Cris Carter picks Ohio State: Championship game could get 'really ugly' for Notre Dame

Cris Carter may be biased but he’s confident in the Buckeyes’ chances against Notre Dame on Monday. In an interview with Kyle Odegard, the legendary Ohio State wide receiver explained why he believes the Buckeyes might run away with a comfortable victory in the National Championship.

“Ohio State’s defense is amazing. I don’t see Notre Dame scoring many points against that defense,” Carter said. “Notre Dame has a couple offensive linemen banged up. I do believe that will probably be the biggest difference in the game.

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“It’s making Notre Dame’s quarterback try to win the game all by himself. That’s running it, throwing it, putting all the pressure on him. I think that’s the recipe for the Buckeyes to win the championship.”

Ohio State has the No. 1 defense in the country this season, only allowing 251.1 yards per game. The Buckeyes’ defense has been just as stifling in the College Football Playoff, with Oregon being the only team to score three touchdowns in a single game against them.

As Carter mentioned, Notre Dame’s offense also isn’t at full strength. The Fighting Irish have faced injury issues on their offensive line all season. Most recently, Anthonie Knapp suffered a season-ending injury in the CFP semifinals against Penn State.

With weaker protection up front, Ohio State will undoubtedly put constant pressure on Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. While Leonard can also evade defenders on his feet, there’s only so much one player can do.

As key as Ohio State’s defense will be in the outcome of the game, Carter believes the team’s offense will be equally important.

“Early in the game, you have to get the ball to your playmakers,” Carter said. “Let’s see what Notre Dame is doing (defensively) against Jeremiah Smith.

“Between him and the other dynamic players they have at wide receiver and running back, let’s try to get some explosive plays early so we can see if Notre Dame can play catch up. I believe it could get really ugly for the Irish.”

Ohio State’s aerial raid has been instrumental to its success in the postseason after the team threw for just 175 yards in its loss to Michigan in the regular season finale. In Ohio State’s win over Texas, QB Will Howard tallied 289 passing yards compared to the Buckeyes’ mere 81 yards in the ground game.

Of course, Notre Dame won’t make it easy for Ohio State. The Fighting Irish’s defense only allows 165.3 passing yards per game, the second-least in the country.

Cris Carter won’t have to wait much longer to see if his predictions come to pass. On Monday, Ohio State and Notre Dame will go head-to-head in the CFP National Championship at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.