No Luck for Those Fighting Irish: Ohio State Beats Notre Dame 21-10

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We have our first No. 2 vs. No. 5 college match up in the books. Ohio State welcomed Notre Dame to town on Saturday night. The stage was set for a star-studded showdown between two of the most storied programs in college football history. Ohio State started off their 2022 campaign with a victory in front of 106,594 Buckeyes. Including the likes of LeBron James and his son Bronny, Joe Burrow, Sam Hubbard, Ezekiel Elliot, Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones, JT Barrett, Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, and Justin Fields. A new look defense, injuries, and a few key plays gave us a glimpse of the Buckeyes on both sides of the ball.

Let’s break down some of the main takeaways from Saturday night.

 

Defense. Defense. Defense.

We are looking at you, Jim Knowles. The Buckeyes have produced numerous stars on the defensive side of the ball for as long as I can remember – Malcolm Jenkins, James Laurinaitis, Cameron Heyward, Chris Spielman, Nick and Joey Bosa, Denzel Ward, Chase Young – you get the point. However, the offense has mainly been the focal point of the team, and understandably so. According to NCAA.com, Ohio State currently ranks #8 in total defense in the nation. This is an already vast improvement from last year where they finished the year ranked at #38. Sure, we are only one week in, but the Buckeyes’ defense was able to hold the Fighting Irish to 76 yards on the ground. And only allowed them to find the end zone once all night. Michael Hall Jr. came up huge for the Buckeyes’ defense. He provided 4 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 highlight sack. They say, as Georgia showed us last year, that defense wins championships. The Buckeyes look to be in good hands under Coach Knowles leading the defense.

 

Next Man Up

Quarterback C.J. Stroud was solid in his first game of the season. He finished the game 24/34 with 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. His prime receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, was injured early in the game. Thus, it didn’t allow for the usual fireworks you see between the two.

Emeka Egbuka had no problem getting comfortable and making an impact. He finished the night with 10 receptions for 90 yards and 1 touchdown. This helped the offense when it was most needed. Smith-Njibga’s hamstring injury is one to keep an eye on. Ohio State hosts Arkansas State and Toledo over the next two weeks. There is no reason to rush him back into the offense until he is fully healed. The Buckeyes have enough weapons on both sides of the ball.  This should keep their next two opponents at bay and cruise without Jaxon. Of course, his absence is one that will be missed. However, the next receiver will have to fill the void and take over the offense. Egbuka or Marvin Harrison Jr. are more than talented enough to step up while Smith-Njigba is out.

 

Rushing Attack

The Buckeyes have been able to produce quality running backs for years on end. The rushing tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams is no different. Henderson put together a nice night with 15 carries for 91 yards. Williams himself carried the ball for 84 yards on 14 carries and 1 touchdown, including 49 yards on a drive that started on the Buckeyes’ own 5-yard line. Williams muscled his way into the end zone to cap off the drive and helped put the Buckeyes up 21-10 late in the fourth quarter. Jaxon Smith-Njigba out with an injury should draw attention to the running game and allow Henderson and Williams the opportunity to touch the ball more. Both running backs have shown that they are good enough to carry the offense on their backs and should look to provide the Buckeyes with needed relief on the ground.

Looking ahead

Ohio State has an unusual schedule with 8 of their 12 regular season games at home, including the next four against Arkansas State, Toledo, Wisconsin, and Rutgers. Wisconsin will be their next big test, but I expect the Buckeyes to handle their business there and continue to build momentum before heading into East Lansing with a 5-0 record to take on the Spartans.