Game Thread For the Natty vs ND, “One More, Then Forever”, Jan. 20th, 34-23 Buckeyes!

[Jaxbuck]

For the next 4 days, everything that comes out of the mouth of anyone associated with Notre Dame, is an attempt to get in our heads.

Focus, and we win.

Which is a direct result of Day showing the world he had rabbit ears and reacting like he did vs tsun and ND the past few years.

Want the narrative to stop? Then make it stop. Here is your chance.

 

[charlohiottean]

He’s either:

A - Full of shit.

B - Dying a horrible death on Monday.

I know you’re just begging for a “why not both” reply, but I’m afraid you’ll just have to get it from somebody else. Not in the mood.

 

[pnuts34]

Thought about this a lot through the playoffs.

I went based off of how they faired vs our offense

1. TCUN
2. Texas
3. Penn State
4. Oregon
5. Tennessee

Then there’s Nebraska who on the interior was a real problem for us. I don’t even know where ND falls in this conversation. The thing the teams have in common that did well was they had big interiors. That’s the opposite for this ND team which is quite light with size of 265-285-300-250 and backers at 230, 239, and 225. Their back 3rd DT is 278 as well so not much help there.

They’re pretty quick up front but there’s a reason Penn State went for over 200 on the ground. There should be room to run for 32 and 1 which if that happens we’re going to hit something to JJ on play action down the field.

Joel thinks OSU 35-17 and that’s a really good pick I think. I’ve seen a bunch of people in this range.

I just freaking pray we are the aggressive passing team from the first two games this post season and not the dysfunctional team we saw between quarters 2 and 3 in the cotton bowl which is the same offense we saw vs TCUN multiple years, Penn state multiple years, and Nebraska this year.

We’ll know a lot after the first quarter. If we have 120+ yards of offense and maybe 10 points that’s a great sign but if it’s 0-0 and we have 40-50 yards that’s pointing toward a 4th quarter finish.

We cannot go into the 4th with a close game IMO. That’s the game ND will win and I know we won vs them last year like that and beat Texas that way. However, that’s not the situation we want to be in at all.

Thats how you get Cie Grant slinging Dorsey to the ground on 4th down to win as a multiple score underdog.

I think the difference between Texas and the other teams OSU has faced that is getting brushed over, is that they were willing to commit 2-3 defensive players to just JJ Smith all game. Does ND have 8 other strong defensive players to stop OSU's other 10? Idk of many programs in CFB that can guard another team with less players. You're asking for a mismatch from Tate, Egbuka, Henderson, Scott and Judkins to carve you up. That's not getting brought up enough that the Texas defensive gameplan was solely to stop JJ Smith. And if ND covers Smith man-man with their CB and doubles with a S, you're putting Egbuka and Tate in man coverage, along with the TEs and RBs, I'll take OSU in that scenario every time. ND played a very 1 dimensional Ped St, and is trying to think that they were a good measuring stick for OSU

 

[Telekinesis]

I think the difference between Texas and the other teams OSU has faced that is getting brushed over, is that they were willing to commit 2-3 defensive players to just JJ Smith all game. Does ND have 8 other strong defensive players to stop OSU's other 10? Idk of many programs in CFB that can guard another team with less players. You're asking for a mismatch from Tate, Egbuka, Henderson, Scott and Judkins to carve you up. That's not getting brought up enough that the Texas defensive gameplan was solely to stop JJ Smith. And if ND covers Smith man-man with their CB and doubles with a S, you're putting Egbuka and Tate in man coverage, along with the TEs and RBs, I'll take OSU in that scenario every time. ND played a very 1 dimensional Ped St, and is trying to think that they were a good measuring stick for OSU

Yeah, the fact that some are thinking this is a good matchup for ND due to them knocking off Ped/UGA is wild to me.

I honestly don’t see a way that Ohio State doesn’t blow this thing wide open unless they shoot themselves in the foot on every drive.

 

[1926Buckeyes]

q

Thought about this a lot through the playoffs.

I went based off of how they faired vs our offense

1. TCUN
2. Texas
3. Penn State
4. Oregon
5. Tennessee

Then there’s Nebraska who on the interior was a real problem for us. I don’t even know where ND falls in this conversation. The thing the teams have in common that did well was they had big interiors. That’s the opposite for this ND team which is quite light with size of 265-285-300-250 and backers at 230, 239, and 225. Their back 3rd DT is 278 as well so not much help there.

They’re pretty quick up front but there’s a reason Penn State went for over 200 on the ground. There should be room to run for 32 and 1 which if that happens we’re going to hit something to JJ on play action down the field.

Michigan had the best interior in the past few years, but Texas had a very good interior plus 3-4 dangerous edge players. Doesn't really matter though, the point still stands. PSU is clearly in the 2nd tier of DL and you could argue Oregon and Tennessee are as good or better in some spots.

 

[Thump]

 

[Captain Buckeye]

q


Michigan had the best interior in the past few years, but Texas had a very good interior plus 3-4 dangerous edge players. Doesn't really matter though, the point still stands. PSU is clearly in the 2nd tier of DL and you could argue Oregon and Tennessee are as good or better in some spots.

I think the TCUN ends and LBs didn’t get enough credit they were all experienced and good.

That said this OL has absolutely played 3 DLs better than this ND group.

I agree that provided we don’t turn the ball over and kill drives with penalties we should probably cover the spread

 

[Jaxbuck]

Trying to compare ND units to past OSU opponents is just transitive property and doesn't really tell the truth.

To me it's as simple as this; I'm the ND defensive coaches, what are my best odds of success? Shut down the skill (WR's and RB's)? or attack the QB and OL? Don't think in absolutes, "this will happen" or "that will happen" you can't predict the future. What path gives you the best odds?

I'm going after Howard and the OL and trying to force them to make mistakes. It all comes down to how well I can do that and conversely, how well they can handle what I do.

 

[BB73]

Personally I would be rooting on for ND if we weren't facing each other, but that's the Irish Catholic in me and I will always be a Buckeye if we happen to match up.

I have a similar background and that’s why ND has always been the second team for me.

Second team to hate behind tCun, that is. Their success can impact tOSU’s recruiting. And they‘ve always thought they were special, so:

FUCK NOTRE DAME!!

 

[shetuck]

Trying to compare ND units to past OSU opponents is just transitive property and doesn't really tell the truth.

To me it's as simple as this; I'm the ND defensive coaches, what are my best odds of success? Shut down the skill (WR's and RB's)? or attack the QB and OL? Don't think in absolutes, "this will happen" or "that will happen" you can't predict the future. What path gives you the best odds?

I'm going after Howard and the OL and trying to force them to make mistakes. It all comes down to how well I can do that and conversely, how well they can handle what I do.

i agree with this.

make howard and the OL run 10-15-20 play drives, and gamble that the mistakes they make and/or penalties they draw will have a bigger impact than the handful of amazing plays from the WRs and RBs.

on offense i don't think there's going to be much ND can do.

for the texas game i said we'd win if we score 28. and that was more than enough.

for ND i'm gonna say if we score 21 we win. and even that might be too much. i doubt ND will get more than 3 scores / two touchdowns.

 

[Jaxbuck]

i agree with this.

make howard and the OL run 10-15-20 play drives, and gamble that the mistakes they make and/or penalties they draw will have a bigger impact than the handful of amazing plays from the WRs and RBs.

on offense i don't think there's going to be much ND can do.

for the texas game i said we'd win if we score 28. and that was more than enough.

for ND i'm gonna say if we score 21 we win. and even that might be too much. i doubt ND will get more than 3 scores / two touchdowns.

I'm always going to say 30 in this day and age. Break 30 and we should be fine with this defense.

Penalties, sacks and turnovers can turn this into a nightmare.

 

[Thump]

 

[Thump]

 

[Honor&Glory]

Just win the damn game. All this ‘should blow them out’ crap is scUM game level rat poison.

 

[Captain Buckeye]

Trying to compare ND units to past OSU opponents is just transitive property and doesn't really tell the truth.

To me it's as simple as this; I'm the ND defensive coaches, what are my best odds of success? Shut down the skill (WR's and RB's)? or attack the QB and OL? Don't think in absolutes, "this will happen" or "that will happen" you can't predict the future. What path gives you the best odds?

I'm going after Howard and the OL and trying to force them to make mistakes. It all comes down to how well I can do that and conversely, how well they can handle what I do.

Normally I’d agree with your approach but that’s not been the recipe to beating OSU outside of last years Cotton bowl which obviously up front and at QB we were a mess for that game. ND sort of did that last year but again a worse OL than this year and a worse QB than this year.

I think blitzing heavy would be a mistake because someone will be open and I’d think they’d be open pretty quickly too.