Each week brings a different set of questions that Ohio State Football will have to answer in order to get a victory.
This weekend will be no different, as the Buckeyes travel to South Bend, Indiana to take on Notre Dame in a top-10 matchup. All eyes will be on this game, as it’s set for a prime time kickoff of 7:30 p.m. ET, and the only game between two ranked teams in the evening.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsSome of those questions that need to be answered that will help Ohio State get a big early season are addressed below. If they correctly answer all of them, the Buckeyes should return back to Columbus with a victory.
Will Kyle McCord get antsy in his first road start?
Absolute dart 🎯
Kyle McCord hits Marvin Harrison Jr. on the deep @OhioStateFB TD.
📺: FOX/@CFBOnFOX pic.twitter.com/4SAUT1Sb44
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 16, 2023
Question
The two teams quarterback situations are drastically different. The Irish have transfer Sam Hartman, who will be starting game No. 50 of his collegiate career while McCord is entering just his fourth, and first road start. There are plenty of aspects that won’t be the same for Ohio State’s new starting quarterback. McCord has to manage this for the Buckeyes to come out on top.
Can Ohio State stop Notre Dame rushing attack?
Audric Estimé FBS Stat Rankings:
2nd – rush yards/game – 130.2
3rd – yards/carry – 8.27
8th – total TDs – 5 pic.twitter.com/77yz0pwtcE— Notre Dame Football PR Team (@NDFootballPR) September 17, 2023
Question
Audric Estime is one of the better backs the Buckeyes will face this year, and he’s leading the nation in rushing, albeit with an extra game under his belt. An absolute load to take down, the junior back has added the big play element to his game. Multiple runs over 40+ yards this season with a high of 80. In other words, Estime isn’t just a bruiser as his physical stature would say. Slowing him down will go a long way for Ohio State.
Will the 3rd down efficiency continue to improve?
Ohio State was 5-10 on 3rd downs and 2-2 on 4th downs (Ryan Day's 4th down percentage is crazy)
Western Kentucky was 3-16 on 3rd downs and 3-6 on 4th downs
— BIA 🌰 (@Buckeye_Zone6) September 17, 2023
Question
The Buckeyes, entering their game against Western Kentucky, were among the nation’s worst in 3rd down conversion rate. They completed 5-of-10 of their tries, also going 2-of-2 on fourth down, but on the year Ohio State is getting a first down on just 35.3% of its third down attempts. If this number stays around the same as against WKU, the Buckeyes could very well be on their way to a win.
Can Ohio State quiet the crowd?
Irish wear GREEN
Especially on Saturday
#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/XXmvZjLXO4
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 18, 2023
Question
A lot has been made of Notre Dame allowing opposing teams’ fans to enter its stadium and take it over. Those times were under previous regimes and if you look at secondary ticket prices, it might not be the case on Saturday night. We all know that Buckeye fans travel extremely well, however, I expect to see a lot of green. The key will be playing well early, and keeping the Irish fan base quiet.
Will Ryan Day be as aggressive as he claims they will be?
"I said we're going to go as hard as we possibly can and not look up at the scoreboard until the fourth quarter…It's about going after it, being aggressive."
Ryan Day on letting it rip mentality in South Bend on Saturday #Buckeyes @TheFeverABC6 pic.twitter.com/zsWGrGmyrH
— Kellyanne Stitts (@KellyanneStitts) September 21, 2023
Question
This began last year, when Day said he was going to be extremely aggressive against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals, and he was. For the first two games this year, we didn’t see that same play calling. Was it due to the move for Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator? Maybe the uncertainty of who would be the starter at quarterback. Either way, it seems like the issue was fixed against WKU, Day just needs to keep it up like he says he will.
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