On Monday night, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will aim to end a 37-year title drought by winning their first national championship since 1988. To do so, they must conquer the Ohio State Buckeyes. While the odds favor the Buckeyes, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes Notre Dame can pull off the upset—but only with a specific strategy.
A Defensive Masterclass is Key for Notre Dame, Joel Klatt Explains
Klatt, speaking during an interview with On3.com’s Andy Staple and Ari Wasserman, outlined a defensive strategy for Notre Dame that mirrors the one used by Bill Belichick in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game, the underdog New England Patriots toppled the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, whose explosive offense was labeled The Greatest Show on Turf.
.@joelklatt on how Notre Dame beats Ohio State:
“Their blueprint is exactly what Nebraska-Michigan has done to Ohio State and largely what Texas was able to do. Drag them into a low-scoring affair.” @Andy_Staples x @AriWasserman pic.twitter.com/nPwab4rxAu
— On3 (@On3sports) January 16, 2025
“The blueprint for Notre Dame, let’s talk about their defense first. When Notre Dame is on defense against Ohio State’s offense, I believe that the blueprint for the Irish is very similar to what we got all the way back in 2000 in Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl.”
“When it wasn’t about Tom Brady and those New England Patriots, it was about their defense. And they were facing the ‘Greatest Show on Turf.’ And what did the Patriots do?”
“What they did is they muddied the game up by being physical with the skill position players of those Rams, grabbing them, forcing the officials to call things, and then making life difficult on Kurt Warner. And that’s exactly what Notre Dame’s going to have to do to this Ohio State team.”
The Fox Sports analyst also pointed to a similar strategy employed by teams who made life uncomfortable for the Buckeyes during the 2024 college football season.
“Their blueprint is exactly what Nebraska-Michigan has done to Ohio State and largely what Texas was able to do,” Klatt said. “Drag them into a low-scoring affair.”
Can Notre Dame Score Enough?
While the defense is tasked with slowing down Ohio State, Notre Dame’s offense must find ways to score against one of the best defenses in college football. Klatt’s confidence in the Irish offense is limited, as he doesn’t expect them to exceed 20 points.
Despite Notre Dame’s potential for an upset, Klatt’s ultimate prediction favors Ohio State. On the same podcast, he highlighted the Buckeyes’ overwhelming advantages in talent, depth, and performance on both sides of the ball.
“Overall folks, I think this matchup lies in the Buckeyes’ hands. They’re the better team. They’re the better roster. They’re the better defense. They’re the better offense… I don’t envision Notre Dame scoring much on Ohio State, and the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense could blow the championship wide open in the first half.”
Klatt predicts a decisive victory for Ohio State, with the Buckeyes’ offense likely to seize control early. He anticipates that Notre Dame’s inability to generate significant points will allow Ohio State to dominate. His final score prediction is 35-17 in favor of the Buckeyes, confidently covering the eight-point spread.
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