Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, left, and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman talk before an NCAA ... [+]
Few college football programs have more of a national cachet than Notre Dame and Ohio State. They’re both Midwest schools, but they are known across the U.S. They have passionate fan bases, as well as plenty of people who want to see them lose.
And so, it’s safe to predict there will be millions watching on Saturday night when No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0) hosts No. 6 Ohio State (3-0) in a primetime NBC matchup. The victor will remain undefeated and earn hype as a national title contender, while the loser will need to regroup and likely win all of their remaining games to secure a College Football Playoff berth.
This is a rematch of last year when then-No. 2 Ohio State defeated No. 5 Notre Dame, 21-10, in the season opener for both teams, the Buckeyes’ fifth consecutive victory over the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame hasn’t beaten Ohio State since back-to-back wins in 1935 and 1936.
The Fighting Irish have a good shot at ending that streak on Saturday, thanks in large part to quarterback Sam Hartman. Hartman, 24, transferred to Notre Dame in January after playing for five years at Wake Forest, where he completed 59.1% of his passes and threw for 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns.
Hartman has been even better in his first year at Notre Dame. He has completed 71.1% of his passes for 1,061 yards, a Division 1-best 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. He is third in Division 1 with a 217.8 passing efficiency rating and fourth with 11.8 yards per attempt. For his career, Hartman ranks seventh all-time with 123 passing touchdowns and 11th with 14,028 passing yards.
Ohio State, meanwhile, has a first-year starting quarterback in Kyle McCord, who has completed 69.7% of his passes for 815 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. McCord is 12th nationally in passing efficiency rating (183.2) and 11th with 10.7 yards per attempt.
This will be by far the most high-pressure situation and best team McCord has faced, making it difficult to gauge how he will perform. But the Buckeyes are loaded at the skill positions with two receivers who are likely first round 2024 NFL draft picks (Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka) as well as tight end Cade Stover (10 catches for 188 yards this season) and a trio of talented running backs (TreyVeyon Henderson, Deamonte Trayanum and Miyan Williams).
Ohio State is favored by 3 points, according to Caesars Sportsbook, a nod to its deep roster, consistency as a national power and history against Notre Dame.
Here’s a look at the Buckeyes’ five-game winning streak over the Fighting Irish:
Sept. 30, 1995 – Ohio State won, 45-26, at Ohio Stadium
This was only the third time the teams had played each other and the first meeting in 59 years.
An Ohio Stadium-record 95,537 fans watched as the No. 7 Buckeyes overcame a 10-0 deficit and remained undefeated. Ohio State trailed, 17-14, at halftime, but the Buckeyes outscored the Fighting Irish, 31-9, in the second half. It was the second loss for Notre Dame, which fell, 17-15, to Northwestern in the season opener.
Ohio State running back Eddie George, who would win the Heisman Trophy, ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Bobby Hoying threw for four touchdowns. The Buckeyes won their first 11 games and moved up to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll before losing their regular season finale to Michigan. They then lost to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, rebounded from the Ohio State loss and won its final six regular season games before losing to Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
Sept, 28, 1996 – Ohio State won, 29-16, at Notre Dame Stadium
There were similarities between Saturday’s matchup and this game from 27 years ago, which was the last time the teams played at Notre Dame Stadium. Just like this year, Ohio State and Notre Dame entered the game undefeated and with national title hopes.
Still, the No. 4 Buckeyes dominated, getting out to a 22-7 halftime lead and holding on for a 13-point victory. Ohio State running back Pepe Pearson ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Stanley Jackson threw for the other two touchdowns.
No. 5 Notre Dame averaged just 2.9 yards on 44 carries, while senior quarterback Ron Powlus was 13 for 30 for 154 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Powlus, who was sacked four times, was distraught afterwards and told reporters that “the season is not over, (but) our national championship is over. You (might) say anything can happen, but Notre Dame will never win a national championship with one loss because we are Notre Dame.”
The Fighting Irish did not get a chance to see whether Powlus was correct, as they lost two more games to Air Force and USC in what was coach Lou Holtz’s final season at Notre Dame.
Ohio State, meanwhile, won its first 11 games and was ranked No. 2 in the nation before losing to Michigan in the regular season finale, just like had happened the year before. The Buckeyes then won the Rose Bowl with a 20-17 victory over 11-0 Arizona State.
Jan, 2, 2006 – Ohio State won, 34-20, in the Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State and Notre Dame entered this game ranked No. 4 and No. 5 in the AP poll, respectively, and each had two losses. Still, the way they got there varied.
Notre Dame was unranked in the preseason and was coming off a year in which it went 6-6 and fired coach Tyrone Willingham after three seasons. But first-year coach Charlie Weis, the former New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator, revitalized the program with the help of a high-powered offense featuring quarterback Brady Quinn, running back Darius Walker and receivers Jeff Samardzija and Maurice Stovall. The Fighting Irish’s only two losses were by three points apiece against Michigan State and No. 1 USC, which was an instant classic.
Ohio State, meanwhile, was sixth in the preseason AP poll and had high expectations under fifth-year coach Jim Tressel, who had led the Buckeyes to the national title during the 2002 season. The Buckeyes’ two losses in 2005 were against then-No. 2 Texas, 25-22, on Sept. 10 and against then-No. 16 Penn State, 17-10, on Oct. 8.
During the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State got out to a 21-7 halftime lead and hung on for a 14-point victory, clinched by Antonio Pittman’s 60-yard touchdown run with 1:46 remaining. The Buckeyes had 617 yards compared with Notre Dame’s 348 yards, but the Buckeyes had two turnovers.
Pittman finished with a game-high 136 rushing yards, while Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns. Walker scored all three of Notre Dame’s touchdowns.
Jan. 1, 2016 – Ohio State won, 44-28, in the Fiesta Bowl
Ten years after their first postseason matchup, the teams met again in the Fiesta Bowl.
It wasn’t exactly the place that Ohio State wanted to be, though. The Buckeyes were the reigning national champion and entered the season ranked first in the AP poll. They remained number one until losing, 17-14, at home on Nov. 21 to Michigan State. The next week, Ohio State crushed rival Michigan, 42-13, but they were not selected as one of the four teams to participate in the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes showed in the Fiesta Bowl that they were among the nation’s best teams. Notre Dame cut its deficit to 28-21 in the third quarter, but Ohio State added a touchdown and three field goals to pull away for the easy victory.
Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott ran for 149 yards and four touchdowns, while quarterback J.T. Barrett threw for 211 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
It was the second straight loss for Notre Dame, which had also fell to Stanford in its regular season finale. Entering the Stanford game, the Fighting Irish were 10-1 and No. 4 in the polls and had a legitimate shot at a CFP berth, but their season ended in disappointment.
Sept. 3, 2022 – Ohio State won, 21-10, at Ohio Stadium
Unlike this year, when Notre Dame has the veteran quarterback and Ohio State has the unproven one, last year’s matchup was the opposite.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud entered the season as a Heisman favorite, while Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner had never started a college game. Ohio State was No. 2 in the preseason AP poll, while Notre Dame was No. 5 even though it had a first-year coach in Marcus Freeman, an Ohio State alum.
The game was closer than many expected, with Notre Dame trailing, 10-7, on Audric Estime’s one-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. That score remained until 17 seconds left in the third quarter when Stroud threw a 24-yard touchdown pass. Buckeyes running back Miyan Williams added a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Stroud finished 24 of 34 for 223 yards and two touchdowns, while the Buckeyes ran for 172 yards on 35 carries. The Fighting Irish didn’t do much on offense, gaining 76 yards on 30 carries and Buchner going 10 for 18 for 177 yards.
The next week, Notre Dame lost to lowly Marshall, 26-21, one of the biggest upsets of the year. But the Fighting Irish won eight of their next nine games before losing to USC and Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams in the regular season finale. They then defeated South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.
Ohio State, meanwhile, was 11-0 and No. 2 in the polls before ending the regular season with a 45-23 loss to Michigan. Still, the Buckeyes were selected for the College Football Playoff. In the semifinals, Ohio State lost, 42-41, to eventual national champion Georgia after a last-second 50-yard field goal attempt from Buckeyes kicker Noah Ruggles went wide left.
