Ohio State kicks off its 133rd season of football Saturday at Ohio Stadium with a primetime game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
This delightful matchup of college football powers is a national, Top 5 contest as Ohio State enters nationally ranked at No. 2 in both the Associated Press and AFCA polls while Notre Dame is No. 5 in both polls.
This is the fourth consecutive meeting between the two programs where both teams are in the Top 10 of the national rankings, including 2016 (Ohio State – 7; ND 8), 2006 (Ohio State –4; ND 5), and 1996 (Ohio State – 4; ND 5) games.
THE BASICS No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State • Saturday, Sept. 3 • When: 7:30 p.m.• Where: Ohio Stadium •
Broadcast Information TV: ABC • Radio: 97.1 The Fan
The 2022-23 academic/athletic season will feature a celebration of 100 years of Ohio Stadium.
The ground was broken in 1921, more than $1 million was pledged toward construction by proud and dedicated Ohio State fans, and Ohio State christened its new home with a 5-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 7, 1922.
The iconic venue on the banks of the Olentangy River is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1. Ohio State’s Ryan Day is in his sixth year with the program and his fourth as head coach. He is 34-4 overall and his teams are 18-1 at home and 13-4 vs. Top 25-ranked teams.
2. Ohio State finished first nationally last season in scoring offense as the Buckeyes averaged 45.7 points per game. Since Day’s arrival in 2017, the Buckeyes have averaged 40 points or more per game every season. Ohio State is the only program in the nation to have such a streak.
3. Over the last 10 seasons (2012-21), Ohio State is third nationally with 64 home wins and a .941 home winning percentage.
4. Quarterback C.J. Stroud will make his fourth career start against a top-10 ranked team on Saturday night. In his first three starts, he’s been statistically magnificent. Stroud had the nation’s top passer efficiency rating against top-10 teams in 2021 (minimum two starts) and tossed 14 touchdowns against just one interception.
5. WR Jaxon Smith Njigba closed out the 2021 season with five consecutive 100-yard games. That ties Cris Carter for the longest such streak in program history.
1. Saturday night will be just the seventh all-time meeting between Ohio State and Notre Dame and the first in the regular season in 26 years.
2. This is the fourth consecutive meeting between the two programs where both teams are in the Top 10 of the national rankings, including the 2016 (Ohio State – 7; ND 8), 2006 (Ohio State –4; ND 5) and 1996 (Ohio State – 4; ND 5) games.
3. The only other two times Notre Dame has played at Ohio State was 1935 (an 18-13 Irish win) and 1995 (a 45-26 Ohio State win).
4. The Buckeyes have taken each of the last four games in the series, winning in 1995 and 1996 and then adding Fiesta Bowl wins following the 2005 and 2015 seasons.
5. Ohio State ranks in a tie for second in all-time wins (942); Notre Dame is fourth (929)
6. Ohio State is first in all-time winning percentage (.731); Notre Dame is third (.730)
7. The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish are tied for first all-time with seven Heisman Trophy winners apiece.
10 Ohio State is opening a season ranked nationally in the Top 10 for a 10th consecutive year. Ohio State is 105-13 since 2013 with one CFP national championship, four CFP appearances and five Big Ten titles.
.800 Over the last 10 seasons, Ohio State has a 36-9 record vs. ranked opponents for a .800 winning percentage. Ohio State is 14-3 (.824) vs. ranked opponents at home during this decade.
6 Ohio State’s 2022 team captains are WR Kam Babb, LB Tommy Eichenberg, DE Tyler Friday, TE Cade Stover, QB C.J. Stroud and SAF Kourt Williams. Babb is now a two-time captain.
.731 Ohio State is first in all-time winning percentage (.731); Notre Dame is third (.730)
1. The game will be the inaugural season opener for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, a 2007 Ohio State graduate (sport & leisure studies), a four-year letterman and a 37-game starter at linebacker.
SCOUTING THE IRISH HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN
2. Freeman was part of four Big Ten Conference championships teams at Ohio State and two teams that played in national championship games: vs. Florida in 2006 and LSU in 2007.
SCOUTING THE IRISH HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN
3. Freeman, from Huber Heights near Dayton, also has his master’s degree from Ohio State and started his coaching career here as a GA under Jim Tressel in 2010.
SCOUTING THE IRISH HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN
1. Ranked fifth in the Associated Press preseason poll, Notre Dame is coming off a season in which it went 11-2 and made an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
2. The Irish will have a new starting quarterback when it takes the field on Saturday night in Ohio Stadium: sophomore Tyler Buchner.
He played in 10 games last fall and completed 21 of 35 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 46 times for 336 yards and three TDs.
3. Defensively, leading tackler JD Bertrand returns. He totaled 101 stops with 7.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.