COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State wasn't happy with the way last year ended, notwithstanding the thrilling come-from-behind Rose Bowl win over Utah.
The Buckeyes lost to Michigan for the first time since 2011 and had their four-year run as Big Ten champion end. Coach Ryan Day said his team was “edgy” during the offseason, and the Saturday night game against the Irish should be a good gauge for what's possible for the Buckeyes.
Offense should be no problem with C.J. Stroud, surrounded by many of the playmakers who helped the Buckeyes score better than 45 points per game. Day's most important move was hiring Jim Knowles away from Oklahoma State to shore up an underperforming defense.
Adding intrigue to the matchup is that Marcus Freeman, a linebacker for the Buckeyes from 2004-08, begins his first full season as Notre Dame coach.
And if Notre Dame is going to beat Ohio State for just the first time since 1936, everyone in South Bend knows the defense must ace its test on the road.
“You want an opportunity to go and play against the best,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “There is no better way to see where we are as a football team.”
Freeman understands the intrigue of this matchup better than most.
Last season, Freeman was Notre Dame's defensive coordinator. But after Brian Kelly's departure for LSU, Freeman took over as head coach and hired Al Golden as his replacement.
Now it's Golden's job to figure out how to keep Stroud corralled. Last year, he completed 71.9% of his passes, threw for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions as Ohio State piled up 561.2 yards and 45.7 points per game. Stroud finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
He enters this season as one of the Heisman frontrunners, seeking to add the other missing line from his resume — Big Ten champion.
“C.J. throws a really pretty ball,” Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph said. “It’s on the money. Almost every throw seems like it’s exactly where he wants it.”
Ohio State has won four straight in this series, with Notre Dame's last win coming on Halloween 1936 when it hung on for a 7-2 victory in the driving rain. The Buckeyes only score that day came on a blocked punt that resulted in a safety.
It's unlikely the Irish defense can pitch another shutout against the Buckeyes, who have five preseason All-Americans — receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back TreVeyon Henderson, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., right tackle Dawand Jones and Stroud. Jones and Stroud were second-team selections.
"It’s going to be a battle,” Golden said. “The game is not going to be decided early. We just have to get to the point where we understand it’s going to be punch, counter-punch. It’s going to be a long night.”
At least the game-planning features Joseph and Isaiah Foskey, who were also preseason All-Americans. Foskey led the Irish with 11 sacks last season.
There’s also linebacker JD Bertrand and ultra-athletic cornerback Cam Hart. Each need to play significant roles if Freeman is going to win his head coaching debut.
But Freeman also needs contributions from less experienced underclassmen.
Notre Dame is expected to rely on a 10-player defensive line rotation with as many as 10 defensive backs and four linebackers also seeing time just to keep players rested against the Buckeyes' fast-paced offense.
“Those guys can rotate in and just take the top off the defense,” Freeman said, referring to the Buckeyes' receiving corps . "If you don’t stop the run, they’ll run it all day long. The ability to stop the run is most important."
And it shows in the results.
Ohio State failed to top the 30-point mark three times last season and two of those resulted in losses — Oregon and Michigan. Stroud threw for 394 or more yards in all three, nearly 14 above his season average, while averaging three yards per carry.
Compare that with Ohio State’s other 10 games when the offense averaged 207 yards rushing and 6.3 yards per carry, and the path to success seems clear.
Stopping the run gives Notre Dame its best chance to end the 86-year drought against Ohio State.
“They’ve got some great players at the running back position,” defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola said. “They’ve got some great people up front protecting them, but it’s about us. We understand what we need to do.”
Oddsmakers obviously believe in the Buckeyes. They're favored by 17.5 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Best matchup
Purdue offense vs. Penn State defense. The Thursday night opener is a great measuring stick for Purdue. The Boilermakers are preseason darlings following a nine-win season that included two wins over top-five opponents and ended with an overtime bowl victory over Tennessee. Aidan O’Connell is out to build on one of the best passing seasons in program history.
Penn State is in bounce-back mode. The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 4 following a 5-0 start and lost six of their last eight. QB Sean Clifford returns, but there are lots of questions about the Nittany Lions as they attempt to rise from middle of the pack in the Big Ten East.
Inside the numbers
Indiana will go for its fourth straight win in the series with Illinois, which visits Bloomington on Friday night.
Illini will be trying to win its Big Ten opener in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1990-91.
Defending conference champion Michigan enters its game against Colorado State 10-0 all-time against current Mountain West teams.
The Wolverines are 16-0 under Jim Harbaugh in nonconference home games.
Northwestern's 31-28 win over Nebraska in Ireland last week marked the first time since 2016 that the Wildcats had at least 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a game.
