Saturday Blitz
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Recapping the series history between Ohio State and Notre Dame football

By John Scimeca

GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Wide receiver Chris Brown #2 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the football against safety Vonn Bell #11 of the Ohio State Buckeyes (back) and cornerback Eli Apple #13 (front) during the third quarter of the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish 44-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Wide receiver Chris Brown #2 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the football against safety Vonn Bell #11 of the Ohio State Buckeyes (back) and cornerback Eli Apple #13 (front) during the third quarter of the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish 44-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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30 Sep 1995: NOTRE DAME QUARTERBACK RON POWLUS TRIES TO ESCAPE OHIO STATE NOSEGUARD LUKE FICKELL DURING THE FIGHTING IRISH 45-26 LOSS TO THE BUCKEYES AT OHIO STADIUM IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.
30 Sep 1995: NOTRE DAME QUARTERBACK RON POWLUS TRIES TO ESCAPE OHIO STATE NOSEGUARD LUKE FICKELL DURING THE FIGHTING IRISH 45-26 LOSS TO THE BUCKEYES AT OHIO STADIUM IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. /

Nov. 2, 1935 (Columbus, Ohio)

Result: Notre Dame 18, Ohio State 13

Notre Dame handed Ohio State its only loss of 1935 in the teams’ first-ever meeting in what was informally dubbed “The Game of the Century” (there have been several of those, it seems). The Buckeyes, who would go on to finish the season with a 7-1 record, finishing atop the Western Conference, the precursor to the Big Ten.

The Irish completed a frantic fourth-quarter comeback to pull off the win. Notre Dame scored late to reduce the deficit to 13-12 and then missed a recovery for an onside kick — but an Ohio State fumble with less than two minutes remaining set up the winning Irish touchdown by Wayne Millner.

Though Notre Dame was also undefeated entering the contest, the Irish would lose to Northwestern and tie Army to end the year 7-1-1.

Oct. 31, 1936 (South Bend, Ind.)

Result: Notre Dame 7, Ohio State 2

Not a final score you see very much these days, right?

Notre Dame, no doubt smarting from its 26-0 loss at Pitt the week before, returned home to decisively (perhaps?) defeat the Buckeyes by a score of 7-2. The Irish finished the year with a 6-2-1 record and the No. 8 ranking in the first year of the AP Top 25 poll.

After this loss, Ohio State would conclude the season by defeating its final three opponents (conference foes Chicago, Illinois, and Michigan) by a combined score of 78-0.

Sept. 30, 1995 (Columbus, Ohio)

Result: Ohio State 45, Notre Dame 26

Before a then-Ohio Stadium record crowd of 95,537 spectators, the Buckeyes claimed their first series victory against the Irish in the teams’ first meeting in nearly six decades. Ohio State quarterback Bobby Hoying threw four touchdown passes in the win.

After winning its first 11 games of the season, Ohio State lost its final two contests to Michigan in the regular-season finale and to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl. Notre Dame would go on to finish the 1995 season with a 9-3 record after a loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

Random fun fact: current Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell was the Buckeyes’ starting nose guard in this game.

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