The Notre Dame game has arrived.
After three wins against Indiana, Youngstown State and Western Kentucky to begin the 2023 season, No. 6 Ohio State is making the trip north to South Bend, Indiana for its first road matchup against the No. 9 Fighting Irish since 1996.
Both teams are undefeated, as Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame have wins against Navy, Tennessee State, North Carolina State and Central Michigan to begin 2023.
WANNA BET?Here are the latest Ohio State football odds and lines
Follow Ohio State vs. Notre Dame live here.
Ohio State offense stalls after costly flag on Josh Fryar
The good news is that Marvin Harrison is back for Ohio State. Cade Stover continues to make miraculous, muscular catches. Emeka Egbuka is finding his stride. But Josh Fryar tonight has registered costly false start and unnecessary roughness tonight, and OSU will start the fourth quarter with Jesse Mirco punting the ball as a result. The offensive lineman’s latest flad was for jumping on a defensive player at the end of the play. It erased what would have been a first-down grab by Egbuka.
Marvin Harrison returns for Ohio State
Not only is OSU receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. back on the field for the Buckeyes, but he made a short catch for the Scarlet and Gray.
Notre Dame’s Gi’Bran Payne finishes off old-school drive – OSU 10, Notre Dame 7
Relying on their running game during a drive that included rushes of 16 and 18 yards, Notre Dame cracked the end zone for the first time tonight. Gi’Brian’s touchdown went for 1 yard.
Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. comes out of the medical tent
OSU’s star receiver has a heavily taped right ankle and is trying to move around on the Buckeyes sideline.
TreVeyon Henderson takes it to the house, but Marvin Harrison is injured – OSU 10, Notre Dame 0
On the next play following the OSU defense’s stand, TreVeyon Henderson rushed it 61 yards for a score, but a Notre Dame defender slid under Marvin Harrison taking out his legs on the play, and he spent a long time with trainers before being helped into the medical tent.
Harrison has one catch for 7 yards tonight. This would mark the second year that OSU has lost a star receiver during a game against Notre Dame, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba was hurt when the Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish in the 2022 season opener.
Ohio State’s defense holds the line again
The Buckeyes stopped Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman on fourth-and-1. OSU has allowed just one pass longer than 15 yards so far tonight, that a 25-yard grab by Chris Tyree with 11:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Buckeyes defense earning a few helmet stickers
Ohio State’s defense is pitching a shutout against a team that entered the game averaging 46 points a contest.
Lathan Ransom continues to lead OSU with five tackles, while Sonny Styles and Steele Chambers each have four. Jack Sawyer has an impressive pass breakup, having batted a ball down at the line. Tommy Eichenberg had a quarterback hurry. And Tyleik Williams defended a pass as well as recorded a tackle for loss.
As for the Buckeye leaves on OSU’s helmets, you can read more about them here.
Ohio State football vs. Notre Dame, first-half stats:
| STAT | Ohio State | Notre Dame |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yds | 147 | 141 |
| Pass Yds | 84 | 88 |
| Rush Yds | 63 | 53 |
| Penalties | 1-5 | 2-30 |
| 1st Downs | 10 | 8 |
| 3rd Downs | 5-9 | 2-5 |
| 4th Downs | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Total Plays | 35 | 26 |
| Avg Yds/Play | 4.2 | 5.4 |
| Avg Yds/Completion | 9.3 | 9.8 |
| Avg Yds/Rush | 3.3 | 4.1 |
| Sack-Adj Rush Yd(Avg) | 63 (3.3) | 53 (4.1) |
| Red Zone | 1-2 | 0-1 |
| Time of Poss | 15:30 | 14:30 |
| Turnovers (Def Pts Off) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Sacks (Def Yds) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| TFL (Def Yds) | 1 (1) | 1 (3) |
OSU’s Ryan Day: “I’m pissed about that.”
Going into the locker room at halftime, Ohio State coach Ryan Day had mixed feelings about his team’s performance, but there was one thing he was undeniably upset about. The Buckeyes’ failure to punch the ball in on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line had the OSU head man saying he was “pissed.”
Ohio State gets on the board – OSU 3, Notre Dame 0
The Buckeyes are up 3-0 thanks to Jayden Fielding’s 31-yard field goal. The kick went through the uprights with 26 seconds left in the half. Emeka Egbuka had receptions of 12 and 18 yards to set that up.
Before Fielding’s field goal, the Buckeyes were in jeopardy of being held scoreless in the first half since their 31-0 loss to Clemson in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
Ohio State’s defense forces a punt
Although Audric Estime had a 22-yard run, Notre Dame eventually had to punt the ball away. The Fighting Irish’s previous drives ended when they turned the ball over on downs and missed a field goal attempt.
Lathan Ransom has five tackles. Sonny Styles and Steele Chambers each have four stops for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State offense stopped on fourth down, Kyle McCord with some ups and downs
Kyle McCord is a little uneven early. He is 5-9 passing for 41 yards, and his attempt on fourth-and-goal was incomplete. Also, star Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. does not have a catch.
Notre Dame misses field goal, but chews up more clock – OSU 0, Notre Dame 0
Tyleik Williams came up big for Ohio State again. He almost had an interception, and that prevented Notre Dame from converting on a third down. The Fighting Irish were forced to attempt a field goal from 47 yards as a result, which Spencer Shrader missed.
Mitchell Evans, who came into the game with five catches for 63 yards in four games, has four receptions for 38 yards already tonight. And Notre Dame is winning time of possession 10:57 to 4:59.
Ohio State offense stopped again
After just 1:22 and three downs with the ball, OSU has been forced to punt. The Fighting Irish’s previous drive, it should be noted, chewed up 8:12 of clock.
Ohio State’s defense gives Buckeyes the ball back
It was a promising start for the Ohio State defense. Tyleik Williams grabbed running back Audric Estime for a loss and Jack Sawyer batted down a Sam Hartman pass early. Tommy Eichenberg made the 207th tackle of his OSU career.
Notre Dame eventually got going a bit, mostly thanks to Hartman’s 7-8 passing for 64 yards. However, he was stopped on a fourth-down run. OSU got the ball back at their own 18.
Ohio State football forced to punt – OSU 0, Notre Dame 0
Notre Dame wins the coin toss
The Fighting Irish will defer their choice to the second half, and OSU has chosen to start the game receiving the ball.
Many Ohio State football fans traveled to Notre Dame, but…
Expectations that OSU fans would take over Notre Dame Stadium were overblown.
Who are the officials for the Ohio State football game against Notre Dame?
| Referee: | Larry Smith |
| Umpire: | Tim Gover |
| Referee: | Larry Smith |
| Head Linesman: | BJ Henry |
| Line Judge: | James Wharrie |
| Back Judge: | Kevin Schwarzel |
| Field Judge: | Phil Hicks |
| Side Judge: | Gaylon Williams |
| Center Judge: | Bryan Banks |
| Replay Official: | Nick Baniel |
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame spread: Is OSU favored against Notre Dame?
Ohio State will take the field as the betting favorite Saturday night against Notre Dame.
The Buckeyes are 3-point favorites with the over/under set at 55.5 points.
While Ohio State is 3-0, the Buckeyes are 1-2 against the spread, only covering against Western Kentucky last week.
Notre Dame is 3-1 against the spread, failing to cover against Central Michigan last week.
Is Ohio State good enough to stop Notre Dame’s offense?
But is it good enough to stop Notre Dame? Kirk Herbstreit isn’t sure.
“Here’s the thing about the Ohio State defense: we don’t know yet,” Herbstreit said on ESPN’s “College GameDay” Saturday. “They way they ended last year against Michigan and Georgia had a lot of anticipation leading into this year, second year under Jim Knowles. And they have been OK. If you have really watched them, one thing they have not been able to do is get after the quarterback. Now they are playing this game on the road, can their defensive ends… apply pressure and be able to to be a defense that is disruptive.”
What did Lou Holtz say about Ohio State before OSU vs. Notre Dame?
Lou Holtz doesn’t think Ohio State has a shot against Notre Dame Saturday night.
“Notre Dame is a better football team than Ohio State,” Holtz, who led the Fighting Irish to 100 wins in 11 seasons as their head coach and a national championship in 1988, said Friday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “And let me tell you why: We have the best offensive line in the country. Sam Hartman won’t even get his jersey dirty all year. He has time to throw the football… We have great running backs. This team is averaging about 10 yards per carry. We have great receivers, so offensively, we’re set. Defensively, our defensive line’s better.
“You look at coach (Ryan) Day — and I coached at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. We won the national championship when I was there. I’m proud of that. However, he has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice. And everybody (that) beats him, does so because they are more physical than Ohio State. And I think Notre Dame will take that same approach.”
Holtz admitted Notre Dame has not had the best strength of schedule, coming in with four wins against Navy, Tennessee State, North Carolina State and Central Michigan. But he said that will have no effect on the Fighting Irish against the Buckeyes.
“Every day, we get to practice against good,” Holtz said. “We get to practice covering our good receivers. Won’t be much different than covering the great receiver they have at Ohio State. Plus, we’re playing at home.
“You take this message to Ohio State,” Holtz said. “You tell them to bring their lunch because it’s going to be a full damn day’s work.”
‘Let’s go Irish:’ Michigan fans cheering for Notre Dame
Near the end of No. 2 Michigan’s 31-7 home win against Rutgers, Wolverines fans turned their attention to Saturday’s primetime matchup.
Michigan fans began to chant “Let’s go Irish” in support of Notre Dame ahead of their matchup against Ohio State.
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame game predictions
Will Ohio State end its non-conference schedule with a top-10 road win? Here’s a look at how the Columbus Dispatch staff thinks Saturday night’s game will go.
- Bill Rabinowitz: Ohio State 38, Notre Dame 27
- Joey Kaufman: Notre Dame 31, Ohio State 28
- Rob Oller: Notre Dame 24, Ohio State 23
- Colin Gay: Notre Dame 27, Ohio State 24
- Mike Berardino (South Bend Tribune): Notre Dame 23, Ohio State 21
Is Ohio State-Notre Dame an ‘elimination’ game for the College Football Playoff?
“I think there is a showdown. It is an elimination Saturday in South Bend, Indiana,” Meyer said on “Big Noon Kickoff” Saturday. “You know why Mark (Ingram)? Because you look at the back end of those schedules, both of them got really tough schedules at the end of the season. This will expose weaknesses. The loser of the game in South Bend, I don’t think they make the playoff. And I think you can mark it in: the winner, they are going to the playoffs this year.”
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame game history
Meetings are rare between Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Saturday will be the eighth ever meeting between the two teams, with the Buckeyes’ leading the series 5-2.
Ohio State has not lost to Notre Dame since 1936: the only time the Buckeyes have ever lost in South Bend.
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame: ‘College GameDay’ picks
Here’s how the “College GameDay” team picked Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Saturday morning.
- Lee Corso: Ohio State
- Kirk Herbstreit: Ohio State
- Desmond Howard: Notre Dame
- Pat McAfee: Notre Dame
- Vince Vaughn: Notre Dame
Which NFL teams are attending Ohio State vs. Notre Dame?
Representatives from 16 NFL teams will be at Notre Dame Stadium Saturday night for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame.
Representatives from the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans are scheduled to attend the eighth meeting between the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish.
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame injury report
Seven Ohio State players are unavailable for the Notre Dame game Saturday night.
Safety Cameron Martinez will not play in the Buckeyes’ primetime matchup against the Fighting Irish, along with wide receiver Kyion Grayes, tight end Zak Herbstreit, linebacker Arvell Reese, defensive lineman Will Smith Jr., wide receiver Reis Stocksdale and linebacker Kourt Williams II.
No players are listed as questionable heading into OSU vs. ND.
What time is Ohio State vs. Notre Dame?
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind.
What channel is the Ohio State game on?
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC.
Watch OSU football:Watch Ohio State vs. Notre Dame live with FUBO (free trial)
How can I watch the Ohio State-Notre Dame game without cable? Is OSU vs. ND streaming?
The Buckeyes’ matchup against the Penguins will be available on any platform that offers NBC such as YouTubeTV, Hulu Live and Fubo TV, which offers a free trial.
OSU vs. ND is also available to be streamed on Peacock.
Who is announcing the Ohio State, Notre Dame game on NBC?
A former Penn State quarterback will be a part of the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame TV broadcast team Saturday night in South Bend.
Here are the announcers for the Ohio State-Notre Dame game:
- Noah Eagle (play-by-play)
- Todd Blackledge (analysis)
- Kathryn Tappen (sideline)
How to listen to Ohio State vs. Notre Dame on the radio
Ohio State football is broadcasted live on WBNS-FM/AM (97.1/1460).
- Paul Keels (play-by-play)
- Jim Lachey (analysis)
- Matt Andrews (sideline)
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