No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes
Looking for some solid New Year’s Day football action? Look no further than the 2016 Fiesta Bowl between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams were, at one time, considered College Football Playoff bound, but this will be an interesting matchup to see who really belongs with the elite this season and who doesn’t.
Both teams may very well prove to be top-10 worthy, but only one can come out on top. Ezekiel Elliott has had a great season, but he fell short of his Heisman hopes and is now playing in his last game as a Buckeye, as are Joey Bosa and Cardale Jones.
DeShone Kizer took over as the starting quarterback when Malik Zaire, thought to be the next great gunslinger, went down with an injury and he has led the Fighting Irish to a 10-2 record and a shot to win an 11th game against the defending national champs.
Details for Friday’s Fiesta Bowl are below:
Date: Friday, Jan. 1
Start Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Glendale, AZ
Stadium: University of Phoenix Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: For Notre Dame radio affiliates, click here. For Ohio State radio affiliates, click here.
Keys to Victory
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
DeShone Kizer should begin by attacking the Buckeyes’ athletic secondary. Sure, Ohio State has a relatively stingy defense, but the Fighting Irish need to attack strengths and make way for the run game if they’re going to win this one.
C.J. Prosise will also be a factor on the ground while Will Fuller will be the go-to guy for Kizer. This young kid has a chance to do the unthinkable and take over for Malik Zaire at the beginning of the season, still having a shot at winning the Fiesta Bowl. His confidence needs to remain high all game long and the offensive line must contain the rush.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Getting Ezekiel Elliott the ball at a high clip will be key for the Buckeyes even though the Notre Dame defense has been solid against the run this season. If the Buckeyes can show that they’re not afraid to pound the ball, that will open up the pass game for J.T. Barrett and the rest of the offense will take care of itself.
As for the defense, not letting DeShone Kizer gain confidence through the air will be the main thing. He’s a young quarterback, so if the defensive front can get pressure on him and rattle him early on, it will take a lot for him to get his groove back.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Ohio State -6.5
Moneyline: Ohio State -255, Notre Dame +215
O/U: 56.5
Prediction
This one is going to be a little more high-scoring than people are expecting. Sure, two solid defenses are facing off, but so are two elite offenses. DeShone Kizer vs. J.T. Barrett will be a solid matchup to watch as well as C.J. Prosise and Ezekiel Elliott. Ohio State will go up 21-7 early on, but the Fighting Irish will make a comeback and the game will end in the Buckeyes’ favor. It’s not a national title, but a Fiesta Bowl win is solid.
Final Score: Notre Dame 31, Ohio State 38
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