2016 BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl preview
An in-depth look at the keys to the game and a score prediction
You wanted a marquee bowl game match-up? Well folks, the Committee heard your demands. This game sets up arguably the greatest pairing for any of the New Year’s six bowl games.
The number seven Buckeyes, wearing their classic gray jerseys, will take on the number eight Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 1pm on New Year’s Day. By looking at that start time based on Eastern Time, an 11am kickoff Mountain Time could play a factor in the turnout of the game. Of course, there’s still a day until the start, but a few headlines to date should have impacts on the game too.
Ohio State should be without both starting defensive tackles as senior Adolphus Washington was arrested for solicitation, and senior Tommy Schutt’s status is unclear with a lingering foot injury.
This leaves redshirt sophomores Donovan Munger and Michael Hill to be the likely candidates filling the spots. On the other hand, Notre Dame is expecting the returns of star defensive tackle Jarron Jones and tight end Durham Smythe from knee injuries.
What to expect: Notre Dame
The boys from South Bend exited the regular season on a sour note to say the least. Losing to Stanford in their final game in similar fashion to Ohio State’s loss to Michigan State, the Golden Domers might be in a difficult position here.
Bowl season results ultimately reflect how teams played to end the season. On the other hand, such a loss could motivate this team to get the win and send their seniors out on top. Regardless, this team has the talent to win this game. The Irish lost key starters in QB Malik Zaire and RB Tarean Folston early in the season. Luckily for them, sophomore DeShone Kizer filled in greatly for Zaire with 2,600 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns to only nine interceptions.
Senior RB C.J. Prosise filled in with 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns. This team will look to spread the Buckeyes out and attack the secondary vertically. One of the nation’s top receivers, Will Fuller, will be a hassle for this elite pass defense of Ohio State. Fuller has tallied 56 receptions for 1,145 yards and a staggering 13 touchdowns. Look for Ohio State to lock Eli Apple on him with press coverage similar to their scheme last season against Amari Cooper.
Ohio State is 12th in pass defense and 22nd in run defense, so Notre Dame’s best bet is to set up their passing game with the attempt at an efficient running game. On defense, the Irish are average, but they tend to give up a lot of yards on the ground. They rank 65th in run defense and 28th in pass defense.
Junior linebacker Jaylon Smith is the anchor of this defense and will need to make a presence in run-stopping because they face a top running back in Ezekiel Elliott. This team is very good and they will have their fair share of big plays, but if the defense can’t get early stops and limit the time of possessions, the Irish could be in for a long game.
What to expect: Ohio State
Ohio State has an identity which they finally used in a successful manner against Michigan: feed the beast. Ezekiel Elliott asked for the ball, and he surely got it. With 30 carries for 214 yards and two touchdowns, we finally saw the new offensive coordinators revert to the game plan that worked so well during the final three games last season.
Of course, J.T. Barrett will have a major role in the Buckeye offense for this game. We all know Ohio State will lean on the read option offense just like in the Michigan game, but another key to watch out for is the vertical passing game.
A fair example was the continuous pounding of Zeke up the middle for multiple plays, then J.T. took a shot deep for a touchdown to Jalin Marshall late in the second quarter. As Buckeye fans, we all know strong defense and a consistent rushing attack will be the goal of Urban Meyer’s offense.
Prediction
Ohio State loves the fiesta bowl in a historical sense. They had some solid wins there, like the 2003 National Championship over Miami and the 2004 Fiesta Bowl over Kansas State. I believe the running game will take off like it did against Michigan and it will set up the passing game very nicely for Ohio State.
Notre Dame will keep it close because of their vertical passing game, but ultimately the strong Buckeye defense will force young DeShone Kizer into some mistakes.
I know the Buckeyes lost a tough 2009 Fiesta Bowl to Texas, but I’ll pretend it is not relevant to my superstitious reasoning for a Buckeye victory. Instead, I’ll predict a game similar to that thriller against Kansas State in 2004. It will be high scoring, and I see Ohio State scoring late to make it a two possession game. Yes, this may be a biased pick, but I just see Ohio State as the better overall team.
Ohio State: 31, Notre Dame: 21
Well, hopefully it ends like the game pictured below at least!
The only seven-year-old to attend the 2003 Fiesta Bowl