Marcus Freeman reveals the key to success for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State defense

After winning the Orange Bowl, Notre Dame advanced to the National Championship in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. They had a day to wait to find out who they would play in the title game and, in the end, it ended up being Ohio State, coincidentally the alma mater of head coach Marcus Freeman.

Ohio State has been playing at an incredibly high level and, because of that, Freeman knows his team is going to need to be at its best. That includes on offense where he feels the key to success is going to be finding a way to run the ball on the Buckeyes.

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“I think each team can be different,” Marcus Freeman said on Sunday. “For us, we have to be able to run the football, and we’ve got to find ways to do that. At the end of the day, you’re going to study teams that have had success against your opponent, but you still have to do what your team does well.”

This season, Notre Dame has consistently found success rushing the football. The Irish are 14th in the country in rushing offense this season, averaging 210.80 yards per game over the course of 15 games this season. On the other side in the National Championship Game, however, is one of the best rushing defenses in the country. The Buckeyes are third nationally in rushing defense, giving up just an average of 89.93 yards per game on the ground. That makes this game a prime example of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

In Notre Dame’s one loss this season, the Irish were upset by Northern Illinois. In that game, the offense struggled mightily, only gaining 123 yards on the ground while turning the ball over twice.

“Again, for us to have success, we’re going to have to be able to run the ball, and we’re going to have to be able to stop the run. Obviously, you know me well enough, I’ve said that, for every game we play,” Freeman said. “But it won’t be any different for this game.”

A major concern for Marcus Freeman is going to be the health of his team. Star running back Jeremiyah Love hasn’t been healthy throughout the College Football Playoff. Then, the offensive line has also had health concerns throughout the season, which only got worse against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Marcus Freeman shared that the offensive line will be yet another player down for the National Championship Game too.

“[Anthonie] Knapp will miss this game,” Freeman said on Sunday. “He had a high ankle sprain and won’t be able to make it back.”

It’s been next man up all season for Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman. That continues against Ohio State in the National Championship Game.