'You Can Just Feel It!' Buckeyes to Face 'Different' Notre Dame Atmosphere

South Bend is starting to buzz ahead of Ohio State's trip to Notre Dame Stadium.

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State might be the biggest game on the Week 4 college football slate, and South Bend is feeling the effects.

With the Buckeyes set to march on Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, Irish offensive tackle Joe Alt is beginning to feel a change in the atmosphere around campus.

And as he told On3's Andy Staples, it is 'definitely different'.

“You can kind of feel it,” Alt said told Staples. “Nothing is happening yet but you can see the preparation beginning. Right in front of Touchdown Jesus, where it’s going to be, what’s going to be going on there. I don’t know what the word is but you can just feel it on campus. It’s definitely different.”

The matchup will be the first time the Buckeyes have made their way to South Bend since 1996, and the first time the two teams have faced off in a top-10 matchup since the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.

But beyond that, the two legendary programs have combined for 19 (claimed) national championships, 14 Heisman Trophies, and over 1,000 NFL Draft selections - 157 of which were selected in the first round.

In other words, it is a big-time matchup between two big-time programs.

“It’s a big game on the schedule,” Alt said. “But you got to focus on one game at a time... taking care of business each and every week, playing to your full potential, and that’s our goal."

And while that may be a distraction or a talking point for fans and media alike, Alt and the Irish are deploying a similar approach as the Buckeyes, and taking things one day at a time. 

“Now we’re officially on Ohio State week," Alt said. "Big focus this week has been ‘Win today. Win one moment at a time.’ We’re going to get to Saturday and it’s all about reaching our full potential. But right now, let’s just stay in the moment, block out the noise, and win today.”