Notre Dame football score predictions: Ohio State vs. Irish national picks
Notre Dame takes on Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, in a game with massive College Football Playoff implications. Here are the national media’s picks and score predictions.
Related: Ohio State vs. Irish BlueandGold.com staff picks
The Athletic (Stewart Mandel): Notre Dame 34, Ohio State 30
“For years, Notre Dame went into these big games just trying to keep the score down and hang into the fourth quarter. Not this year. Behind star QB Sam Hartman and RB Audric Estime, the Irish have an honest-to-goodness explosive offense. Is it enough to keep pace with a Ryan Day offense? I believe so. But I’ve been wrong before.”
The Athletic (Bruce Feldman): Fighting Irish 31, Buckeyes 27
“The Irish played Ohio State really tough last year and that was with the Buckeyes having a big edge at QB. Now, the Irish have a sizable edge, and they’re the home team. I think Marcus Freeman’s defense is athletic enough to slow down Ohio State, and Notre Dame has enough firepower to get its biggest win in years.”
Bleacher Report: Notre Dame 27, Ohio State 23
“The fascinating part of this showdown is that Notre Dame’s offense and Ohio State’s defense — while both outstanding so far — have hardly been tested. Under the bright lights, which unit wins out? Red-zone touchdown rate is regularly a key factor in these matchups, and ND enters the contest with a scorching 86.7 clip. Notre Dame springs the upset.”
ESPN (Matt Miller): Ohio State (-3)
“This is a game I’ve had circled on my calendar for a while now, so I can’t wait to see this matchup come to life. I think Ohio State wins this one thanks to the Buckeye ground game led by Treveyon Henderson and a big play late from Marvin Harrison Jr. to seal the deal. I’d take Ohio State (-3) but it will be close. And yes, this will have huge playoff implications. An Ohio State loss here could knock them out (Michigan game pending) and the same goes for Notre Dame given the tough schedule both face down the stretch.”
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ESPN (Kevin Haswell): Notre Dame +3
“I will be keeping my eye on the quarterback battle in this matchup. Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman, one of the most experienced quarterbacks we have in college football against Kyle McCord, who is currently in the midst of his first season as the Buckeyes starting QB. In a game that has this much at stake, give me the experienced guy. I like Notre Dame +3 because of Hartman.”
USA TODAY: 4/6 picked Notre Dame
USA TODAY Sports staff members Scooby Axson, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken picked Notre Dame. Jace Evans and Paul Myerberg picked Ohio State.
Sporting News: Buckeyes 31, Fighting Irish 24
We thought this line would be higher considering how Ohio State’s offense looked in Week 3 with Kyle McCord settling in as the starting quarterback. The Buckeyes have won the last six meetings (which includes two bowl games) by an average of 14.6 points per game. Sam Hartman has changed the conversation a bit – and Notre Dame has a big-play passing attack now. Will they make enough plays against an improved Buckeyes’ defense that allows just 6.7 points per game? If this line ticks up throughout the week, then we will be even more confident.
Athlon Sports: 3/3 picked Ohio State
All three of Athlon Sports’ three college football experts — Steve Lassan, Joe Vitale and Luke Easterling — picked Ohio State to beat Notre Dame.
