Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Can Sam Hartman, Fighting Irish Get It Done?

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Can Sam Hartman, Fighting Irish Get It Done?

Kyle McCord will be making the biggest start of his life tonight as he and this high-powered Buckeye offense stroll into Notre Dame looking to get their biggest win of the season. Ohio State comes into this matchup at 3-0 but did not look very crisp in their first two games against Indiana and Youngstown State.

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Date, Start Time, and Where to Watch

• Date: September 23, 2023
• Game Time: 7:30 pm ET
• Where to Watch: NBC

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Prediction

Ohio State actually had a quarterback battle into the first game of the season as Kyle McCord had not firmly secured his spot yet as he was trying to outduel the talented sophomore Devin Brown. McCord did eventually win the job as Ryan Day came out and made it clear that McCord would be the starter going forward, but that sort of thing had not happened at Ohio State in a long time.

They always seem to have established quarterbacks, such as highly touted draft picks Justin Fields and CJ Stroud. In past memory, JT Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, and Braxton Miller were all very established, with no controversy surrounding their status as the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes. McCord did look crisp against Western Kentucky as they routed the Hilltoppers by a score of 63-10 while McCord threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns while completing 19 of his 23 passes. It was nice to see McCord get on track, but what has actually been most impressive for Ohio State to this point is their defense.

Now, Indiana and Youngstown State are not offensive juggernauts by any means, but the Buckeyes have only allowed 20 total points through three full games this season. Ohio State allowed 153 yards to Indiana, 234 yards to Youngstown State, and only 284 to Western Kentucky. This will obviously be their toughest test of the season on the road against Sam Hartman and this high-powered Notre Dame offense, but it is a great sign to see them be so stout this early.

Overall, they are tied for first in the country in the least yards allowed per play, as they are only allowing their opponents to notch 3.4 yards per play to this point. Ohio State is also ranked third in the country in the lowest average team passing rating through three games. This Buckeye secondary has been very solid, and they will need to be on their A-game to stop Sam Hartman tonight.

The Notre Dame defense are no slouches of their own, either. The Fighting Irish are ranked 14th in least yards allowed per play (4.1); both Ohio State and Notre Dame are ranked in the top 10 in least yards allowed per game. Notre Dame has also had a bit of a harder schedule to this point too, as they have already gone on the road to play a fairly solid NC State team and dropped 45 on their head on their way to a three-touchdown win. Overall, this is going to be an incredible matchup, but I think it is going to be a more lower-scoring than some people think.

I am not sold on Kyle McCord just yet as he has not proven himself in a tough environment like this yet, and on the other side, the Ohio State defense has shown themselves to be an elite unit to this point. Both teams also really like to establish the run and may have All-Americans in their backfield on both sides, as Treveyon Henderson and Audric Estime have been putting up impressive numbers.

I think both teams will look to establish the run, especially Ohio State, as they have a young quarterback in a tough environment. I think there may be a feeling-out process in this game, as both of the defensive units for each team appear to be slightly ahead of their offenses so far. With that being said, I am rolling with the 1H Under 27.5 at -110 for 1.5u as one of my most confident College Football Plays of the Day, and I am also rolling with Notre Dame +3.5 at -110 for 1.5u as I think eventually the experience of Sam Hartman will outshine Ohio State and Kyle McCord in the end.

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Picks

• 1.5u 1H Under 27.5 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
• 1.5u Notre Dame +3.5 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds

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