Why Notre Dame will win the National Championship
Fiu Bluesky | CFN Bluesky | CFN X | CFN FB Notre Dame vs Ohio State Preview – CFP NC Prediction, What Will Happen – It’s Ohio State, it’s Notre Dame, it’s massive – OSU & ND national titles, history – Why Ohio State will win the national title
The Fighting Irish are just that good
Ohio State might be loaded everywhere, but you don’t beat this team unless you get the line play to make it happen. Texas had an offensive line with five future NFL starters, and it couldn’t generate a push averaging just two yards per carry in the Cotton Bowl, and was woeful on that one fateful series leading to the Jack Sawyer sack-strips-score moment. The Notre Dame offensive line hasn’t been flawless – it’s been pieced together by duct tape and prayers – but when it was go time to start the second half against Penn State … BANG.
The power running of Riley Leonard
You can’t be meek against Ohio State defense. Few teams tried to power away against it, but Oregon did just that in the first meeting averaging five yards per carry in the win. Michigan averaged over four yards per pop and ran for 172 yards, the most allowed by the Buckeyes all year. Tennessee got down fast, but even without star RB Dylan Sampson it was able to run a bit in the 42-17 loss. That might have been a blowout, but it also showed Notre Dame the way to possibly get this done.
Ohio State didn’t face any truly dangerous rushing quarterbacks this season. However, Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava was able to power a bit to get a drive moving at the end of the first half. Again, the Buckeye offense was rolling so easily that the Vols couldn’t afford to go on slow-moving grind drives, but Notre Dame should be able to do that from the start.
Riley Leonard is slippery for a 6-4, 216-pound quarterback. He ran for 866 yards and 16 touchdowns this season averaging over five yards per carry, and in this, he might serve as a sort of fullback to power up on the inside to let things eventually open up for Jeremiyah Love and the speedsters on the outside. Basically, do what Texas didn’t with Arch Manning. Use the power at quarterback to set up everything else.
Notre Dame forces teams to screw up because …
There’s no other way to put it. This team plays smarter and more fearlessly than anyone else. It’s not exactly Dan Campbell Detroit Lions with is recklessness, but it plays ball, it attacks in all phases, and then it figures it out from there. There’s absolutely nothing meek – (cough) Ohio State’s game plan vs Michigan (wheeeez) – about what the Fighting Irish do…