Notre Dame fell 34-23 to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship Monday night.
For a while, it didn’t appear that the final score was going to be that close. The Buckeyes scored 31 unanswered points after falling behind 7-0 early and looked like they were going to win in a laugher. However, Notre Dame made things interesting with a pair of touchdowns and two-point conversions and were threatening to get the ball back with a chance to tie the game when the Fighting Irish had the moment that ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky says the team “has to regret.”
With Ohio State facing 3rd-and-11 from their own 34-yard line with 2:38 remaining, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden opted to rush seven defenders and leave his secondary on islands against the Buckeyes’ dangerous receiving corps.
Freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith beat Christian Gray down the right sideline, quarterback Will Howard delivered a perfect ball, and 56 yards later, the Buckeyes were on the doorstep of a game-clinching field goal.
Speaking on Get Up this morning, Orlovsky said he was “absolutely floored” by Notre Dame’s decision to “Zero Blitz” in that situation.
“I’m shocked that they singled up Jeremiah Smith,” Orlovsky said. “We were texting with Ryan Clark whose son Jordan Clark is playing in the game. Ten seconds before the play, we all text out ‘It’s going to No. 4.'”
Orlovsky did credit Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly with an “all-time great call” and the Howard/Smith tandem with an “all-time clutch throw and catch,” but you could tell he was still stuck on Notre Dame’s defensive strategy.
“There’s 15 other calls I could have made,” Golden said postgame. “We were near the end. We couldn’t allow another first down. We went the pressure route, and obviously (Smith) made a great play.”
Howard finished 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns along with 57 rushing yards while Smith caught five passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.
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