Ad Disclosure
Joel Klatt offers bold game plan for Notre Dame in matchup vs. Ohio State
Published:
Joel Klatt has an interesting idea for how Notre Dame’s defense should approach the national championship game matchup against Ohio State.
Klatt knows that Ohio State is a pretty big favorite over Notre Dame in Monday night’s showdown in Atlanta that will kick off at just after 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. But he also knows that Marcus Freeman has gotten the Fighting Irish to this point because they belong here, and he has one big suggestion for the Notre Dame head coach as he tries to figure out a way to slow down the high-octane Buckeyes.
During The Joel Klatt Show podcast on Thursday, Klatt was basically speaking directly to Freeman, the former Ohio State linebacker who’ll be trying to beat his alma mater with a national title on the line.
“I would actually dare Ohio State to run the football. Dare them to run the football, in particular on early downs,” suggested Klatt. “It’s very apparent they are most dangerous and most lethal offensively when they’re getting the ball to wide receivers. And they’re doing that early to open up the run game later. What they don’t do a great job of is running the football initially in order to open up the passing game later.
“If Ohio State is handing the ball off on first down, advantage Irish.”
Here’s a clip from Klatt’s comments:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
