Greg McElroy breaks down how Notre Dame can compete vs. Ohio State

While we still have a slate of games in week three to get to, Greg McElroy is already looking ahead to Ohio State at Notre Dame next weekend.

McElroy examined the Fighting Irish’s best chance of knocking off the Buckeyes during an episode of ‘Always College Football’ this week. To him, Ohio State’s biggest weakness right now is on it’s offensive line. A quality pass rush could then be what makes the difference for Marcus Freeman’s unit.

“Right now, when I watch Ohio State? I do feel like the offensive line is the tiniest bit of a liability. We’ve seen that already this year. You look at week one? Left side of the offensive line – not great, several pressures,” McElroy said. “You look at the edges of the offensive line? I think they’re relatively gettable.”

With that said, McElroy isn’t sure if Notre Dame has the players to get enough pressure on Kyle McCord. They have several quality pieces at that level of their defense but, with only four sacks through three games this season, he doesn’t know if they have that difference-maker who can impact McCord.

“Who’s the guy that’s going to be able to provide that rush against the Ohio State quarterback? Right now, looking at Notre Dame, I think they’re a good, strong, solid group in the front seven. But I don’t know if they have that (guy) off the edge, like an Isaiah Foskey or a Chase Young,” explained McElroy. “I don’t know if they have that guy.

“I think Javontae Jean-Baptiste is fine, solid player. (Jordan) Botelho is fine, very solid player. I think (Joshua) Burnam, No. 40, has a chance, in time, to be an excellent player. But he’s a redshirt freshman who hasn’t quite honed in on his craft,” McElroy noted. “Marist Liufau can breathe some fire off the edge. (He’s) probably better off blitzing from the second level or up the middle. And JD Bertrand, I think, is just a really smart, cerebral football player.”

McElroy believes that Notre Dame’s secondary can handle enough of their business against the Buckeye’s loaded receiving corps if their front seven can constrain their pass game inside the pocket. That’s why, against Central Michigan, he’ll be taking notes on the Irish’s pass rush ahead of next weekend

“The best way to neutralize Ohio State’s passing attack is by creating a pass rush. And, at this point, I have my question marks as to whether or not a pass rush can be legitimately created from Notre Dame,” said McElroy.

“I think that the way Ohio State gets off schedule and gets behind the sticks is going to have to happen along the offensive line. They’re going to have to be forced into negative yardage plays.”