Under the dazzling lights of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Ohio State Buckeyes are set to square off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship. It’s a heavyweight clash that’s been circled on every college football fan’s calendar, but for Ryan Day, the pregame buzz has been anything but celebratory. Injuries have riddled his roster, and standing in the way of a Buckeyes title is a Notre Dame defense poised to cement its legacy as one of the all-time greats.

In the lead-up to this showdown, Adam Breneman of Yahoo! Sports laid out the challenge Ohio State faces on the “College Football Power Hour” podcast. “The Ohio State run game is probably the biggest key to the game,” he said. “You think about Notre Dame’s style of play and how they play on defense—they’re probably most similar to Michigan, who beat Ohio State 13-10, and Penn State, who held Ohio State to 20 points. Notre Dame’s total defensive talent is probably on par or exceeding Michigan and Penn State.” It’s a chilling comparison for Ryan Day, still haunted by those bruising battles from earlier in the season. Now, Marcus Freeman looms, ready to replicate the formula.

The insider explained further. “Notre Dame’s defense is without a doubt capable of a history books-type performance against Ohio State and surprising everyone,” he added. He wasn’t exaggerating. The Fighting Irish enter the game allowing just 165.3 passing yards per game, the second fewest in the nation.

Led by a ferocious front seven and a secondary that’s as opportunistic as it is disciplined, Freeman’s defense has throttled every opponent it’s faced. For Ohio State, the challenge is simple on paper: find a way to move the pigskin on the ground and sustain drives. In practice, though, that task feels Herculean.

Making matters worse for Ryan Day is the injury crisis within his squad. The Buckeyes have been banged up for a while. Seth McLaughlin and Josh Simmons are out on the offensive line, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Reis Stocksdale, Rashid SeSay, and TC Caffey are also sidelined. Plus, guys like Inky Jones, Mason Maggs, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Denzel Burke are all questionable. However, minus the Michigan game, the O-line has held well. Howard has had enough time to make plays, and even the run game has been largely successful in the playoffs. Can those injuries hurt them against Notre Dame?

Top Comment by ScottK816

Injury crisis? Nobody has gotten hurt since the Texas game. Have you ever seen Ohio State play before writing this?...more

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Day’s play-calling will come under the microscope as he attempts to outmaneuver Freeman’s defensive game plan. Notre Dame, as Breneman highlighted, won’t just rely on its own film. “Notre Dame is going to take everything they possibly can from Michigan and Pennsylvania defensively, and it’s up to Ohio State to prepare for that,” he said. The blueprint is clear: they’ll likely try to stuff the run, pressure Will Howard to make good throws, and dominate the line of scrimmage.

For all the adversity, Ohio State still boasts game-changing talent. Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Judkins can flip a game script with one explosive run. Freshman Jeremiah Smith remains the most dangerous wide receiver in college football, a player capable of torching even the stingiest secondaries. And Ryan Day, for all his critics, has shown a knack for dialing up surprises when the odds are stacked against him. The Buckeyes didn’t even need Smith against the Longhorns. That’s how loaded the offense is. If it’s not Smith, it’s Egbuka. Even Tate can do it when needed.

McFarland on how to beat Ohio State and Ryan Day

Booger McFarland thinks Notre Dame’s path to shocking the world and upsetting Ohio State in the final is a narrow one—but it’s there. During an appearance on Andy & Ari On3, the ESPN analyst broke down exactly how the Fighting Irish could pull off the upset against a Buckeye team stacked with talent. Spoiler alert: it’ll take a near-perfect effort.

“To me, it’s really simple,” McFarland said. “It’s Will Howard, a couple of turnovers. It’s Chip Kelly and Ryan Day kind of getting away from the things that got them here, which is being explosive, getting the ba-l to those receivers.” ND’s best shot lies in OSU outthinking itself.

McFarland pointed out that Ohio State thrives when it leans on its explosive passing game—getting the pigskin into the hands of their star-studded receiver trio of Carnell Tate, Emeka Egbuka, and Smith. If the Buckeyes suddenly decide to focus on pounding the rock with Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Notre Dame’s stout defense could keep them in the game.

But even with that scenario, Notre Dame will need to pull some rabbits out of their helmets. McFarland believes the Fighting Irish must force a couple of turnovers, get a defensive score, and let Riley Leonard cook with some downfield magic. “If they can do that,” he said, “then I think we could have a ball game.”

Still, it’s hard to imagine Ryan Day and Chip Kelly abandoning what’s worked all season. Ohio State’s aerial assault has been their bread and butter—especially after bouncing back from the Michigan loss with an air show.