Notre Dame Debriefing: Week 4 Ohio State

With three seconds left Notre Dame was clinging to a 14-10 lead, with Ohio State having the ball at the one-yard line. Needing just one stop, everyone in Notre Dame stadium hoped the defense could come up with one more stop. Unfortunately, Ohio State running back Chip Trayanum was just able to break the plain, giving Ohio State a touchdown and the lead with no time left to play. The final score was 17-14 Ohio State.

This is one of the most heartbreaking losses in Notre Dame history. It’s right up there with the 2005 game against USC, otherwise known as the Bush Push. To be clear, Ohio State didn’t win that game, Notre Dame let them win. Why? Well considering they only had 10 men on the field during the final two plays, that’s why. They were playing a man down when the game mattered most. Not only that but look at how the defense was lined up.

The left side of the field is completely wide open. How is there not at least one defensive end on the line? Trayanum just barely got over the line. Maybe if there is a defender right there they’re able to stop them. Those are two critical errors that go on to the coaching staff. How did nobody see the left side was wide open and that they were a man down for two plays? These are the types of mistakes that get people fired. Notre Dame DC Al Golden is going to have a lot to answer for this week. Even though this was the glaring aspect of the game, Notre Dame made many mistakes that caused them to lose. Here are the major takeaways.

The Defense Missing Opportunities

The entire game the defense was missing easy tackles. We saw this a little bit the week before, but we put that on JD Bertrand being out. However even with him back from his concussion, the defense still wasn’t able to get tackles. It would take two or three guys to bring down Ohio State receivers. You can’t go against teams that are the caliber of Ohio State and not make easy tackles. The inability to make tackles allowed Ohio State players to fight for more yards. Instead of it only being a two or three-yard gain, it would turn into a six or seven-yard game. Those types of gains are killers. Not only was Notre Dame not able to tackle, but they were only able to get to Kyle McCord once. It felt like McCord had all day to throw back there. You have to put some pressure on the QB, especially a young and inexperienced one like McCord. That is what causes them to make mistakes.

It wasn’t just the missed tackles that sank Notre Dame’s chances at victory. On the final drive of the game, Notre Dame had a chance to put the game away. Defensive back DJ Brown, had an easy interception slip right through his hands.

If Brown is able to come down with the ball, the game is over. Notre Dame would’ve gotten the ball back with under a minute to go. That was a golden opportunity that literally slipped through Notre Dame’s fingertips. Instead, Ohio State was given another chance and scored seven plays later. This picture will haunt Notre Dame fans forever because it’s the biggest what-if of that game.

The Offensive Couldn’t Finish Drives

Notre Dame controlled time of possession throughout the entire game. Notre Dame had the ball for 34:59 compared to Ohio State only having it for 25:01. However the issue was that even though Notre Dame went on these long drives, it wouldn’t end in a score. It would either end in them not being able to convert on fourth down, or missing a field goal. Having long drives is a solid strategy, but you need to capitalize on it. Those eight-minute drives have to end in a touchdown, or at least a field goal. Holding onto the ball and not scoring puts you behind the eight-ball. It puts more pressure on you to score because you’ve wasted so much time.

Also, I understand Notre Dame was trying to hold onto the ball for as long as possible. Trying to keep Ohio State’s offense off the field was the goal. However, the play calling was way too conservative. All year, Notre Dame has been praised for how powerful their offense was; how much they had improved since last year and how it’s one of the best offenses Notre Dame has seen. With that being the case, why not try some deep shots downfield? Take some risks and try to make some big plays.

Positive Spin?

Now even though this loss was extremely painful, there are some positives to be taken out of this. The main one being Notre Dame was able to compete for a whole game against one of the best teams in the country. Five years ago, this game was a complete blowout. Now Notre Dame is a play or two going differently from winning that game. Notre Dame is knocking on the doorstep of returning to being an elite program. With a few more years of development and strong recruit classes under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has the potential to be a dynasty again. Does that make this loss any less painful, absolutely not. However, the future is very bright for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame will be back in action on September 30th at 7:30 p.m. They’ll be taking on the number 17-ranked Duke in Durham. A win here can put the season back on track.

Thanks for reading! Credit for my featured photo goes to Michael Reaves. You can find more college football content at Belly Up Sports, and follow me on Twitter.