By Patrick Weider
1. One last shot for these Seniors
The Ohio State 2021 class led by Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau and Emeka Egbuka returned for this one shot to win a National Title. Even though they lost to Michigan, they can save their season with a win over Notre Dame. These Seniors need to let it all go and play their best game of the season. They need to understand the opportunity they have in the National Title game. If they win this game, they will have completed possibly the best month in Ohio State football history.
Great story on Senior Leader @jacksawyer33 📖
"Most of my dreams as a kid involved being a Buckeye."
Read more… ⤵️ https://t.co/Jh1kwNKr83— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) January 16, 2025
2. Get Jeremiah Smith and Treveyon Henderson the ball
Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver in the country. He was held to 1 catch for 3 yards against Texas. Texas ran a 2-high safety look to take him away. In this game, Notre Dame runs a ton of man-to-man defense. I expect they will run it against Smith, which will open some big-play opportunities for him. What makes Smith so electric is his ability to run any route concept and to get open against most defenders. Running Back Treveyon Henderson is the other big play machine for Ohio State. They need to feature him either throwing the ball or running it. He had the play of the game last week when he took a screen pass and raced 75 yards to the end zone against Texas.
Great story on Senior Leader @jacksawyer33 📖
"Most of my dreams as a kid involved being a Buckeye."
Read more… ⤵️ https://t.co/Jh1kwNKr83— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) January 16, 2025
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3. Make Riley Leonard a thrower
Riley Leonard isn’t the flashiest quarterback, but he makes plays when Notre Dame needs it. Against Penn State, he threw for 223 yards and rushed for 35 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. He is a tough and physical runner that they count on to get first downs in short-yardage situations. The key to stopping Notre Dame’s offense is to get them in third and long and make Leonard a passer. He made a few big passes late to help them beat Penn State, but he also threw 2 awful interceptions. If the Ohio State defense puts Notre Dame in a lot of third and longs, that is a huge win for the Buckeyes. It will make Leonard throw the ball, which would lead to Notre Dame getting off the field more often.
4. Cool and collective Will Howard
Will Howard did not play his best game against Texas, but when the Buckeyes needed him he helped secure the win. In a key 8-play drive that secured a late touchdown, Howard was 7-of-9 and rushed for a key fourth and 2 when Ohio State ran him on quarterback power to get the key first down. The biggest throw was facing a third and 8 at their 29-yard line he completed an 18-yard pass to Carnell Tate for the first down. Howard threw an interception earlier in the third quarter, but he was excellent when Ohio State needed it.
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5. Turnovers and Special Teams
Notre Dame’s defense is excellent at creating turnovers. They have 13 fumble recoveries and 19 interceptions this year. If Notre Dame has a chance in this game, it will be because they took care of the ball and created turnovers. In the loss against Michigan, Will Howard threw 2 interceptions. The other big part of Notre Dame’s success is special teams. They returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Georgia. If Ohio State can avoid turnovers and play well on special teams, it will go a long way to get the victory.
