It wasn’t a CFP game but the result was the same. Notre Dame faced a top-five opponent in Ohio State on Saturday in Columbus and was unable to come away with a statement victory.
The Buckeyes won 21-10, impressively shutting out the Fighting Irish over the last 41:56 of play.
Ohio State marched 70 and 95 yards on touchdown drives in the second half while its defense forced Notre Dame to punt on every possession.
This was a different Ohio State defense than the one that allowed 97 points at the end of last season in losing to Michigan and edging Oregon.
It was fierce, allowing 10 pass completions and 76 rushing yards on 30 attempts. Notre Dame’s offense had no answers for Michael Hall Jr. and the Buckeyes’ defense.
Preseason Heisman favorite C.J. Stroud was efficient, going 24-of-34 for 223 yards with a pair of touchdowns. The Buckeyes chewed up the Notre Dame defense on the ground in the fourth quarter, eventually finishing with 172 yards on 35 carries.
Ohio State came into the game ranked second in the USA TODAY Top 25, while Notre Dame was fifth.
The challenge facing Notre Dame is finding its way eventually back into the CFP picture on a schedule that features three more ranked teams, BYU, Clemson, and USC.
Hard to say this was a must-win game for the Fighting Irish since it was prior to Labor Day but the way their schedule plays out it would have been important to secure it in the win column.
Stars are out for Ohio State vs. ND 🌟
LeBron James
Jayson Tatum
Joe Burrow
Andre Iguodala
Ezekiel Elliott
Justin Fields
Terry McLaurin
Chris Olave
Jeff Okudah
Jerome Bettis(via @H_Grove)pic.twitter.com/xKu5AccdIB
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 3, 2022
