Clutch passes by C.J. Stroud and powerful runs by Miyan Williams fueled a dominant second half by Ohio State as the Buckeyes rallied to defeat Notre Dame by 21-10 on Saturday. The Irish led 10-7 at the half but the hosts took control of the line of scrimmage as the game wore on. Two long scoring marches provided the points Ohio State needed while Jim Knowles’ defense smothered Notre Dame after intermission.

The game was physical and hard fought as expected but few people believed it would be such a low-scoring contest. The Irish drew first blood after a Tyler Buchner to Lorenzo Styles pass on the first play of the game set up a field goal by Blake Grupe. Ohio State answered later in the quarter when Stroud hit Emeka Egbuka from 31 yards for a 7-3 advantage.

With the frenzied Buckeye fans screaming for a blowout, the Irish did not roll over. Buchner led an 87-yard march to retake the lead as the game entered the second period. Audric Estime crashed over from one yard out for a 10-7 margin.

With Defensive Coordinator Al Golden calling the signals, Notre Dame kept Stroud and his mates off balance for the remainder of the half. The Irish were not getting much pressure on Stroud, but they were covering his receivers effectively and tackling well. Unfortunately, Buchner and the offense could not keep the defense off the field and eventually they wore down.

The defining play occurred late in the third quarter on a third down and 11 play from the Notre Dame 24. Golden called a safety blitz that left the middle of the field wide open. Xavier Johnson ran a post and Stroud hit him in the end zone. The blitzing safeties did not come anywhere near Stroud. It was a poorly timed blitz attempt but also an unnecessary gamble. The Buckeyes took the lead by 14-10 and never relinquished it.

Buchner tried to respond as the game entered the final period. He hit Braden Lenzy for 32 yards and Chris Tyree swept for 14 more to cross midfield. The drive died a sudden death when Matt Salerno was flagged for offensive pass interference. The Irish punted and Ohio State took over on its own five yard line.

The Buckeyes went to their ground game as the Notre Dame defense appeared to sag. Williams broke tackles on several powerful runs while Stroud bailed them out on a couple of back-breaking third down completions. The drive ended seven minutes and 95 yards later in the Irish end zone.

Now trailing 21-10 with five minutes remaining, the Irish could not sustain a drive. Defensive tackle Michael Hall led the surge that overwhelmed the Notre Dame front and shut down all hope for the underdog visitors. After the Irsh held their own in the trenches for two and a half quarters, Ohio State’s linemen dominated the final 20 minutes.

The first half statistics were approximately even but the Buckeye’s ended the night with a 172-76 yard advantage on the ground. Stroud passed for 223 yards and two scores while Buchner had 177 yards through the air. Neither team committed a turnover. Ohio State harassed Buchner all night and sacked him three times. The Irish managed one sack on Stroud but he was not pressured on most of his throws.

Despite a strong effort and a solid game plan, the Buckeyes attacked and ultimately exposed the weaknesses on this team. The middle of the Irsh offensive line, particularly center Zeke Correll and guard Josh Lugg, where no match for Hall and the rest of the Buckeye defenders. They missed blocks in the running game and were unable to handle blitzes or stunts in pass protection.

The Irish linebackers also played poorly, especially in the second half. They either missed tackles, were out of position, or were run over by Williams and TreVeyon Henderson. The secondary held up reasonably well despite a poor first quarter by cornerback Cam Hart and the regrettable safety blitz. Tariq Bracy played particularly well.

Notre Dame also failed to establish its wide receivers. Styles caught one pass at the outset of the game and Lenzy caught a long ball to open the second half. They were not heard from again. The Buckeyes also made it difficult for Michael Mayer to get open. He had five receptions but only one was of any consequence.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Can the Irish establish and maintain a productive rushing attack? The Irish running game was satisfactory in the first half but ineffective thereafter.
• Will Joseph be a difference maker in the Notre Dame secondary? Joseph was around the ball and played a decent game considering the quality of the competition, as did most of the Irish secondary
• Can Isaiah Foskey and the Irish generate a pass rush sufficient to disrupt Stroud’s accuracy? No, and this one was on the biggest disappointments of the night.
• Will Notre Dame’s receivers prove they belong on the field with their OSU counterparts? Even without Jaxon Smith-Ngigba, who went down with a first quarter injury, the Buckeye wideouts were clearly superior. Emeka Egbuka looks like a really nice player for them.
• Can the new look Irish special teams make a meaningful contribution? Not at all. Kickoff returns were abysmal and field position was even worse all night.
• Will Rees get the better of Knowles this time around? Maybe in a game of cornhole but certainly not in football.
• Can Freeman do better in a night game on the road than his predecessor? Yes, his team was fired up and unafraid. They played well until the better team took control.
• Will Jesus forgive me for refusing to refer to this opponent as THE Ohio State University? I’m not sure, but Irish fans can always count on his Mother.

Early comments from Notre Dame fans were most critical of the safety blitz call and of Rees. Some jumped on Buchner but I believe that is unfair. He did what was asked of him and did not turn the ball over. He did not do a great job reading and adjusting to the defensive looks, but he will learn and improve. He is coachable and Rees needs to provide that mentoring.

We should give him and the rest of the team a chance.