Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: What the Irish Need to Do to Upset the Buckeyes

In the College Football Playoff National Championship game, Notre Dame is a heavy underdog to Ohio State. We asked 10 coaches and scouts how the Irish can pull off the upset.

Avoid the nuclear option

Notre Dame should borrow from the game plan that Michigan and Texas successfully used against the Buckeyes -- limit the touches of star freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Notre Dame's big decision

No team in the FBS played more man-to-man coverage than Notre Dame this season, per ESPN Research, as the Irish played man on 57% of dropbacks. Meanwhile, Ohio State has seen man coverage on only 25% of Will Howard's dropbacks this season.

The challenge of playing man against Ohio State

One coach whose team doesn't play man frequently told ESPN they practically eliminated man-to-man defense against Ohio State. When they did play it -- just a handful of times -- they waited to make the call until they saw where everyone was aligned and if they were OK with the matchups. It was mostly in short-yardage situations.

Can Notre Dame force Will Howard into mistakes?

In Ohio State's losses this year -- and even in some close victories -- quarterback Will Howard has made punitive mistakes. Be it the two interceptions against Michigan, the late slide in the regular-season loss to Oregon or the fumble and pick-six in the win at Penn State, he has shown he can be prone to game-changing errors.

Can Notre Dame get another special delivery?

Notre Dame's six blocked kicks are tied for the most in the FBS. Notre Dame has successfully executed three fake kicks, including two against Georgia Tech.

How big is the talent gap?

This is a compelling question, as the top prospect on each team for this year's NFL draft -- Notre Dame corner Benjamin Morrison and Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons -- is injured.

Notre Dame's defense: Sum is better than the parts

That's the highest compliment an opposing coach gave to Notre Dame's defense. The Irish aren't big up front, and they lost their most productive front-seven player when lineman Rylie Mills injured his knee against Indiana and was out for the remainder of the season.

Notre Dame's offense: Adequate, but not explosive

Notre Dame's pass game has been limited, as Leonard hasn't thrown for more than 229 yards in a game this season. That pass offense will be under duress, as Ohio State has had success applying pressure during the CFP rushing only four defenders.

The quarterback run game has been a Notre Dame staple during the playoff, as the Irish called nine designed runs for Leonard against Georgia and a season-high 12 designed quarterback runs against Penn State.