2 min read • September 01, 2022
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This Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (EST), the Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to Columbus, Ohio, to battle the Ohio State Buckeyes. The matchup is one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the college football season. This game will have millions of fans tuned in to see which of the top five ranked teams will emerge victorious.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the number two ranked team coming into the 2022 college football season. They have three players running for college football’s most prestigious trophy, the Heisman trophy. The Buckeyes seem healthy for week one of the season, with minimal injuries reported.
Heisman candidate CJ Stroud has faced some shoulder soreness, but a similar injury kept him out of only one game last season. All his starting wide receivers, offensive line, and running backs enter the season healthy, with one injury to backup running back Evan Pryor earlier this off-season.
The defense has faced some people recovering from injuries in the defensive backfield. Both sophomore corner Jordan Hancock and freshman Ryan Turner are expected to play. But, they’ve been seen not practicing and working off on the sideline in multiple practices.
Staring senior cornerback Cameron Brown has been limited in practice after having an unspecified off-season procedure. He missed the 2020 season and two games last year with an Achilles injury. Since it’s been almost two years since the Achilles surgery, Brown should be closing in on a full recovery.
“You can’t just throw them in there. All of a sudden, something else will show up,” head coach Ryan Day said of Brown. “So it’s a combination of making sure that he’s recovered but also making sure you’re building him up the right way.”
Unlike the Buckeyes, The Fighting Irish have taken a lot of blows to their depth on the roster, and in a game against Ohio State, their depth can hurt their chances of winning. But, bad turned to worst when senior left guard Jarrett Patterson injured his foot in practice. Head coach Marcus Freeman called the injury a “foot sprain” at a post-practice press conference.
“We’ve got to rest it. Really for him, it’s gonna be once we get probably through about a 10-day period of resting, it will be he can go as he can tolerate the pain,” said Freeman about Patterson. “So right now I would say he’s questionable for Ohio State, but I know J-Pat and I know his mentality and as a head coach, I expect him probably to be out there, just because I know the type of competitor he is.”
An injury to the offensive line could hurt the chances of sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner feeling comfortable in his first game after winning the starting quarterback job. Projected first-round pick Zach Harrison could have a great opening day game if Patterson can’t tolerate the pain.
Earlier in the off-season, hyper-athletic wide receiver Avery Davis tore his ACL and has already been ruled out for the year. Since then, fifth-year wide receiver Joe Wilkins Jr has started to take reps with the first team. He had surgery for a broken foot in the spring and has been limited while working his way back. Second-year wide receiver Jayden Thomas sat out of team practice several times this off-season when the media was present. Notre Dame needs their receivers to get healthy heading into week one to help their young quarterback succeed against an opportunistic defense.
As the game rolls into the second half, the injured depth of The Fighting Irish might be more prevalent than ever against the high-ranking Buckeyes.
Ohio State is favored by -16.5 and the over/under is 59.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Buckeyes are at +300 to win the National Championship, while Notre Dame is at +6000.
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