as Ohio State University Seeking its first national championship in a decade, Our Lady Clearly a worthy opponent. The Irish lost in Week 2 and have since won 13 straight games. But this isn’t your father’s or grandfather’s Irish team. Notre Dame has some glaring weaknesses. Here are three areas where the Buckeyes can control Notre Dame.

3 Notre Dame weaknesses that could cost OSU a national championship

While Notre Dame's Mickey Jeter scored a key goal in the win over Penn State, he hasn't been very reliable this season. (Photo credit: IMAGN)While Notre Dame's Mickey Jeter scored a key goal in the win over Penn State, he hasn't been very reliable this season. (Photo credit: IMAGN)
While Notre Dame’s Mickey Jeter scored a key goal in the win over Penn State, he hasn’t been very reliable this season. (Photo credit: IMAGN)

3. Diminishing returns

Maybe it’s the growing difficulty of competition, or the health of Jeremiah Love. But regardless, Notre Dame’s ground game has continued to decline in the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame’s ground game has gradually deteriorated since the final week of the regular season.

The Irish’s rushing yards increased from 258 to 193 to 154 to 117. Over the same period, yards per pass dropped from 6.8 to 5.5 to 4.2 to 2.8. In Ohio State’s only two losses this season, opponents rushed for over 153 yards and over 4 yards per carry. This is not a good trend for Notre Dame.

2. Shoot

Despite using a last-second field goal pennsylvania state university Heading into the CFP semifinals, the hard truth is that Notre Dame is one of the most unreliable kicking teams in the country. The Irish have allowed just 15 points on 26 field goal attempts this season. In percentage terms, Notre Dame ranks 128th out of 134 FBS teams.

Starter Mickey Jeter has missed seven field goals. He went 0-for-2 in Notre Dame’s loss to Northern Illinois. Jeter is just 3-for-6 on attempts between 20 and 39 yards this season. Notre Dame’s kicking woes are an opportunity for Ohio State to take advantage of the game.

1. Lack of exciting passes

One of the many reasons Notre Dame has struggled to pull off an upset is the lack of explosive passing. The Irish have yet to have a 500-plus yard receiver this season. Additionally, their 32 pass attempts of 20 or more yards on the year ranked 104th in FBS football. For comparison’s sake, Ohio State had 54 pass plays.

Without a home run opportunity in the passing game, Notre Dame will likely be forced to grind out a win. Despite a strong ground game, it’s unlikely that Notre Dame will continue to expand its offense. The possibility of penalties or negative plays can throw the entire game into disarray.

What do you think of Ohio State’s move to shut down the Irish? Share your thoughts in our comments section!