Fighting Irish QB Sam Hartman Says Confidence Is Key vs. Ohio State

Notre Dame graduate quarterback Sam Hartman revealed to the media that he believes confidence in his team will be the key for the Fighting Irish against Buckeyes.

Week 4's brawl in South Bend between undefeateds Ohio State and Notre Dame is just around the corner and there's plenty of speculation surrounding the top-ten clash. Will this early battle turn out to be the season-maker or breaker for either squad? It's not just possible, it's probable. 

It's the first real competition that either squad has faced, and one will walk out of Notre Dame Stadium with a loss.

In 2022, the Buckeyes came away with a 21-10 win, extending Ohio State's win streak in the series to five straight, dating back to 1936. Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman thinks this team has the secret stuff to stop that streak though. 

"I think we have an unbelievable O-line that I have a lot of confidence in," said Hartman. "Our running backs have all been playing incredibly well. Tight ends have been doing great, and outside we’ve shown we have some explosive capabilities and the ability to spread the ball around when you need to and be able to run the ball when we can." 

He went on to praise the Fighting Irish defense, as well as the coaching staff. 

"The trust and belief that everybody around me is doing their job, which they’ve been doing all year, and we’ve been doing since the spring," added Hartman. "So it’s exciting. It’s an exciting opportunity to go out as a team and play a complete game."

Perhaps Hartman's right in believing that trust and cohesion are the missing keys to their success. But he wasn't there in that 21-10 loss last year, and he's probably feeling the pressure individually to put some points on the board. 

After all, that's what Notre Dame brought the wily veteran in for. While the Fighting Irish have a very good all-around team, the key to stopping them in Week 4 will be for the Buckeyes' elite defensive unit to pressure and frustrate Hartman.