Christmas may be over, but there are still a lot of highly-anticipated bowl games waiting for you on New Year’s Day. One of those games includes a blockbuster showdown between two powerhouse programs, as the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes battle it out at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
This match is guaranteed to have an extremely intense atmosphere especially with both squads looking to unleash their frustrations about failing to clinch a spot in this year’s College Football Playoff.
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this bout. And if you want occupy yourself with some more bowl action, checkout our other previews of Oregon vs. TCU in the Alamo Bowl and Stanford vs. Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl Preview
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
When: Friday, January 1, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+6.5) at Ohio State Buckeyes (-6.5); total: 57.0 – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2)
Despite losing Malik Zaire to a season-ending ankle injury in just the second game of their 2015-16 campaign, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were still a force to be reckoned with. They suffered their two losses by just a total of four points on the road opposite No. 1 Clemson and No. 6 Stanford. Other than that, the Fighting Irish went perfect and ended up with a solid 10-2 win-loss record.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]That finish didn’t result in a postseason spot, but they should be pretty satisfied about earning a sixth-consecutive bowl appearance. The eight-ranked Fighting Irish will now be going mano-a-mano with a fellow top-10 ranked team in the form of the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes for the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl this coming Friday.
Quarterback DeShone Kizer, who’s done a marvelous job as Zaire’s replacement behind center with 2,600 passing yards and 19 touchdowns in total this season, will be looking to lead Notre Dame’s offense that’s averaging 256.3 passing yards and 34.8 points per game. He should be able to succeed in doing so especially with wide receiver Will Fuller constantly waiting for his passes.
Fuller has produced some huge numbers in his junior campaign, holding team-bests of 1,145 receiving yards and 13 scores. He’ll be set to test an Ohio State secondary which is only allowing 176.2 passing yards per game, the ninth-lowest in the nation.
If Fuller struggles to find his touches, the Fighting Irish still have a viable option on the ground with C.J. Prosise, who has rumbled for 1,032 yards along with 11 touchdowns in total this season. The senior running back’s speed and strength is bound to provide some trouble for the Buckeyes run defense.
Notre Dame is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games overall and also 1-4-1 ATS in its last six versus Big Ten teams.
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Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten)
Just when you thought that the Ohio State Buckeyes were well on their way to a second-straight national championship, they fell short during their second-to-the-last game of the regular season opposite Michigan State, 17-14. That loss was their only one of the season and one that ultimately shattered their hopes of back-to-back titles.
Moving forward, the seventh-ranked Buckeyes will have to settle for a trip to Glendale, where they will go toe-to-toe with the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Ohio State has won all three meetings with the Fighting Irish, dating all the way back to the 1995 season.
In order for the Buckeyes to continue their dominance, they ought to rely on one of the best weapons in football in Ezekiel Elliot, who could be headed for the NFL draft in the spring. He ranks fifth in the nation with 1,672 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. The 20-year-old junior back also surpassed the 100-yard mark in 11 of 12 games this season. Elliot should be able to impose his will once again opposite an inconsistent Notre Dame front seven that has given up 166.5 rushing yards per outing.
Meanwhile, the passing game has been working towards their favor as well and it’s all thanks to the pair of Michael Thomas and Jalin Marshall. Both have combined for 1,157 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.
Their biggest key to success, though, will be their breathtaking defense. The Buckeyes are only allowing 14.0 points and 303.5 total yards to their opponents this season. But it’ll be quite interesting how they’ll stand firm against the Fighting Irish, who are averaging 34.8 points per contest.
Ohio State is 5-2 ATS in its past seven bowl games and is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in its last five games as the favorites.
Writer’s Prediction
Buckeyes (-6.5) struggle at the start, but eventually pull through down the stretch for the entertaining 35-27 win.
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