Cris Carter may be biased, but he is confident in Ohio State’s chances against Notre Dame on Monday. In an interview with Kyle Odegard, the great Ohio State wide receiver outlined why he thinks the Buckeyes will easily win the National Championship.
“Ohio State’s defense is incredible.” “I don’t see Notre Dame scoring many points against that defense,” Carter stated. “Notre Dame has a few injured offensive lineman. I feel that will be the most significant difference in the game.
“It forces Notre Dame’s quarterback to try to win the game on his own. That’s running, throwing, and putting all of the burden on him. “I believe that is the recipe for the Buckeyes to win the championship.”
Ohio State boasts the best defense in the country this season, allowing only 251.1 yards per game. The Buckeyes’ defense has been equally suffocating in the College Football Playoff, with only Oregon scoring three touchdowns in a single game against them.
As Carter noted, Notre Dame’s offense is not at full strength. The Fighting Irish have had injury problems on their offensive line all season. Anthonie Knapp just suffered a season-ending injury in the CFP semifinals versus Penn State.
With less protection up front, Ohio State will surely put relentless pressure on Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. While Leonard can avoid defenders on his feet, there is only so much one man can accomplish.
Carter believes that while Ohio State’s defense will be critical to the game’s outcome, the team’s offense will be equally crucial.
“Early in the game, you have to get the ball to your playmakers,” Carter informed the crowd. “Let’s see what Notre Dame is doing defensively against Jeremiah Smith.”
“With him and the other dynamic players at wide receiver and running back, let’s try to get some explosive plays early and see if Notre Dame can catch up. I feel things might get very unpleasant for the Irish.”
Ohio State’s aerial attack has been critical to its postseason success, since the team threw for only 175 yards in its regular-season finale loss to Michigan. In Ohio State’s victory over Texas, quarterback Will Howard tallied 289 passing yards to the Buckeyes’ 81 yards on the ground.
Of course, Notre Dame will not make things easy for Ohio State. The Fighting Irish defense allows only 165.3 passing yards per game, which is the second lowest in the country.
Cris Carter won’t have to wait much longer to see if his prophecies come true. The CFP National Championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame will take place on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
About The Author
