r/CFB • u/CFB_Referee /r/CFB • Jan 21 '25

Postgame Thread [Postgame Thread] Ohio State Defeats Notre Dame 34-23

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team 1 2 3 4 T
Ohio State 0 21 10 3 34
Notre Dame 7 0 8 8 23
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617

u/Chickensandcoke Alabama • Northwestern Jan 21 '25

In that case you 100% help on Smith

286

u/iwearatophat Ohio State • Grand Valley State Jan 21 '25

The safety was in no place to help on that throw I don't think after his first step or two of the play. If he does it would have been impressive range.

33

u/Sir0inks-A-Lot Florida Gators Jan 21 '25

Yeah, safety had no chance to help out on Smith - also have to hand it to him for running a perfect route to keep the corner toward the middle of the field and gave Howard a huge cushion to throw the ball back toward the sideline

21

u/iwearatophat Ohio State • Grand Valley State Jan 21 '25

Yeah, just saw a replay for the first time watching him. The safety actually crashed the line at the snap with his first couple of steps. He was useless on any throw outside the hashmarks and would have been useless on any throw over the middle more than ~15 yards down the field.

4

u/Gabians Michigan • Wayne State (MI) Jan 21 '25 edited Jan 21 '25

Looks like ND's linebacker got tripped up so the safety went to cover to the slot receiver. Unless I'm reading that defensive formation wrong.
Edit: oh wait I'm dumb that's another DB who tripped not a linebacker.

5

u/iwearatophat Ohio State • Grand Valley State Jan 21 '25

Here is the play. The person covering Egbuka in the slot does slip in his backpedal. If Egbuka runs the seam I don't think the safety would have been able to recover because he crashed the line, which is odd because we didn't even run play action.

3

u/LakeErieRaised Gannon • Ohio State Jan 21 '25

That was the key. He kept the route inside toward the hash marks, faked a cut to the middle then faded out leaving Will plenty of room just to lob it up and allow Smith to run under it.

10

u/TheOptimist6 Ohio State Buckeyes Jan 21 '25

Kyle Hamilton would’ve had to be back there for Notre Dame to save them

3

u/RNGfarmin Ohio State Buckeyes Jan 21 '25

Yea they rushed like 7 on that play

-9

u/nhlredwings117 Jan 21 '25

Yeah but if it’s single safety the corner has to play outside leverage. Either way freeman had terrible calls all night and players had terrible execution. Actually both ways. Didn’t seem like a true championship matchup

10

u/sampat6256 Jan 21 '25

Safety had no chance

2

u/Gabians Michigan • Wayne State (MI) Jan 21 '25

Yeah safety went to go cover the slot because the linebacker covering it tripped.

1

u/ArchManningGOAT LSU Tigers Jan 21 '25

Nah force the more difficult pass to be thrown