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Mid-September games with potential College Football Playoff implications always turn heads, and this week’s rematch between Ohio State and Notre Dame fits the bill.
Both teams are humming on offense, and both are hoping to get back to the playoffs this season thanks to the strong play they’ve been getting from their quarterbacks.
Ohio State currently ranks No. 6 in America after three straight wins to open the season, but they could make a huge statement if they can defeat the No. 9 Fighting Irish on the road in South Bend.
Notre Dame meanwhile has taken advantage of some excellent quarterback play from Sam Hartman and strong defensive presence to race out to a 4-0 record on the year, with some of their toughest games of the campaign still lying ahead on their schedule.
Here’s our first thoughts on the game.
Quarterback Play a Big Plus on Both Sides
Ohio State came into the season with some big question marks at quarterback, but things have settled down in a big way in the last two weeks thanks to Kyle McCord, who has 576 passing yards and six touchdowns in wins over Youngstown State and Western Kentucky.
McCord, who beat out Devin Brown for the starting job in training camp, as utilized Ohio State’s star wide receivers to his full advantage, and is hoping for more of the same against Notre Dame, with the Buckeyes averaging 318.3 yards per game through the air.
For Notre Dame, Hartman has been just as good as advertised since joining the Irish, with 1,061 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns for good measure.
Notre Dame is averaging 304.3 yards per game through the air and is averaging 46 points per game through four contests, one of the best marks in all of college football.
Offensive Depth a Key for Both Teams
Both Ohio State and…
Source link : https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/ncaa/notre-dame-fighting-irish/first-thoughts-notre-dame-ohio-state-bring-explosive-offenses-to-south-bend-showdown/507577/?partner=yahoo?src=rss
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2023-09-18 18:33:52
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