Buckeyes Prepare For 'Clash Of Football Greats' vs. Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman still bleeds Scarlett and Gray despite standing on an opposing sideline. A player might depart Ohio State, but the Buckeye culture instilled on Saturdays never leaves internally.
Unlike last year's season-opener — and his true debut as Notre Dame's next head football coach following the departure of Brian Kelly — Freeman knows what to expect in Round 2 against the Buckeyes. He'll also have home-field advantage this time, compared to playing last season in Columbus in a 21-10 loss.
Consider this the first major test for both programs heading into October. The No. 9 Irish (4-0) still have challenges on their schedule, mostly ACC opponents before taking on the high-tempo passing unit that is No. 7 USC. The No. 6 Buckeyes (3-0, 1-0 B1G) were slow out of the gate, but they're coming off their best performance with a 63-10 win over Western Kentucky.
Freeman understands that a sluggish performance offensively against Indiana and FCS Youngstown State means little in the bigger picture. A lousy performance one week doesn't translate to a terrible season afoot.
"What we want to do is to make sure we limit the big plays," Freeman told reporters Monday. "We want them to truly drive down the field. We limit those big plays. Offensively, we want to have success. We’re not going to throw deep balls every play. It’s complementary football and we still want to win time of possession and those type of things that really factor into your success."
The mindset is different this time around, according to Freeman. So is the atmosphere. Change hit South Bend for the first time in over a decade with Kelly's departure, and no amount of summer workouts or film study would give the team a clear picture of the season's outlook.
But there's a new feel surrounding the program this time around. The Irish have looked like a potential championship contender. Transfer quarterback Sam Hartman continues to put up numbers worthy of Heisman consideration.
Hartman, who finished his time at Wake Forest as the ACC's all-time leader in passing touchdowns, described the matchup as a "clash between college football greats." It's also a game that garners national recognition. Programs like ESPN's College Gameday, The Pat McAfee Show and NBC will all be in attendance for the pregame festivities before kickoff.
Freeman said he expects fans to be clad in Kelly Green for a "Green Out" game at Notre Dame Stadium, giving the Buckeyes a similar experience to that of "White Out" games at Beaver Stadium.
"It's a big game," said Hartman. "To shy away from that is foolish, but I think it's going to be like every week. It's going to be about us executing at the highest level and like coach probably already said, reaching our full potential."
The outlook for both programs is a national title. Hartman's precision and attentiveness have led the Irish to become a top-10 scoring unit in the nation. Add Freeman's physical defensive front and the ground-and-pound attack of running back Audric Estime, and it's easy to see why Notre Dame's playoff odds continue to rise each week.
But Freeman knows Ohio State isn't like an NC State or Navy. Talent flows from the sidelines at all three stages. Kyle McCord doesn't need to be a world-beater with talent like future first-round targets Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka at his disposal.
"They’re good players, man," Freeman said of the Buckeyes' duo. "You just gotta turn on the film. Harrison’s body type, skill set, he can go up and get the ball and he’s a great route runner.
Egbuka is the same way. He’s a playmaker. He's more utilized in the slot, and he's also a dangerous returner."
Freeman also knows Ryan Day won't stick to a failing game plan for long. Instead of waiting for things to click, Ohio State adapts on the fly.
“They're innovative. You’ve seen their offense kind of evolve over the first three games. It’s explosive, you see a lot of tempo," said Freeman. "I think I’ve seen more tempo recently."
Freeman said the Irish are planning on mainly seeing McCord, who was named Ohio State's permanent starter prior to Saturday's win over the Hilltoppers, but aren't ruling out any packages that could involve backup Devin Brown.
"You have to have a plan for anybody you might see," said Freeman. "It's the same thing that happened last Saturday [against Central Michigan]. I think their offense is very similar no matter who is at quarterback."
Hartman has faced similar competition during his time quarterbacking the Demon Deacons. Clemson and Florida State likely come to mind when comparing a program like Ohio State due to their respective track records of producing future Sunday talent.
Wake Forest never defeated the Tigers while Hartman was under center, but the senior forced last season's bout into double-overtime with a 337-yard, six-touchdown performance.
Games like these aren't won with a highlight play entering the closing seconds, but rather throughout four quarters of "who wants it more" football.
Said Hartman: "They are going to bring it. They have a lot of experience. It's an exciting challenge and not something we are gonna take lightly.”
