Kirk Herbstreit Has Ohio State On The Bubble Of His Top 4 After Week 3
Their Week 3 opponent may have been Western Kentucky, but Ohio State finally looked like the team we all expected in a 63-10 stomping of the Hilltoppers.
And that dominant performance was enough for ESPN Analyst Kirk Herbstreit to list the Buckeyes in his "next three up" on his weekly top four rankings, which he released on Twitter.
Along with Ohio State were USC and Washington on the hypothetical bubble, both of which were slotted at fifth and eighth in the AP rankings, respectively. In Herbstreit's top four above that trio were Georgia, Michigan, Texas, and Florida State in the same order they sit in on the AP Top 25.
The Buckeyes will face another top-ten-ranked opponent this Saturday against Notre Dame, which will be a pivotal game for this season.
A road win against the undefeated Fighting Irish would likely push OSU up on Herbstreit's list, and more importantly, in the polls. This is a must-win game for head coach Ryan Day if he wants to have a chance at securing a playoff spot come December.
We don't know much about these two teams, as neither has faced very fierce competition, but Ohio State will have history on its side. The last time these two teams were both ranked and took the field in Notre Dame Stadium in 1996, the Buckeyes came away with a 29-16 win.
In fact, the Buckeyes haven't lost to the Fighting Irish since 1936 and hold a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series record.
Don't count Notre Dame out though, the Fighting Irish haven't lost a ranked matchup at home since 2020 and they'll be led in this one by expert quarterback Sam Hartman.
Even with Hartman at the helm, don't expect this one to turn into a shootout. Both teams have top-ranked defenses and, although OSU has electrifying playmakers like wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., experts have this one finishing at 28-27 in favor of the Buckeyes.
