams played clean with no penalties called as the Golden Gophers outshot the Irish 14-11.  Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Two and a half minutes into the second, Irish F orward Carter Slaggert put Notre Dame back on top 2-1  off of some great passing from Forwar d Hunter Strand and Defenseman Jimmy Jurcev, both of whom were credited with assists on the goal. Jurcev’s assist extended his point streak to three as the young defenseman has come alive offensively recently.  Again the Gophers would respond with a goal of their own about three minutes later. Luke Mittelstadt tied the game 2-2 after finishing a backhander past Say.  Notre Dame would again answer about five minutes later and just over midway through the period to take a 3-2 advanta ge. Knuble added his ninth goal  of the season on a great wrist shot to beat Souliere. Forwards Brennan Ali and Murphy were awarded assists.  A strong offensive performance from the Irish was the highlight of the second period as they outshot the Golden Gophers 15-9. The Gophers successfully killed their two penalties as the Irish killed their lone mistake as well.  Unfortunately, this offense appeared to completely disappear in the third period as the Irish mustered just two shots in the final twenty minutes.  Minnesota’s Matthew Wood connected on a backhander to tie the game 3-3 just over seven minutes into the period.  This was the lone goal of the period as both teams needed an extra period to decide a winner. Notre Dame killed their only penalty in the third as they were outshot 9-2 by the Gophers. Biondi was the overtime hero  a s he finished off a great assist from Knuble to give the Irish a 4-3 victory over a top-three team in the country. Defenseman Axel Kumlin was also credited with an assist on the game-winner.  Notre Dame will look to carry this momentum into next weekend when they host Lindenwood. Key Player Stats: Owen Say (ND): 30 saves, 3 goals against Ian Murphy (ND): 1 goal on 4 shots, 1 assist, +1 Cole Knuble (ND): 1 goal on 3 shots, 1 assist Erik Pahlsson (MIN): 2 assists, 5 shots, +2 Key Team Stats: Shots: MIN (33) - ND (31) Blocked Shots: ND (14) - MIN (10) Faceoffs Won: MIN (31) - ND (30) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame and Ohio State have earned the right to play for the College Football Playoff Championship in Atlanta on Monday. In a season full of change, it will be two of the sport’s blue bloods duking it out for the right to be kings. We preview the Buckeyes defense, the best in the country, below: Photo via Ohio State Athletics Ohio State’s defense, mostly led by top-end returning talent, has been elite all season, with just one subpar outing on the year. Here is how the Buckeyes (15-2) have reached this point: vs Akron (52-6, Win) vs Western Michigan (56-0, Win) vs Marshall (49-14, Win) at Michigan State (38-7, Win) vs Iowa (35-7, Win) at Oregon (31-32, Loss) vs Nebraska (21-17, Win) at Penn State (20-13, Win) vs Purdue (45-0, Win) at Northwestern (in Chicago, 31-7, Win) vs Indiana (38-15, Win) vs Michigan (10-13, Loss) vs Tennessee (CFP First Round, 42-17, Win) vs Oregon (Rose Bowl, 41-21, Win) vs Texas (Cotton Bowl, 28-14, Win) The Buckeyes defense has been shutting down and limiting opponents all season. They lead the country in both points (12.2) and total yards per game (251.1) allowed. This defense, which is elite against both the pass and run, features eight potential 2025 NFL Draftees, most notably potential first-rounders DE Jack Sawyer and DT Tyleik Williams.  As mentioned in our offensive overview , Ohio St has been very disciplined this year. The Buckeyes rank among the 15th-fewest in the country in both penalties (4.4) and penalty yards per game (39.67).  Another reason the Buckeyes have found success is because of their elite red zone defense. They are allowing opponents to score on just 61.1% of their red zone trips, which leads the Big Ten and is the second-lowest percentage among all FBS teams.  The Buckeyes defense has also found success on the third downs. They are allowing opponents to convert just 34.7% of their attempts, the fourth-lowest percentage in the Big Ten and 30th among all FBS teams. This defense is also not fond of putting up points themselves. Their four defensive touchdowns leads the Big Ten and are the fifth-most among all FBS teams. They have three scoop-n-scores, most notably Sawyer’s game-sealer last week, and one pick-six on the year. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here As mentioned above, the Buckeyes defense has been elite against the pass this season. They enter Monday allowing 161.1 passing yards per game, the best in the country. Part of this success is due to a sensational pass rush that averages 3.4 sacks per game, the best in the Big Ten and third-most among all FBS teams. Additionally, opposing passers are averaging a 110.84 passing efficiency, the best in the conference and sixth-lowest efficiency in the nation. We preview the Ohio St secondary led by a sophomore transfer below: The star of the secondary is sophomore safety Caleb Downs. The versatile Alabama transfer can also play slot cornerback. Last season, Downs became the first freshman in Alabama history to lead the team in tackles with 107. In addition, he had four passes defended, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 14 games played. Here are the accolades Downs earned during his freshman season: Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year SEC Freshman of the Year AP Second Team All-American First Team All-SEC The young defensive back entered the transfer portal following the retirement of legendary Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban. Downs then chose to continue his collegiate career at Ohio St among offers from, most notably, Georgia and Florida State. This season, the sophomore has tallied 76 tackles including eight for a loss, six passes defended, and two interceptions. Downs was named a consensus All-American, selected to the First Team All-Big Ten, and awarded Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year for his efforts this year. He has at least two tackles in each game including a season-high 11 versus Michigan, in addition to an interception. Downs has put together a solid CFP performance thus far as he recorded a season-high three passes defended in the Rose Bowl and had an interception last game in the Cotton Bowl. The sophomore DB is pretty much great at everything defensively. In coverage, he has allowed 18 receptions for 175 yards on 30 targets this year. He has a positive impact against the run and just nine missed tackles. Downs also is good when needed as a pass rusher with four pressures on just 16 pass rush snaps. Irish QB Riley Leonard must keep the ball away from the stud sophomore safety. The second primary safety to highlight is senior Lathan Ransom. Like Downs, he is versatile and plays linebacker in certain situations. Before this season, Ransom had totaled 146 tackles including nine for a loss, ten passes defended, three forced fumbles, two and a half sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 34 games played across the past three years. In two previous meetings against Notre Dame, the senior has combined for 20 tackles. This season, the defensive back has recorded 72 tackles including nine for a loss, three forced fumbles, two passes defended, an interception, a sack, and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown versus Akron, in 14 games played. He missed the Buckeyes’ matchup with Nebraska with an undisclosed injury. Ransom, who was named to the First Team All-Big Ten this season, has at least one tackle in each game played including a season-high nine versus both Akron and Michigan. During the CFP, the senior has 16 tackles, a sack, and a pass defended. He excels against the run and is a great pass rusher when needed with five pressures on just 16 pass rush snaps. Ransom has been good in coverage this year, having allowed 20 receptions for 258 yards and a touchdown on 28 targets. Additionally, he is a solid tackler with 14 misses, however, five have occurred in the past two games. If the Notre Dame offense chooses to target a safety, this would be the safer bet for success compared to Downs. Another defensive back that could impact Monday’s game is senior Jordan Hancock. Although listed as a cornerback on Ohio State’s roster, the senior splits his time between safety and slot corner. Last season, he recorded 41 tackles, five passes defended, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions including a pick-six in 13 games played. He had a pass defended versus Notre Dame. This season, Hancock has 45 tackles, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, and an interception. He has at least one tackle in 14 games including a season-high six last week versus Texas, in addition to a pass defended. The senior’s best game this year occurred versus Nebraska when he had five tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception in the close win. Hancock is a very good defensive back who excels in coverage, having allowed 27 receptions for 213 yards on 47 targets. He is good against the run and a great tackler with just five misses on the year. Also, the senior is a solid pass rusher when needed with three pressures on 19 pass rush snaps. The first of three true cornerbacks to highlight is senior Denzel Burke. Before this season, he had 95 tackles including six for a loss, 26 passes defended, two interceptions including a pick-six, and a forced fumble in 35 games played across the past three years. Burke was selected to the Third Team All-Big Ten in ‘21 and First Team All-conference last season. While Burke did not record any stats in last year’s meeting with the Irish, he did have a tackle and pass defended in the ‘22 matchup. This season, the senior has 45 tackles and two interceptions as he was named to the Third Team All-conference. He has at least two tackles in 13 games, including a season-high six versus Marshall and Nebraska. Burke is a good corner who is a great tackler with just four misses this year, although one occurred last week. He is good against the run and in coverage as he has allowed 31 receptions for 394 yards and two touchdowns on 40 targets. Another cornerback to watch for is junior Davison Igbinosun. The former Ole Miss transfer entered this year with 96 tackles, ten passes defended, and two fumble recoveries in 26 games played across the past two years. He transferred to Columbus following his freshman year in Oxford. In last season’s meeting with Notre Dame, Igbinosun played well with six tackles and a pass defended. This year, the junior has 41 tackles, nine passes defended (leads team), two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. He has at least one tackle in 14 games including a season-high five last week versus Texas. During the CFP, Igbinosun has played well with 11 tackles and two passes defended. The good corner excels against the run. He is a good tackler, although three of his six misses on the year have occurred in the CFP. Also, he is a good pass rusher when needed with three pressures on just seven pass rush snaps. In coverage, the junior has been solid, having allowed 30 receptions for 354 yards and two touchdowns on 57 targets throughout the year. The final Buckeye to highlight in the secondary is sophomore cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. Last season, he recorded 13 tackles and three passes defended including a pick-six in 11 games played. He did not play against Notre Dame. This year, Mathews has 21 tackles including three for a loss and a sack in 14 games played. He did not appear in Ohio State’s regular-season matchup at Oregon. The sophomore has at least one tackle in 11 games including a season-high four at Northwestern. He has six tackles during the CFP. Mathews is another good tackling CB with just two misses on the year. He is solid against the run and in coverage, having allowed 14 receptions for 107 yards on 23 targets this season. Against the run this Buckeyes defense has been elite, allowing an average of 89.9 yards per game, the third-fewest among all FBS teams. In addition, their 7.1 tackles for loss per game are the third-most in the Big Ten and 21st in the country. We preview the key players involved in this front seven below: One leader of this CFP Championship run for Ohio St is senior DE JT Tuimoloau. The right-side edge rusher is currently projected to be a round one or two selection in this year’s NFL Draft. Before this season, he had 83 tackles including 23 for a loss, 11 sacks, seven passes defended, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions including a pick-six, and a forced fumble in 39 games played across the past three years. The ‘22 and ‘23 First Team All-Big Ten selection has recorded seven tackles including one and a half for a loss and a pass defended in two previous meetings against Notre Dame. This season, Tuimoloau was again named to the First Team All-conference as he totaled 56 tackles including 20 for a loss, 11.5 sacks (leads team), three passes defended, and two forced fumbles entering Monday’s matchup. The senior’s 1.3 TFLs per game are the second-most in the Big Ten and 12th among all FBS defenders while his 0.77 sacks per game are the third-most in the conference and 14th in the country. Tuimoloau has at least two tackles in 14 games. This includes his impressive performance in the CFP First Round versus Tennessee when he recorded a season-high eight tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass defended in a dominant win. Throughout the Buckeyes’ CFP run, he has contributed 18 tackles, five and a half sacks, and two passes defended. The edge rusher excels in stopping the run. He is a very good pass rusher with 48 pressures on 332 pass rush snaps and he has just five missed tackles on the year.   Ohio State’s other starting edge rusher is senior DE Jack Sawyer, who is just as, if not more, talented than Tuimoloau. He is a potential first-round pick this upcoming April. Before this season, Sawyer had 85 tackles including 20 for a loss, 14 sacks, four passes defended, and three forced fumbles in 38 games played across the past three years. He notched a tackle and pass defended versus Notre Dame last year but did not record any stats in the ‘22 meeting. This season, Sawyer has 56 tackles including nine for a loss, nine sacks, six passes defended, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries including two scoop-n-scores, and an interception. The senior was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten as his 0.6 sacks per game are the seventh-most in the conference and 35th among all FBS defenders. He has at least two tackles in each game including a season-high seven at Northwestern, in which he added a forced fumble. Sawyer had a season-high two sacks and three passes defended versus Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Throughout the CFP, he has ten tackles, six passes defended (had zero during the regular season), four and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and a game-sealing scoop-n-score which occurred in the Cotton Bowl versus Texas. The elite edge defender is a great pass rusher with 60 pressures on 349 pass rush snaps. He is also great against the run and a solid tackler with just eight misses this year. At linebacker, the Buckeyes feature versatile junior Sonny Styles. Sonny’s brother, Lorenzo Jr., was a WR for two seasons at Notre Dame before transferring to Columbus in June ‘23 and converting to DB. Sonny can line up as an interior or outside backer and slot corner. Last season, he had 53 tackles including five for a loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble in 13 games played. He recorded six tackles versus the Irish. This season, Styles has totaled 94 tackles including ten for a loss, five sacks, five passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The junior has at least four tackles in each game including a season-high nine against Oregon, Penn St., and Texas. He had a season-high two sacks and two passes defended at Northwestern, adding to his six tackles. Through the CFP, Styles has 18 tackles, two passes defended, a sack, and a forced fumble. He is a very good pass rusher with 17 pressures on 73 pass rush snaps. The junior is solid against the run and in coverage, having allowed 40 receptions for 338 yards and a touchdown on 56 targets. He has struggled with tackling throughout the year, with 18 misses including three last week and five in the CFP. Ohio State’s premier inside linebacker is graduate student Cody Simon. The versatile backer who can play slot corner entered this season with 143 tackles including 12 for a loss, four passes defended, three sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble in 37 games played across the past three years. He has four tackles in two games against Notre Dame. This year, Simon has racked up 104 tackles (leads team) including 12 for a loss, seven sacks, seven passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 14 games played. He missed the Buckeyes’ season-opener versus Akron. The First Team All-Big Ten backer has at least two tackles in each game played. He has five games with five or more tackles including a season-high 12 versus Tennessee, in which he also had a pass defended. The grad-student had a season-high two and a half sacks versus Indiana where he added ten tackles and a forced fumble. He has 30 tackles, two sacks, and two passes defended in the CFP. Simon is an elite run-stopper and great pass rusher with 19 pressures on 81 pass rush snaps. He has been solid in coverage, having allowed 33 receptions for 294 yards and a touchdown on 39 targets this year. Additionally, he is a good tackler with 13 misses. The first of two defensive tackles to highlight is senior Ty Hamilton. Before this season, he had 65 tackles including eight for a loss, four and a half sacks, two passes defended, and a fumble recovery in 39 games played across the past three years. He tallied five tackles in two previous meetings with Notre Dame. This season, the senior has 51 tackles including six for a loss, three and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Hamilton has at least one tackle in each game and had his best performance of the year versus Iowa when he recorded five tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. He has 11 tackles and a sack in the CFP. The senior tackle is a good run-stopper and tackler with four misses on the year, including two last week. Also, he is a solid pass rusher with 18 pressures on 340 pass rush snaps. The final Buckeyes defender to keep an eye on is senior DT Tyleik Williams. Before this season, the potential first-round selection had 90 tackles including 20 for a loss, nine sacks, nine passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery which he returned for a touchdown in 38 games played across the past three years. The ‘23 Second Team All-Big Ten selection had four tackles including one for a loss and a pass defended against Notre Dame last year. He did not record any stats in their ‘22 matchup. This season, Williams has 42 tackles including seven for a loss and two and a half sacks in 12 games played. He missed three games with an ankle injury but was still named to the Third Team All-conference. The senior tackle had his best game of the year versus Akron when he tallied seven tackles and a sack. During the CFP, he has added ten tackles and a pass defended. Williams is a very talented run-stopper who is a solid pass rusher with 20 pressures on 291 pass rush snaps. He is also a fine tackler with seven misses on the year.  Notre Dame will have their hands full trying to put up points on this elite defense en route to a College Football Playoff Championship. They have been doubted all season, especially following the loss to Northern Illinois, so Monday’s matchup is nothing new. The Irish excel under pressure and deserve to be trusted with being prepared for this game. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Read more about the Notre Dame's national championship matchup agains the Ohio State Buckeyes through this this film review analysis. Photo by The Irish Tribune The 2024 season has breathed new life into the storied Notre Dame program. Despite facing immense pressure for majority of this season, the Fighting Irish will take the field Jan. 20 in hopes of capturing college football's highest honor for the first time since 1988. There are not enough accolades to describe the fight and determination this version of the Blue and Gold has shown this year, especially after dropping a week two matchup they had no business losing. Head Coach Marcus Freeman is now truly one of the faces of the sport, and he leads a team into battle that has the belief that they can beat anyone. That anyone this time around, just happens to be the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State did not get through this season unscathed themselves. A one point loss on the road, to Big 10 conference newcomer Oregon, can almost be overlooked in certain aspects. A fourth loss in a row to a bitter rival who was in the midst of a reloading year, not so much. Despite a stellar win-loss record throughout his career, there were some who called for Ryan Day's job after dropping another game to Michigan. Day and his team responded to that gut punch of a loss by simply being the most dominant team throughout the course of the playoffs. After blowing out Tennessee at home in round one, they completely flipped the script in their rematch versus Oregon at the Rose Bowl, leaving California with a twenty point victory. They knocked off Texas in the semifinals to complete their climb to a spot in the National Championship, a spot many people had written off for them after that rivalry week disappointment. Now two teams that have felt the lowest of lows, and highest of highs in 2024, will get an opportunity to cement their names in the history books. This upcoming clash is one of perseverance and would not have even been possible in previous renditions of the College Football Playoff format. After receiving a new lease on life in terms of their aspirations for a national championship, both teams seized the moment, and now only have one roadblock remaining to overcome, each other. I studied Ohio state top to the bottom, and proudly present to you this season's final film review. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here When Notre Dame is on Offense: The defensive ends for Ohio State get a lot of attention and I'll talk about them throughout this article as well, but the first person on their line that stood out to me was No. 91, Tyleik Williams. Williams may very well be selected in the first round of this year's draft and rightfully so. At 330 lbs, he moves very well laterally and gets upfield in a hurry. He has quick hands, a great swim move, and can both stop the run and push the pocket. When Notre Dame looks to attack inside, he may be someone that they want to target with double teams; however, he can anchor and hold the point of attack against doubles as well. Ohio State mixes a lot of coverages, but they play a fair amount of Cover 1, just like Notre Dame. It makes sense, because All-American safety Caleb Downs is their version of Xavier Watts and it shows on film. Downs is excellent in run support, and is a high IQ player when in coverage. Besides coming down as a "Robber", OSU will actually line him up at linebacker, which shows how much trust they have in him holding up in the box. Aside from Downs individually, both safeties do an excellent job communicating to one another in identifying where the strong side of the formation is and rotating to match. I'd love to see Notre Dame mix in some weak side runs to work away from Downs. Although there are fewer blockers on the front of the weak side run, a player like Jeremiyah Love has the ability to make the first man miss. If he can do that, there should be additional yardage to be had. Although the safeties do a good job working off each other, they do sometimes rotate late pre snap. The linebackers do the same, and it seems at times their sideline is getting adjustment calls in to them late. Notre Dame should look to work in some quick snaps throughout the course of the game to try to catch them unprepared. Defensive end JT Tuimoloau is another play-maker on their front four that needs to be accounted for. One thing that stands out is how hard he crashes inside. It's no secret Notre Dame will work in some read option plays for Riley Leonard in this game and when they do it, it may be beneficial to do run it to Tuimoloau's side and use his aggressiveness against him. If Leonard can get around the edge, Irish fans know how dangerous he can be. Linebacker Cody Simon is very proficient timing his blitzes and they will use him a ton on what is called a "Green Dog Blitz". This means when he is in man coverage on the tight end or running back and recognizes they are staying in to block, Simon is free to then rush the quarterback. He processes things very quickly and once he decides to rush, he gets there in a hurry. Simon is a key player that Leonard will need to identify pre-snap. Both their linebackers and defensive backs have great recovery speed. When they drop into zone coverage, Leonard will need to throw with anticipation to open windows and not hold on to the ball too long allowing the defenders to close on the receiver. They also like to drop defensive ends into zone which Leonard will need to be very aware of. Against Penn State, Riley's second interception came trying to drop a pass over a defensive end that dropped into coverage. Notre Dame was able to survive that mistake, but against Ohio State, they may not be as lucky. Ohio State is not afraid to blitz and play man coverage behind it. Although their safeties are excellent, I think their cornerbacks are much more susceptible to giving up plays through the air. Both their starting corners tend to bite on double moves, and Davison Igbinosun in particular gets called for a lot of defensive holds as he has a tendency to reach out and grab when he feels like he is getting beat on a route. Leonard built some confidence through the air against Penn State and when those one-on-one shots on the outside are there versus the Buckeyes, he needs to take them. Goal-to-go defense has become almost a specialty as of late for Ohio State. Once a team gets to the five yard line it has been tough sledding coming away with more than three points. They are not afraid to sell out versus the run, and all of their big down linemen do a good job of not getting blown back off the snap. When you try to go outside like Texas did in the Cotton Bowl on their biggest possession of the game, Downs can knife in and drop ball carriers for a loss. The one thing I don't feel Ohio State has had to face down in the tight red zone this year is a true dual-threat QB. Because of how quickly their LB's flow to the ball and Leonard's ability to pull and keep it, this could be quite an advantage for the Irish. His legs around the goal line may be a four-point difference on any given possession. Players To Watch: No. 2 Caleb Downs - Have I mentioned Downs yet in this article? He is too good to exclude from this section and reiterate what a menace he can be both against the run and the pass. He is a sure tackler who takes excellent angles and a lot of times is simply too fast for the blocker to even reach. When he drops into his lurk look out of a cover 1, Notre Dame should attempt to run the opposite way. Leonard and Denbrock need to account for him on every play and do not stare down receivers when he is playing underneath in zone. He is much more likely to be around the line of scrimmage than he is to be playing deep halves because they like to give him a chance to make a play on every down. No. 33 Jack Sawyer - I couldn't do a whole Ohio State defensive write up without including the hero of the Cotton Bowl, Jack Sawyer. The senior defensive end is the heart and soul of the defense and they feed off his energy. Sawyer is a bull rush specialist and has an excellent motor, meaning he will continue to work to the QB regardless if his first, second, or third move is stifled. Leonard's pocket awareness needs to be extra-elevated in this game and he must feel the rush coming from Sawyer, in which he makes sure to keep two hands on the ball as he works up in the pocket. A lost fumble would be too costly in such a high stakes game and after Sawyer sealed their last game with a forced fumble, it is clear he is a hungry for more. When Notre Dame is on Defense: Ohio State is not going to shy away from trying to out-athlete other teams. They will look to spread defenses horizontally and make them defend every blade of grass. Something they do very well is running cross-action in the backfield, a lot of times with Jeremiah Smith, and just simply allowing him to try to get wider than the defense and use his after-the-catch abilities to create big plays. The cornerbacks for Notre Dame will need to do a good job being physical and getting off blocks to try to rally to the ball and not allow explosive plays. Defenders in the box will need to have a sense for these plays and not allow themselves to get too far inside reading the run to the point they can't recover and help chase down the perimeter throws. Ohio State, like Notre Dame, has dealt with some attrition on the offensive line. They lost left tackle Josh Simmons and All- American center Seth McLaughlin to season-ending injuries at various points this season. Texas was actually the first team to get a sack against the Buckeyes since their game against Indiana all the way back on Nov. 23. Still, the interior of their line is the area Notre Dame would want to attack the most. Defensive tackles will need to shoot off the line quick and play with good pad level. The pocket can be pushed and Will Howard hates dealing with middle pressure. A few errant throws can be the difference in this one. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka eat up cushion versus off-coverage very easily and get out of their breaks with suddenness. The defensive backs for Notre Dame will need to get hands on them and try to reroute them off the line. They need to do so with caution though, as a missed jam, or a false step at the line could easily result in six points for the Buckeyes. The speed all of Ohio State's receivers posses also means the deep defender(s) for Notre Dame will absolutely need to make sure they are playing with proper depth. Even being a couple of yards off their mark could result in a big play for the offense. Egbuka in the slot is deadly, and because he has two-way goes from that spot, they do a good job using him to draw an additional defender and setting up one-on-one shots for their outside WRs. QB Will Howard will sometimes lock onto Smith and miss other open reads. It's not abnormal for a quarterback to want to get it to his number one option, but if Notre Dame can more or less limit Smith, Howard may start to press and start forcing things to him. It's not rocket science to say a quarterback does not like dealing with pressure in his face, but Howard has shown he will put the ball in harms way before he takes a sack or tries to throw it away. For whatever it's worth, some of his biggest interceptions have come when throwing outside the numbers to the right side of the field. I didn't see anything in his throwing mechanics that changed based off where he was throwing, but this is still something to keep in mind. Under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, OSU has become very diverse and creative in their run game. They love pulling offensive linemen, as they'll trap with their tight end, and run off-bunch formation. They have two very good running backs, but TreVeyon Henderson is a game-breaker. He showed what he can do in the passing game in the Cotton Bowl, and as a runner he is just as dangerous. He does a good job pressing the hole and then bouncing outside; so Notre Dame will need to rally to the point of attack, but not over pursue on the backside. The Irish cannot give him an opportunity to bounce off traffic and get around the edge of the defense because he is a burner in the open field. Will Howard is an extension of their run game, and has some similar qualities to that of Riley Leonard. Defensive ends will need to play with good eye discipline and not crash too quickly and linebackers will need to be ready to scrape and keep him from getting outside on option plays. When he does run, Notre Dame needs to make him feel it. It's not always easy to lay the wood against quarterbacks without drawing penalties, but once he becomes a runner, it's a different story. Ohio State has been and will continue to be aggressive on fourth down. They believe if their offense has four shots to pick up a first, there is not a defense that will stop them from doing so. Notre Dame will need to watch the ball and not fall for any hard counts. Getting the Buckeyes off the field on fourth down is going to play a factor in this game at one point or another and the Irish can not afford to give them any free yardage or extra downs. Players To Watch: No. 1 Quinshon Judkins - I spoke about Henderson and the type of runner he is earlier but Judkins is someone to keeping your eye on, as well. During the Texas game, he was running with a different kind of intensity. The Ole Miss transfer has excellent contact balance and will look to run through somebody every time he gets some space. He has 27 touchdowns in the last two seasons, and will be featured in short yardage and around the goal line. Notre Dame defenders must wrap up and match his physicality. No. 2 Emeka Egbuka - I am not naïve to the type of game-wrecker Jeremiah Smith is, but because of how Notre Dame likes to play defense and the way Ohio State uses Egbuka, I believe he becomes the receiver to keep an eye on the most. Efficient slot receivers are always the hardest to cover one-on-one because of the amount of space they get to work with. A cornerback defending a WR on the perimeter can at least play with a certain leverage to utilize the sideline as an extra defender. In the middle of the field, there is no such advantage. Egbuka is a great at selling short routes to get a defender to bite then taking off deep. Notre Dame needs to be weary of the slant-and-go, and when a corner is lined up in man over him, they need to do their best to leverage him into where they have the most help. Al Golden and Mike Mickens' group cannot let him make a living in the middle of the field. This is it. Four more quarters of football before a champion is crowed. Each of these teams have fought to get here and deserve the utmost respect. Some people will say this game comes down to scheme, some will say it is about how many 5-stars are littered across each roster, and some will point to past performances as an indication of future results. Ultimately, I just think it will come down to the team that executes the best and wants it most, and I haven't seen many teams hungrier than Notre Dame. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After more than four months of football, three rounds of the playoffs, and a total of 15 games, it all comes down to this - one final showdown for all the glory. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face off with the Ohio State Buckeyes for the 2025 College Football National Championship. Photo by The Irish Tribune This series has consisted of three regular-season home-and-home games, beginning in 1935 and 1936. The Irish won those first two matchups, but the series was put on hold for 60 years until another pair of games was scheduled for 1995 and 1996. The Buckeyes won both games handily, evening the all-time series at 2-2. The next two meetings came in the postseason: a 34-20 OSU win in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and a 44-28 OSU win in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.  The most recent meetings in this series came in 2022 and 2023. 2022 was Marcus Freeman’s first full season in South Bend and his first game against his alma mater. The Irish struck first with a field goal and managed to hold a 10-7 lead until the Buckeyes tossed a go-ahead touchdown with 17 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. After a 14-play 98-yard drive, Ohio State scored their 3rd touchdown with under 5 minutes left in the game, extending their lead to 21-10. Ultimately, the Irish were unable to mount a comeback, and the Buckeyes left with the win. The next time around, Ohio State traveled to South Bend for the 2023 rematch. It was a defensive battle from the start, with no points scored in the 1st quarter and a major goal-line stand that ended in a Buckeye turnover on downs in the 2nd. The Irish defense stifled Ohio State’s final drive of the half in the red zone to force a field goal, putting the Buckeyes up 3-0 heading into halftime. The game’s first touchdown came early in the 3rd quarter when OSU back TreVeyon Henderson broke off a massive 61-yard run to put the Buckeyes up 10-0. The Irish answered with a touchdown of their own, courtesy of a wildcat snap to Gi’Bran Payne from the 1-yard line, bringing the score to 7-10 with 3:35 left in the 3rd. The Irish got the ball back at the start of the 4th quarter and began a 96-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard pass from Sam Hartman to Rico Flores Jr., giving Notre Dame a 14-10 lead. Notre Dame’s defense once again stepped up and forced another turnover on downs in the red zone, this time stuffing the Buckeyes on 4th and inches at the 10-yard line. The Irish offense got the ball back with only 4:17 left in the 4th but wasn’t able to burn enough clock, giving OSU the ball back with 1:30 left. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes were able to march down to Notre Dame’s goal line and, with only 0:03 seconds left in the game, scored the go-ahead touchdown to steal it 17-14. There was a significant amount of scrutiny placed on Marcus Freeman and the Irish coaching staff after it became known that they only fielded 10 players on the final two plays of the game. The sting of the loss was compounded by the clear evidence that Notre Dame had a legitimate chance to win and very well could have, had it not been for the avoidable mistakes in the game’s waning moments. These are two of the most decorated programs in all of college football history, with a combined total of 19 National Titles and 13 Heisman trophies between them. While the Irish haven’t won a title since 1988, the Buckeyes have won twice in recent memory - in 2002 and 2014. Since the inception of the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes have been involved in the postseason six times (2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024), while the Irish have only managed three appearances (2018, 2020, 2024).  This is just the ninth game between Notre Dame and Ohio State and the third postseason matchup in the series. The Irish will be looking for their first bowl win against the Buckeyes and their first head-to-head win since 1935. Each team stands on the precipice of greatness, only a single win away from securing the first National Championship of the 12-team CFP era. Ryan Day is looking to quiet his critics, both internal and external, while Marcus Freeman hopes to cap off his Cinderella season with Notre Dame’s first title in decades. As the nation waits with bated breath, let’s take a look at the season's final matchup. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Monday’s game. Ohio State Ryan Day first assumed the helm of the Buckeyes in the 2018 season, when for three games, he filled in for recently suspended head coach Urban Meyer. It was later decided that Meyer would step down following the end of the season, and Day would formally assume the position at the start of 2019. In his first season, Day led Ohio State to an undefeated 13-0 record, including a BIG-10 Championship, securing them a spot in the CFP. They went on to lose in the first round to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. The 2020 COVID season was rocky, but the Buckeyes went 5-0 in the regular season without having to play Michigan before winning their second straight BIG-10 Championship. They once again faced Clemson in the CFP, but this time won handily, 49-28, to move on to the National Championship. Ultimately, the Buckeyes fell to No. 1 Alabama in embarrassing fashion, 52-24, finishing the season 7-1. Day’s 2021 squad fell to Oregon in week 2, but responded by rattling off nine straight wins before facing Michigan in the regular season finale. For the first time since 2011, then No. 2 Ohio State fell to the No. 5 Wolverines 27-42, dropping the Buckeyes to 10-2 and eliminating them from CFP contention. Despite the loss, they earned an appearance in the Rose Bowl against Utah, where they won narrowly 48-45. The 2022 Buckeyes won 11 straight games against the likes of No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 13 Penn State before once again facing No. 3 Michigan in the season finale. This time, Day and OSU were favored by a solid 8 points heading into the game. Despite holding a 20-17 halftime lead, the Buckeyes gave up 28 points in the second half, only mustering 3 points of their own en route to a 23-45 landslide defeat. The loss once again kept OSU out of the BIG-10 title game but still earned them a CFP invite as the No. 4 seed. They faced eventual champion UGA in round one, losing a heartbreaker 41-42. 2023 was a carbon copy of the year prior, with the Buckeyes jumping out to 11 straight wins, including No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 7 Penn State, before facing the Wolverines last. For a 3rd consecutive year, the Michigan-Ohio State game was played with both teams inside the top-5 and CFP implications at stake. Shockingly, Day and the Buckeyes lost yet again, falling 30-24 despite having the ball for the final drive of the game with a shot to win. It became the first time since 1995-1997 that OSU dropped three straight games to Michigan. The Buckeyes missed a shot at the CFP but earned a Cotton Bowl appearance against the Missouri Tigers, ultimately falling 14-3 to finish 11-2 for the 2nd straight year. Ohio State’s 2024 campaign began with 5-straight double-digit wins before facing No. 3 Oregon on the road. The Buckeyes opened things up with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, but a key fumble led to a quick Oregon response. Both teams traded scores to send the game into halftime with the Ducks up 22-21. Ultimately, that point would remain the difference, as Oregon knocked in a field goal with 1:47 left in the 4th to take a 32-31 lead. They held on to win and handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the year. OSU responded with back-to-back narrow wins over unranked Nebraska (21-17) and No. 3 Penn State (20-13) before crushing Purdue and Northwestern.  Their next marquee game came at home against then No. 5 Indiana, who was riding high and undefeated. The Buckeyes made easy work of the Hoosiers, dispatching them 38-15 to hand IU their first loss of the season. Ohio State entered their final regular season matchup with unranked Michigan at No. 2 in the polls with a 10-1 record and a 20.5-point advantage. It was a battle from the very beginning, and the game entered halftime tied 10-10. Both teams went scoreless in the 3rd quarter before the Wolverines kicked a go-ahead field goal with only 0:45 left in the 4th to steal the game. The loss brought Ryan Day’s record against Michigan to (1-4) with four straight losses and nearly derailed the season. Criticism of Day’s performance against Michigan reached a fever pitch before the Buckeyes' 8th seed placement in the CFP put them on pause.  In their first-round matchup, Ohio State drew 9th-seed Tennessee at home, where they cruised to an easy 42-17 win. They advanced to the quarterfinal round to rematch with BIG-10 Champion Oregon, shocking the nation with an equally impressive 41-21 win to avenge their regular season loss to the Ducks. Now 12-2, the Buckeyes moved on to face SEC runner-up and 5th-seeded Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here The Longhorns first drive fizzled out around the OSU 45-yard line, ultimately failing to convert on 4th and 3 and turning the ball over on downs. The Buckeyes responded with a clean 10-play, 64-yard drive ending in a score to put the game’s first points on the board. The two then traded four punts each until the Longhorns cobbled together a quick 1:27 drive that evened the score with an 18-yard pass from Quinn Ewers. Just as things seemed to be deadlocked, the Buckeyes got the ball back with under 30 seconds left before halftime. Will Howard hiked the ball in shotgun and was immediately blitzed by the Texas defense, so he dumped the ball off to TreVeyon Henderson, who sprinted 75 yards for a touchdown. In the blink of an eye, the Buckeyes stole all Texas’ momentum and entered the half up 14-7. Despite throwing an interception to open the 2nd half, OSU maintained their one-score lead until a 12-play 67-yard Longhorn drive evened the score at 14-14. After trading a few more punts, Ohio State lowered their heads and went on an almost 8-minute, 88-yard drive, ending in a Quinshon Judkins rushing touchdown to take the lead again.  The Longhorns responded with a drive from their own 25-yard line, working all the way down to Ohio State’s 1-yard line with a chance to tie the game. With less than 3 minutes left, Texas looked to chew up clock on the ground, but instead of powering up the middle, they pitched the ball outside and were blown up by OSU for a 7-yard loss. Now 3rd & goal, Ewers dropped back to try and beat the Buckeyes through the air but was pressured and knocked down by DL Jack Sawyer, tossing the ball incomplete. On 4th & goal, Ewers again dropped back, but just as he threw, Jack Sawyer was there once again. In one fell swoop, he blindsided Ewers, stripping the ball, which he scooped and returned 83 yards for a touchdown. It was the nail in Texas’ coffin, and the Buckeyes walked away with a 28-14 win, sealing their 2nd trip to the National Championship game under Day. Ohio State Injury Report DL - JT Tuimoloau - Ankle - Available CB - Denzel Burke - Arm - Probable OL - Seth McLaughlin - Achilles - Out With all that said, it's truly been a tale of two seasons for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. They began the year at No. 2, with expectations of a CFP run and another shot to beat Michigan. The midseason loss to Oregon hurt but was competitive and forgivable, yet the game’s aftermath was felt for weeks. OSU’s next two games were narrow and sloppy one-score wins over an unranked Nebraska and No. 3 Penn State before they found their stride again. Their 23-point win over Indiana looked lopsided but really came down to an Ohio State punt return touchdown and a botched Hoosiers’ punt that swung a one-score game to a much wider margin. Just the following week, the Buckeyes delivered their worst showing of the season against unranked Michigan, who figured them out and exploited it for a 13-10 win. Day and his team went from dominant to shaky to embarrassing. It was so bad that many were calling for Day’s job just over the Michigan performance alone until the Buckeyes transformed yet again into a different, more dominant team in the playoff. The Tennessee and Oregon wins completely flipped the script on Day and Ohio State, earning them praise from the public and seemingly quieting the calls for firing. OSU rode that newfound goodwill through the Texas game, but it wasn’t the same kind of dominance we’d seen in their two previous playoff showings. Yes, it was arguably the best competition OSU had faced all year, but the game was one play from being tied with less than 3 minutes to go. Like Georgia, Ohio State is one of the best-coached, most talented, and most disciplined teams in the country. However, like Georgia, this isn’t hands-down their best team in years. They deserve to be in this game and in this position just as much as Notre Dame, but despite what the media may say, they are not unbeatable. Elite teams and bad teams alike have found a way to outlast the 2024 Buckeyes. The question is, can it be done again? Notre Dame The Orange Bowl clash between Notre Dame and Penn State lived up to its billing. Both defenses managed to keep things scoreless in the 1st quarter despite several big gash plays. The Nittany Lions’ defense reeled in a Riley Leonard interception for the first big momentum swing of the game, but the Irish defense held strong and only allowed a field goal as the 2nd quarter began. Penn State then controlled the quarter with a 15-play, 90-yard drive to score, putting them up 10-0 and chewing more than 7 minutes off the clock. Before the half ended, Riley Leonard was sacked and hit his head hard enough to be taken out of the game, putting Steve Angeli on the field in Irish territory with only 1:30 left before half. Angeli orchestrated a sorely lacking passing attack down the field and into position for a field goal before halftime. The Irish had done nearly nothing on offense, but their defense was keeping them competitive. The Irish scored right out of halftime with an 8-play, 75-yard drive of their own, tying things up at 10-10. After trading punts, the Irish put together another long drive that took them to Penn State’s 2-yard line with a little over 14 minutes left in the 4th. On 1st and goal, Leonard handed the ball off to Jeremiyah Love, who spectacularly out-willed the entire Nittany Lions defense, hurdling the first defender, dragging the second with him as he collided with two more defenders before leaping forward to break the plane. It gave Notre Dame their first lead of the game, 17-10. Penn State quickly responded with their second touchdown to tie things back up at 17-17. On the ensuing drive, Riley Leonard tossed another interception that led to another Penn State score, stifling any Irish momentum while taking the lead 24-17. The Irish got the ball back with about 5 minutes remaining and began chipping away PSU’s defense. The Irish got to just about midfield before wideout Jaden Greathouse broke his defender’s ankles off the line of scrimmage and reeled in a perfect ball from Leonard. Once in the open, Greathouse hit another stellar move to drop PSU’s last defender on his butt, and he walked into the endzone, tying it 24-24. With less than a minute remaining, Penn State’s Drew Allar tossed a late ball over the middle with pressure in his face, and Irish CB Christian Gray reeled it in for their first turnover of the game. Instead of playing it conservative and running out the clock to play in overtime, Freeman and the Irish capitalized on their field position, moving the ball just far enough into PSU territory to try for a field goal. With only 0:12 seconds left on the clock, Irish kicker Mitch Jeter lined up for his second kick of the night, drilling a 41-yard kick to seal the win 27-24. The win sent the Irish to their first National Title game since 2012. Notre Dame Injury Report RG - Rocco Spindler - Ankle - Available RB Jeremiyah Love - Knee -  Available WR - Beaux Collins - Calf - Questionable DT - Rylie Mills - Knee - Out TE - Cooper Flanagan - Achilles - Out LT - Anthonie Knapp - Ankle   -  Out Yet again, the Irish did whatever was needed to get the win. Notre Dame had yet to trail this season nor mount a comeback through the air, and in just two quarters, they managed to do both. For the first time this year, the Irish offense out-gained their running game through the air and failed to win the turnover battle but still held on to win. Fittingly, the game came down to Mitch Jeter’s recently healed leg, and he nailed it, becoming the first kicker in CFP history to successfully make a game-winning field goal. This team isn’t more talented than Ohio State, but they weren’t more talented than Penn State or Georgia, either. What makes this team special isn’t individual talent or elite statistics, it's their desire to win - and so far, it has been enough. Notre Dame doesn’t need to be perfect or even all that pretty, but they must continue to make big plays in big moments while not changing what got them here.  The Matchup For only the second time this year, Notre Dame has opened as the underdog, this time by a two-score margin. The line opened right after Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl win over Texas, with the Buckeyes favored by (-9.5). Days later, the line has gradually crept down to a slimmer (-8.0) advantage for OSU and could continue to do so until game time on Monday. There’s a genuine possibility this line falls within a single score, which would signal a remarkable amount of belief that the Irish could pull this one off, or at least make some noise. Notre Dame is (12-2-1) against the spread this season and (2-0) when dubbed the underdog, while OSU is only (9-6) against the spread for the year.  Much like the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, oddsmakers see this contest as a low-scoring affair. As of now, the game’s total is set at 45.5, the third straight playoff game the Irish will play with a sub-48 point total. In those three games, the totals have been 44 against Indiana, 33 against Georgia, and 51 against Penn State. For the Buckeyes, their playoff points totals have been 59 against Tennessee, 62 against Oregon, and 42 against Texas. The average of those six games comes out to 48.5. So, there’s a chance this one goes over the 45.5, but odds are these two elite defenses keep the total under.  With those numbers, the game’s implied score prediction would be around 27-18  Notre Dame’s Defense vs Ohio State’s Offense This head-to-head pits arguably the two best coordinators in football against one another - OSU’s Chip Kelly and Notre Dame’s Al Golden.  Al Golden and the Irish defense have consistently maintained an elite level of play since the season began and have found a way to turn their game up another notch in the postseason. The Irish defense stifled a high-scoring Indiana offense, holding them to 17 points, 14 of which came in garbage time, held Georgia to their lowest score since Ole Miss with 10, and contained Penn State’s star QB to roughly 50% completion, 0 touchdowns, and an interception. Notre Dame has routinely displayed that they can elevate their game to the level of their opponent and can affect you in just the right way to give them the advantage. Notre Dame’s defensive numbers are elite across the board, with the exception of the running game. They’re 2nd in PPG allowed, 2nd in passing yards allowed, and 9th in total yards allowed per game, but their rushing defense lags behind at 42nd overall. Thankfully, the Irish have been so dominant against the pass that they can force a pass-first team like PSU into their worst passing performance of the season. These are the kinds of tricks Golden and his squad use to get a leg up. They lean on their strengths to force opponents into playing the kind of game they want and then force them into a one-dimensional offense. PSU went from a passing group to a running group, while UGA was forced to become a pass-first team when their identity was on the ground.  Ohio State’s Offense - Players to Watch Both UGA and Penn State were the best offenses the Irish had faced to date, but Notre Dame was still able to find a wrinkle and exploit it. Unfortunately, Ohio State has the complete package. UGA and PSU were both lacking a serious threat on the outside, allowing the Irish D to stack the box and play man-to-man out wide. That's how Notre Dame was able to focus in on what they left the opposing offenses with and exploit it. Unfortunately, that won't be the case against OSU. This will be the best offense the Irish have faced so far, and the pathways to victory and much narrower. Ohio State’s offense has been prolific in the playoff but was relatively average for the majority of the season. Kansas State transfer Will Howard has been a massive part of their success, but he benefits from one of the best receivers in the country; Jeremiah Smith. The freshman phenom has become Howard’s #1 target this season, racking in over 1,000 yards and accounting for nearly half of Howard’s passing touchdowns. If the Irish will have any chance at beating the Buckeyes, they’ll need to find a way to erase Smith’s effect on the game as they did to Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2023. If the Irish can handle Smith with man coverage, it’ll give them an extra body to send at Howard. Like Drew Allar, pressuring Howard will be critical to winning this battle. When pressured this season, Howard’s completion percentage dropped by more than 20% compared to when he had time to work with. That kind of drop-off is a statistic begging to be exploited. Notre Dame’s keys to victory on defense are as follows: Send the house to disrupt Howard and force bad decisions/reliance on the running game Win 1-on-1 matchups with WRs to allow for focus on the run game Limit the big explosive plays  Although Ohio State's offensive is riding a hot hand, the Irish have been more consistent all season and get a slight edge here. Advantage: Soft Notre Dame Notre Dame’s Offense vs Ohio State’s Defense This head-to-head will be the biggest challenge of the season for Notre Dame.  Ohio State has the best defensive unit in the country and they lead nearly every major statistical category. They top the country in total YPG allowed, pass YPG allowed, and PPG allowed while placing 3rd in rush YPG allowed. They lead the nation with only 2.7 yards per rush allowed while racking up the 3rd most sacks in the country with 51 on the season. This Buckeye’s defense has no true weaknesses and presents the most complete package the Irish have faced all year. All in all, Notre Dame’s best unit is its defense, but OSU’s defense is even better. Ohio State’s Defense - Players to Watch The Buckeyes defense employs a zone-heavy scheme, making it incredibly difficult for opposing offenses to win the downfield battle. That zone defense could open things up underneath for the Irish and give Leonard a chance to shine. Leonard’s mobility and short passing game could be the perfect combo to confuse OSU’s DBs and line up the running game or deep passing game for big chunk plays. Like Howard, Leonard struggles with defensive pressure, but his mobility gives Notre Dame an outlet the Buckeyes don’t have. If Leonard can use his legs to extend plays or find defense gaps, the Irish can use one of Ohio State’s biggest strengths to their advantage. Leonard’s legs give the Irish a chance to level the playing field and force the Buckeyes into playing the game their way. Lastly, the Irish offense must be effective in early down situations. If they’re unable to succeed on 1st and 2nd down, Ohio State will have a field day on obvious passing downs. It all comes down to a game flow. If Notre Dame’s offense can find a way to keep OSU guessing and strike a balance between the pass, the run, and Leonard’s legs, they’ll find far more openings to make plays. If Notre Dame hopes to stay competitive in this head-to-head, they’ll need to put up their best and most complete offensive performance yet. They won’t be able to afford a slow start like they had against Penn State and won’t be able to win a shootout like the USC game. They’ll have to once again force an opposing defense to play the game their way, and if successful, the Irish may have a chance. Notre Dame’s keys to victory on offense are as follows: Establish the quick, intermediate passing game early Use Leonard’s legs to salvage broken plays Find success on 1st and 2nd down OSU holds a heavy advantage here, but Notre Dame is fully capable of making this head-to-head competitive. Advantage: Solid Ohio State Notre Dame’s Special Teams vs Ohio State’s Special Teams Special teams wasn’t very consistent for Notre Dame in the regular season, but has been crucial to their postseason success. Mitch Jeter has been night and day since the end of the regular season and has gone 7/8 over his last three games, including the game-winner over Penn State. While his season long numbers are unimpressive, Jeter’s recent hot streak has revitalized the Irish special teams and has helped to transform them from a liability to a legitimate strength.  Special Teams - Players to Watch Ohio State’s Jayden Fielding has had an average season so far, but his performance has seen an opposite trajectory to Jeter’s. Fielding went 8/9 on field goals through 11 games but has regressed to just 3/6 over Ohio State’s last 4 games. Most notably, Fielding missed two kicks from under 40 yards against Michigan, which played a huge part in their loss. Whatever happened against the Wolverines has seemed to follow Fielding into the playoffs, as he missed again in round one and didn't attempt any against Texas. While end-of-season numbers favor OSU’s kicking game, the Irish get the edge with their recent performance and momentum. If this one comes down to clutch kicks, Jeter gets the nod.  Both teams average the same punting numbers, but Notre Dame’s punt coverage gives them a significant edge in net punt yards. As for punt returns, the Buckeyes have the edge with both a higher average and a punt return touchdown courtesy of Caleb Downs. On the flip side, the Irish rack up nearly double the kick return yards as OSU, and have a touchdown return on the books.  The only guarantee here is that Notre Dame will need their special teams to step up once again. Be that a blocked field goal, a fake punt, or a kick return, the Irish need all the contributions they can get if they’re going to have a chance. While the Irish do have the momentum edge, their success relies much more on winning this matchup.  Whatever way you look at it, this is pretty evenly matched. Both sides have their own small advantages, but neither noticeably separates themselves. Because this head-to-head is so close, a single special teams play could decide the game. Advantage: Even Prediction For the first time in decades, Notre Dame is receiving a level of attention and respect most fans could only dream of. Yet even with this sea change, nearly no one in the media is picking the Irish to win this one outright.  And frankly, that's fair. Like it or not, Brian Kelly’s 2012 National Championship debacle still hangs over the program, and only one thing can change that - a win on the biggest stage there is. There isn’t a specific phase of the game where the Irish have a substantial edge over the Buckeyes, they don’t have superior statistics, and they don’t have the same level of talent. There’s nothing in this head-to-head that screams, “Take the Irish, it's a no-brainer,” but there is something else -  a whisper. It may be hard to hear at first, and was nearly silent after the NIU loss, but there’s a whisper that’s grown louder, little by little, over Notre Dame’s last 13 wins. It's the voice that says, “The Irish belong here,” the voice that promises, “They can actually win.”   The Indiana and Georgia games tested the team we all knew Notre Dame to be, but the Penn State win showed the nation a side of the Irish that we’d yet to see, and only when it was needed most. Call it blind faith or wishful thinking, but there’s something different about Marcus Freeman and the 2024 Fighting Irish squad. The only thing more ridiculous than Notre Dame making it to this point would be picking against them yet again.  Notre Dame wins a competitive battle over Ohio State to secure their 12th National Title in program history. Look for: Notre Dame Defense - 1 Defensive Score Notre Dame Defense - 3 Sacks Mitch Jeter - 3/3 on Field Goals Riley Leonard - 0 Interceptions Thrown Jordan Faison - 1 Receiving Touchdown Win: ND:30 - 24:OSU Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame and Ohio State have earned the right to play for the College Football Playoff Championship in Atlanta on Monday. In a season full of change, it will be two of the sport’s blue bloods duking it out for the right to be kings. We preview the explosive Buckeyes offense below: Photo via Ohio State Athletics Ohio State, led by stud transfers and elite returning talent, has appeared to reach a new level following a disappointing regular season finale versus their rival Michigan Wolverines. Here is how the Buckeyes (15-2) have reached this point: vs Akron (52-6, Win) vs Western Michigan (56-0, Win) vs Marshall (49-14, Win) at Michigan State (38-7, Win) vs Iowa (35-7, Win) at Oregon (31-32, Loss) vs Nebraska (21-17, Win) at Penn State (20-13, Win) vs Purdue (45-0, Win) at Northwestern (in Chicago, 31-7, Win) vs Indiana (38-15, Win) vs Michigan (10-13, Loss) vs Tennessee (CFP First Round, 42-17, Win) vs Oregon (Rose Bowl, 41-21, Win) vs Texas (Cotton Bowl, 28-14, Win) As hinted at above, the Buckeyes will bring an explosive offensive to Atlanta. They enter Monday averaging 35.8 points per game, the second-most in the Big Ten and 12th among all FBS teams. Also, their 428.3 total yards per game are the fourth-most in the conference and 30th in the country. Ohio State’s offense is led by former Buckeye Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach, Ryan Day, and his OC Chip Kelly. Day’s connection to Kelly dates back to his college playing days at New Hampshire where Day was the starting QB under OC Chip Kelly. Day was named Head Coach at Ohio St following Urban Meyer’s “retirement” in 2019. He owns a 2-0 record as a Head Coach versus Notre Dame, with wins in ‘22 and ‘23.  One factor that has led to the Buckeyes’ success this year is their team discipline, installed by Day. As a team, Ohio State’s 4.4 penalties and 39.67 penalty yards per game are both among the 15th-fewest in the country. The Buckeyes feature a good passing offense led by a transfer QB and an elite freshman receiver. Their 265.1 pass yards per game are the fourth-most in the Big Ten and 25th among all FBS teams. We highlight the key players involved in the high-powered pass offense below: Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Ohio State’s starting quarterback is Will Howard, a graduate transfer from Kansas State. During his time as a Wildcat, the talented signal-caller dealt with various injuries through his first three years that limited his playing time. Last year was the first season Howard played in more than ten games, and he played pretty well too. He was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 after completing 61.3% of his passes for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Howard’s 24 passing touchdowns tied the Kansas St single-season record and his 48 career passing touchdowns are the most in school history. Following this campaign, he transferred to Ohio St. This season, Howard has completed 72.6% of his pass attempts for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team for his efforts. Here is where Howard ranks among the nation’s top passers in key stats: 173.7 Passing Efficiency - 3rd-best among all FBS passers 72.6% Completion Rate - 4th-best among all FBS passers 251.9 Pass Yards per Game - 4th-most in the Big Ten and 23rd among all FBS passers 12.94 Yards per Completion - 2nd-most in the Big Ten and 29th among all FBS passers Howard has at least 175 passing yards and one touchdown in each game this year. This includes 12 multi-touchdown performances and six games with over 250 yards. He threw for a season-high 326 yards on 28/35 passing including two touchdowns and no interceptions during the Buckeyes’ regular-season meeting at Oregon. Against Iowa, Howard threw a season-high four passing touchdowns on 21/25 passing for 209 yards including an interception. The grad transfer has been great all season as a passer but has seemed to reach another level throughout the CFP following his worst performance of the year versus Michigan. Some credit should be given to his weapons, who have been consistently reliable all year. Howard has found success on the deep ball, with an 8:2 touchdown to interception ratio on throws of 20 or more yards. The key for Notre Dame’s defense will be to apply pressure on the QB all game as this is when Howard is at his worst, much like Penn State’s Allar last week.  Ohio State’s most talented receiver is freshman Jeremiah Smith. The young wideout chose the Buckeyes over Florida State, Miami (FL), Florida, and Georgia as the consensus number one overall recruit in the ‘24 class. Smith has lived up to that ranking in every possible way. Some accolades the freshman has gathered this season include All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Big Ten Receiver of the Year. He enters Monday’s matchup with 71 receptions for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns this year. Here is where Smith ranks among the nation’s top pass-catchers in key stats: 14 Receiving Touchdowns - leads the Big Ten and tied for 3rd-most among FBS pass-catchers 81.8 Receiving Yards per Game - 3rd-most in the Big Ten and 23rd among all FBS pass-catchers 17.28 Yards per Reception - 4th-most in the Big Ten and 33rd among all FBS pass-catchers Notably, Smith is coming off the worst performance of his collegiate career after recording just one catch for three yards on three targets versus Texas. Before that, he had at least three receptions and 34 yards in each game, including 12 games with over 50 yards. The freshman had two of his best games of the season in both meetings against Oregon. In the first meeting in Eugene, he had a season-high nine receptions for 100 yards including a touchdown during the Buckeyes loss. In the Rose Bowl versus the Ducks, he had a season-high 187 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions. The freshman has been so elite this season that he would likely be the top wideout selected in the upcoming ‘25 NFL Draft, but unfortunately for college defensive backs, that is not a reality. Smith will be the most talented receiver the Irish play all season as he has not dropped a pass since week one versus Akron. Also, he averages 6.3 yards after catch per reception. Long story short, good things happen when Smith gets the ball in his hands, whether it be off a screen or over the top, defenses need a plan for containing number four. The Buckeyes' other top wideout is graduate student Emeka Egbuka. He is slated to be a potential first-round selection this year. Egbuka is one of many players who could have gone pro after last season, but decided to come back for a final year to play for a National Championship, and finally beat Michigan…that part did not work out. The grad student entered this season with 115 receptions for 1,666 yards and 14 touchdowns in 23 games played across the last two years. The ‘22 Second Team All-Big Ten selection has 16 receptions for 186 yards and a touchdown in two meetings against the Irish. This season, Egbuka has 75 catches for 947 yards and ten touchdowns and was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team. His ten receiving touchdowns are tied for the third-most in the conference and tied for 13th in the country. He has at least one reception in each game and nine games with at least five, including a season-high of ten for 93 yards and a touchdown at Oregon during the regular season. Egbuka had a season-high 117 yards on five receptions including a touchdown versus Marshall and a season-high three touchdowns on 9 receptions for 71 yards versus Iowa. He has been impressive throughout the CFP, with 15 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown during this three-game stretch. Egbuka enters Monday’s matchup with some Ohio St history on the line; he is three catches away from breaking K.J. Hill’s career-record 201 receptions and 94 receiving yards away from breaking Michael Jenkins’s career-record 2,898. This should provide some extra motivation for Egbuka to have a good performance on Monday. Overall, the great wideout is a talented deep threat and reliable receiver with five drops on the year including two last week. The third wide receiver to highlight is sophomore Carnell Tate. Last season, he had 18 receptions for 264 yards and a touchdown in 13 games played. This year, Tate has recorded 50 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games played. He missed the Buckeyes game versus Iowa. The sophomore has at least one reception in each game played, including a season-high of seven for 87 yards last week versus Texas. He had a season-high 102 yards on four receptions including a touchdown versus Nebraska. Tate is a good receiver with solid potential. He has just three drops this season including one last week. Most of his production comes via medium routes between 10 and 19 yards and he is a talented contested ball-catcher as he is 6/10 on contested attempts this year. The Buckeyes' top tight end is graduate student Gee Scott Jr. As the most experienced tight end on the roster, he is having a career-best season with 26 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He has at least one catch in 12 games. Scott has been solid throughout the CFP with ten receptions for 99 yards during the past three games. This includes a season-high of five catches for 30 yards last week versus Texas. During the Buckeyes’ regular season contest at Oregon, Scott had a season-high 46 yards on three receptions. Originally, the grad student was recruited to Ohio St as a receiver, however, he has struggled to get open throughout the year. He does have just one drop this season and is one of three good short-yardage options on this roster as displayed last week. Additionally, Scott is a good all-around blocker. The first of two talented all-purpose running backs is senior TreVeyon Henderson. Before this season, he had 50 receptions for 569 yards and five touchdowns in 31 games played across the last three years. This season, the senior has 27 catches for 284 yards and a touchdown. He has at least one reception in 12 games, including ten games with two or more. Throughout this CFP run, Henderson has tallied eight receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. This includes a season-high four receptions for 54 yards versus Tenn essee and then last week he took a screen pass 75 yards to the house  to put the Buckeyes on to p before halftime against Texas. Henderson is a very good receiving back with just one drop this season. Also, he is averaging 10.2 yards after catch per reception. The senior is a solid run blocker but struggles as a pass blocker. The final threat to highlight in the passing game is junior all-purpose back Quinshon Judkins. The Ole Miss transfer recorded 37 receptions for 281 yards and three touchdowns in 26 games played across the last two years in Oxford. This year, his first as a Buckeye, Judkins has 20 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown. He has at least one reception in 11 games, including eight games with two or more. The junior had a season-high three receptions for 21 yards last week versus Texas. He had a season-high 38 yards on two receptions during the regular season meeting at Oregon. Notably, Judkins does have three games without a target this year. While Henderson is the better receiving back, Judkins is good too with just one drop this season and he is averaging 7.5 yards after catch per reception. The junior will not beat defenses over the top but he is, yet another, solid short-yardage option. Like Henderson, Judkins is a solid run blocker but a bad pass blocker. Ohio St features a solid, yet underutilized rushing offense led by two talented backs. Their 163.2 rush yards per game are the fifth-most in the Big Ten and 66th among all FBS teams. In addition, their 4.97 yards per carry ranks fourth in the conference. We preview the key Buckeyes rushers below: The first running back to highlight is senior TreVeyon Henderson. Before this season, he had 2,745 yards and 32 touchdowns on 446 carries in 31 games played across the past three years. As a freshman in 2021, Henderson led the Big Ten with 6.8 yards per carry and was named a Freshman All-American and selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Last season, he was selected to the All-Big Ten First Team. Henderson has 29 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown in two previous meetings with the Irish. This season, the senior has rushed for 967 yards and ten touchdowns on 132 carries. His 7.3 yards per carry leads the conference as he has between six and 11 carries in each game. Henderson has 12 games with over 50 rush yards this year, including a season-high 94 yards on eight carries including two touchdowns versus Oregon in the Rose Bowl. In addition, the senior has four games with two rushing scores on the year. Henderson is an elite runner with 31 carries of ten or more yards, no fumbles, and just one penalty this season. Most of his production comes via outside-the-tackle runs. If Henderson is lightning, then junior Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins is certainly thunder. During his time as a Rebel, he rushed for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns on 545 carries in 26 games played across two years. In 2022, he was named SEC Freshman of the Year and selected to the First Team All-SEC after leading the conference in rushing yards and touchdowns. In 2023, Judkins again led the conference in rushing scores and was, again, named to the First Team All-SEC. He left Ole Miss ranking second in school history in rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards before transferring to Columbus this season. In his first year as Buckeye, the junior has rushed for 960 yards and 12 touchdowns on 183 carries. His 12 rushing scores are tied for the fourth-most in the Big Ten and tied for 34th among all FBS rushers. Judkins has received between nine and 17 carries in each game this year. He has eight games with 50 or more rush yards, including a season-high 173 on 14 carries including two touchdowns versus Marshall. The junior has five games with two rushing scores, including versus Tennessee and Texas. Judkins is a great runner with just one fumble, 42 missed tackles forced, and one penalty on the year. He is more of an inside-the-tackles runner compared to Henderson. The final rusher Notre Dame’s defense will have to account for is Quarterback Will Howard. At Kansas St, he rushed for 921 yards and 19 touchdowns on 226 carries in 34 games played as a Wildcat. This season, Howard has rushed for 169 yards and seven touchdowns on 89 carries. The grad transfer has at least one carry in each game and rushed for a season-high 37 yards on five carries versus Tennessee. Howard is a solid runner but he does not get far as he averages just 3.3 yards per carry and 1.48 yards after contact per carry. Most of his production comes via sneaks and scrambles.  One thing the Irish and Buckeyes have in common is good work from the offensive line regardless of their injury issues. Ohio St has lost their starting Left Tackle and Center with injuries throughout the year. However, they lead the Big Ten in sacks and tackles for loss per game allowed. Their 0.93 sacks per game allowed are the tenth-fewest among all FBS teams while their 3.67 TFLs per game allowed ranks sixth in the country. The one player who deserves to be highlighted on this line is Donovan Jackson: The senior lineman entered this season as a ‘22 and ‘23 First Team All-Big Ten selection with 26 straight starts at Left Guard. Unfortunately, Jackson suffered a hamstring injury during fall camp that forced him to miss the first two weeks of this year. Regardless, the senior was again selected to the First Team All-Big Ten after playing in 13 games. Midway through the year, Jackson was forced to move from LG to LT after a season-ending injury to potential first-round tackle, Josh Simmons. This season, the senior has allowed just two sacks, both of which occurred in his first start at LT against Penn St, and 19 pressures on 395 pass block snaps. He is a good all-around blocker, who has been standing out throughout the Buckeyes’ CFP run. Notre Dame will have their hands full trying to contain this explosive offense en route to a College Football Playoff Championship. How will the Irish staff and defense match up to be crowned National Champions? This defense has been clutch all year long, but can they put together another 60-strong minutes in the biggest game of the year? These answers will be revealed Monday Night in Atlanta…Go Irish. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame has picked up five ranked victories midway through the month of January, and they have a chance to pick up another one on Thursday against the 17th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Since losing to Utah on Nov. 30 in the Cayman Islands, things have gone about as well as they can for the third ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After losing back-to-back games at the end of November, the Irish are on a nine-game win streak, including three ranked victories with two of those being inside the top four. Now with five ranked wins on the season, the Irish have a chance to take the lead for most in the country as 17th ranked Georgia Tech rolls into South Bend.   While Notre Dame enters this one on a hot stretch, the Yellow Jackets cannot say the same, losing their last two games, which are the only losses for them on the year. They have lost by a combined 20 points, first at home to Virginia Tech in double overtime, and then on the road against Louisville. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here   Sophomore guard, and Women’s Wooden Award favorite Hannah Hidalgo, is expected to be back in the lineup after missing Notre Dame’s previous victory over Clemson. After tweaking her ankle against Wake Forest, head coach Niele Ivey sidelined Hidalgo as a precaution against the Tigers. It was the first time she had missed a game in her college career.   “We were cautious Sunday,” Coach Ivey said. “Getting her in practice, she’s feeling a lot better, so we’re happy with that.”   Hidalgo’s presence will be needed against the Yellow Jackets, who not only have the third highest scoring offense in the ACC (82.4 PPG), but their defense allows the fourth lowest points per game as well (60.5 PPG).   They are led by junior guard Kara Dunn who has been an efficient scorer in her third season with the Yellow Jackets. Not only is Dunn averaging 16 PPG, but she’s doing it on 54.4% shooting, while also grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game. In the double overtime loss on Jan. 9, Dunn put up 33 points and 10 rebounds in her 47 minutes of play.   Alongside Dunn is freshman phenom Dani Carnegie, a Mount Vernon, New York native averaging 15.1 PPG through her first 16 games. However, after injuring her hamstring in just six minutes of play against Virginia Tech, Carnegie is not expected to play on Thursday. Despite not starting a game all season long, Carnegie had put 20 or more points in four of her last five games, including three straight prior to her injury. It has arguably been the main reason for the current skid, something that Notre Dame will certainly attack.   In Carnegie’s absence, junior guard Tonie Morgan has stepped up in a big way, scoring a combined 41 points in her last two games. Those two outings extended Morgan’s streak of double figure scoring performances to seven straight games, averaging 16.3 PPG over that stretch. Despite this, she is coming off one of her worst shooting games of the season, finishing 5-14 with 13 points against Louisville.   Another player the Yellow Jackets have leaned on after losing their second leading scorer has been Atlanta native Chazadi Wright. The freshman guard has seen an increase in her number of shots per game in the last two, however she has knocked down just five of her 17 shots in that span. Wright isn’t going to shy away from shots beyond the perimeter, shooting 30 threes in her last six games.   The well-oiled machine that is the Georgia Tech offense is going to be missing a major part on Thursday, which is going to play in Notre Dame’s favor. Getting Hidalgo back into the lineup would be an issue regardless, but the Yellow Jackets missing their second leading scorer is going to prove to be a backbreaker. However, a team coming in losing their last two is going to be hungrier than ever to pick up a win, especially against one of the top teams in the nation. It should be an exciting matchup, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. in Purcell Pavilion. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame signees showed up and showed out at the All-American Bowl on January 11th. Let's take a look at how each participant performed. Photo via Christopher Burgess Jr. The All-American Bowl isn't unlike the many other "all-star" type games across the country. It's a much friendlier environment, and due to lack of chemistry and experience playing together, play-calling tends to be much more vanilla and simplified. That doesn't mean it's not a great chance for recruits to showcase some raw talent against the type of competition they will be seeing week in and week out for Saturdays to come. Notre Dame was represented well at the game, with five commits suiting up, four from the class of 2025, and one 2026 player as well. Notre Dame Head Coach, Marcus Freeman, was once an All-American Bowl participant himself in 2004. It is another data point to evaluate the next line of talent that will be hitting campus in South Bend, and after breaking down all of their reps, these are some things that stood out. OT Will Black (2025) The five-star offensive lineman played both right tackle and left tackle during the All-American Bowl. It may not seem like which side of the line you are on makes a huge difference, but it changes little details, like which leg you push off with on your kick step, and how you set up in pass protection. He seems more comfortable as an LT, but versatility will always be a good thing. During the game he showed great lateral movement as a puller, and worked up to the second level effectively. He displayed good use of hands and punch timing, and had the quickness to slide and cut off defenders on their inside moves. Good recovery speed, as even when an edge player got an initial step on him off the line of scrimmage, he was able to work back and push the defender wide of the quarterback. Where he got beat a few times was on counter moves. He allowed his pad level to rise throughout the play which made it easier for the defender to get him off balance. Fellow Notre Dame commit, Christopher Burgess, lined up across from him on multiple plays and was able to set him up outside with a speed rush, get Black's feet crossed then work back inside on a swim move to get a hit on the quarterback. On the last drive, Black was moved back to right tackle where he gave up back to back pressures. Black is one of my favorite prospects from the 2025 class, and as Notre Dame fans know all too well from this years postseason, you can never have enough talented linemen at your disposal. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here EDGE Christopher Burgess Jr. (2025) Burgess is another versatile player which the coaching staff at the All-American Bowl used in a variety of ways. He started the game as more of a 3-technique defensive tackle, but moved to defensive end late, and that's where he really shined. Showed great burst off the snap and does a good job converting speed to power. He displayed a good set of pass rushing maneuvers and kept his feet moving, showing he can counter when initially stopped. He already has a great frame, standing at 6'3" and 265 pounds, and will only get faster and stronger. As a glimpse into future Notre Dame practices, matched up with Will Black a couple of times and got the better of him, which is no easy task. When he was used inside, he did get washed out of the run game somewhat. Struggled going against the big interior linemen, and did not play with as violent of hands as you would like to see. Came off the line a little high at times, and did not get into the linemen's chest before trying to work in spin moves, which left him exposed and easy to push out of his lane. On one rep followed a pulling guard while the run play was designed to go the opposite direction so needed to have better eye discipline there. Burgess Jr. has the makings of a disruptive force off the edge. I think similar to how Bryce Young has made an impact during his freshman season, Burgess Jr. is likely to see some playing time early in his career. LB Anthony Sacca (2025) Sacca was another future Golden Domer that made his presence felt during the game. He did an excellent job keying the run, coming downhill, and making plays. He excelled at leveraging the ball, attacking the outside shoulder of run blockers, and keeping his outside arm free to make a play. Racked up a tackle for loss, and was always around the ball. He doesn't possess true sideline to sideline speed, and looked more like a traditional two down backer. He needed to do a little better job using his hands and disengaging from blocks on the second level. He was the MLB in a Cover 2 on a play that went for a touchdown. The touchdown was not his fault as the safety busted on his coverage and tried to jump something underneath allowing the WR to get behind the defense, but from a technique standpoint, I would have liked to see Sacca drop with a little more depth as the play progressed since there were no immediate underneath threats in his zone. That's the type of thing he will be coached up once he gets to Notre Dame, and is not a true area of concern. Sacca looks like he will be the next tackling machine for Notre Dame. He has the makings of a certified run stuffer, with great instincts and a knack for taking the right angles. TE James Flanigan (2025) You can tell right away Flanigan takes pride in his ability to block from his tight end spot. On a big 4th and 2 late in the game, he did a great job of sealing his man off and giving his quarterback a chance. At another critical point in the game on another 4th down, Flanigan and Will Black perfectly worked a double team on Christopher Burgess Jr. (so much Notre Dame on one play) buying the QB enough time to deliver a perfect sideline shot for a touchdown, which was the biggest play for the offense at the time. Can be split out and play inline. Although he did not have any catches in the game, he showed enough speed to get vertical on a seam route that just wasn't delivered in his direction. Did not get to see him run many routes during the game just due to play calling, but his blocking is the more advanced part of his game currently. Will need to continue to polish his route running to be a true dual threat tight end, and carry the torch of what has been a very storied tight end tradition at Notre Dame. QB Noah Grubbs (2026) The "young" guy of the bunch, Grubbs won't be joining Notre Dame for another year. He did not get a lot of opportunities during the game, but still a few things of note. When he was in, he was definitely the victim of some poor snaps by his center. The ball was not getting to him quick enough, which allowed the pressure to get to him before he really had a chance to survey the field. Still, he did a great job of moving up and out of the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield. He showed excellent zip on an intermediate throw that probably would have been complete if the receiver did not stop his route short. His one deep shot was a little inaccurate and the ball sailed out of bounds, but even with that throw falling incomplete, he showed off some of his arm strength. Quarterback will be a topic of conversation for the next few seasons, as Notre Dame looks to work away from the transfer portal and instead develop their own talent. Grubbs will fall in that mix the minute he shows up on campus, and I look forward to seeing what improvements he can make during his Senior season. Even though transfer portal news gets majority of the headlines, the lifeblood of college football is and always will be recruiting. The ability to evaluate and develop talent will be the thing that separates the good teams from the great teams. The next infusion of talent for the blue and gold is on the way with the players mentioned above, and they will add to a team that is currently one win away from a National Championship. The future is as bright as it has ever been at South Bend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun