The Ohio State Buckeyes find themselves playing the role of Las Vegas favorites this weekend as they prepare to take on the University of Notre Dame. OSU is currently booked as -8.5 point favorites against the Fighting Irish, with the point total residing at 45.5 points just prior to kickoff.
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In his official preview for the College Football Playoff National Championship, former second-round draft pick for the Buffalo Bills and five-year NFL veteran, Bucky Brooks, noted on NFL’s ‘Move the Sticks,’ that the Irish had a better chance of pulling off the upset than the odds may suggest.
Citing their experience in playing Ohio State before—in addition to their ability to play man defense against one of the best receiving prospects in recent memory, Marvin Harrison Jr.—Brooks suggests that this game will be closer than the odds may suggest.
“I don’t believe they are going to fear Ohio State like some teams do… They are going to try to make this a Will Howard game.” Brooks asserted.
Should the Fighting Irish put together enough offense and “…get to the fourth quarter” he feels “…pretty confident” that Notre Dame “…will be able to lock up and play on the outside.”
However, OSU’s senior sensation, Will Howard, does have the potential to spell disaster according to Brooks. The former Super Bowl champion warned that “Playing zone and letting Will Howard have whatever he wants, that’s not the recipe.”
Howard posted 3,779 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns while completing 292 of his 402 pass attempts this year.
Notre Dame was the nation’s third-best team this year in terms of allowing first downs in the passing game and limiting teams to 7.2 all year. Only Ohio State and Rice University ranked ahead of them. To Brooks’ credit, the Irish also finished fourth overall in opponent passing interceptions. Averaging 1.3 interceptions a game, this defensive unit has the talent to deliver on his game plan.
Notre Dame is currently allowing 298.3 offensive yards per game, the ninth least in all of college football. Furthermore, their 14.3 points per game make them the second-stingiest defense in the game. Only Ohio State outranked them in that metric, as the Buckeyes currently allow a CFB low of 12.2 points per game.
However, there is one key metric that looms large in favor of the Fighting Irish—pass completions per game. Notre Dame has limited signal callers to just 14.5 pass completions per game all year long, while facing an average of 28.7 attempts per game. Their ability to deflect passes and break up attempts as receivers close in on the ball could go a long way in bringing Brooks’ prediction to life.
The two premiere defenses of college football will be on full display tonight. The Buckeyes are looking to lay claim to their ninth national championship, while Notre Dame is hoping to lay claim to its 12th title in program history.
Should the Irish get the job done, they will realize their first championship victory since 1988. The “No risk it, no biscuit” philosophy of Brooks should be on full display tonight as Notre Dame tries to end this 37-year drought.
