Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Players to Watch: Can Buckeyes Stop Hartman?

If the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to beat Notre Dame they are going to have to stop these three players.

In what will surely be one of the biggest games in the regular season for both teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes will have their first true road test in Week 4 versus Notre Dame. 

Familiarity will not be lost between the two sides on September 23rd. The Buckeyes opened last season with a victory over the Fighting Irish and will hope to extend the program's head-to-head winning streak over Notre Dame to six games. 

Yet, both teams will look a little different, especially on the offensive side of the ball, while the Buckeyes' defense will hope to once again hold Notre Dame to just 10 points or less. 

QB Sam Hartman 

Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman (10) runs during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football game on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. Nd Blue Gold Game 042

Barring injuries, former Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman will be five games into his tenure at Notre Dame. The Irish's quarterback room looks unrecognizable from a season ago after both of their top-two quarterbacks, Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, transferred this offseason.  

The ex-Demon Deacon left the ACC as one of the best signal-callers after throwing for 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns after five seasons at Wake Forest. In fact, Hartman is second in the ACC record books for passing yards all-time, only behind NC State's Philip Rivers. 

The new Irish quarterback boasts plenty of collegiate experience and will surely be looking to add his name to the list of Fighting Irish signal-callers to have beaten the Buckeyes. 

As for what you can expect from Hartman, the Irish will look to air it out against the Buckeyes secondary. While at Wake Forest last season, some of Hartman's best throws came in the intermediate to deep passing game. Pro Football Focus graded Hartman's intermediate throws at 93.1, while his deep throws were at 90.5. 

RB Audric Estime

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) pulls in a pass during Friday night's victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks. The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl game in Jacksonville, Florida's TIAA Bank Field Friday, December 30, 2022. The first half ended with South Carolina holding a 24 to 17 lead but Notre Dame came back and with a late fourth-quarter touchdown, won the game 45 to 38. ND GAME 12

Notre Dame returns their leading rusher from a season ago, Audric Estime, who broke out as a sophomore for the Irish, rushing for 920 yards and 11 touchdowns on 156 carries.

Despite the Irish not being able to run on the Buckeyes last fall - the ground game was limited to just 76 yards - they finished 35th nationally in rushing offense with 2,458 yards. Meaning while a large focus of the Irish's offense will be on the passing game and Hartman, they will try and pound the rock as teams have successfully done in the past against Ohio State. 

Both losses for the Buckeyes last season happened against opponents who averaged over five yards a carry. 

WR Jayden Thomas

Notre Dame wide receiver Jayden Thomas (83) hauls in a pass in front of cornerback Clarence Lewis (6) during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football game on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. ND Football Blue Gold Game

A year ago, this spot would've undoubtedly been occupied by tight end Michael Mayer, but he is now in the NFL as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, much to the relief of Buckeyes' defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. No, Mayer didn't have a big game last season against the Buckeyes, as he was limited to 32 yards on five catches, but he did draw a lot of attention from the defense, and rightfully so.

With Mayer gone, the Irish passing attack doesn't have a clear-cut No. 1 option. Yet, judging by his breakout performance in their TaxSlayer Gator Bowl win over South Carolina last fall, maybe Jayden Thomas is the playmaker the Buckeyes should watch out for.

Thomas recorded five catches for 66 yards in the 45-38 win over the Gamecocks. Thomas finished the year with the second-most receiving yards at 361, which put him right behind Mayer. Without any proven threat at receiver or tight end, it is as good of a guess as anyone can make as to who the Irish will turn to through the air.

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