Why are so many experts picking Notre Dame to beat Ohio State?

Notre Dame football enters Saturday’s showdown with Ohio State as the underdog. Why are so many experts predicting a Fighting Irish victory?

The biggest game of a stacked Week 4 is quickly approaching, and as the predictions have begun to roll in from across the college football world, it seems that Notre Dame football has become a popular pick. Experts from publications like The Athletic, 247 Sports, CBS, and Athlon have all made the case for a Fighting Irish victory in South Bend on Saturday night, and X (Twitter) has been flooded with upset selections.

Why so much love for the Irish?

The Sam Hartman factor

The first place to look is at the quarterback position. For Notre Dame football, Sam Hartman has been electric in 2023. He’s completing 71 percent of his throws for 1,061 yards, 13 touchdowns, and not a single interception. Those numbers add up to a passer rating of 217.8.

To put it bluntly, Hartman is the best quarterback Notre Dame has had in a very long time.

The Irish have had a few teams of similar quality in the last decade-plus, but the quarterbacks of those teams just haven’t had the juice to put them over the top. Hartman has the juice.

If Notre Dame football is going to win these types of games and contend for a title, it’s going to be with Hartman.

The complete offensive arsenal

It’s easy to talk all day about Sam Hartman, but Audric Estime cannot be forgotten. Behind a powerful Irish offensive line, the hard-running Estime has racked up 521 rushing yards and five touchdowns in four games while averaging 8.3 yards per carry.

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He’s spelled by Jeremiyah Love, who’s averaging 6.6 yards per rush on his way to 119 yards on the season.

This is an extremely dynamic Irish offense that can beat you through the air or on the ground. In previous seasons, they’ve needed one facet to set up the other, but in 2023, both are elite.

The home-field advantage

Notre Dame Stadium has had a mystique and history to it for a long time, but it hasn’t always been the most rocking atmosphere. The Irish crowd has, at times, been described as more of a “wine and cheese” crowd than a rabid football fan base, and opposing fans have taken over the stadium on more than one occasion.

The “wine and cheese” reputation has been chipped away at for over a decade now, with the stadium playing more contemporary music instead of simply relying upon the traditional marching band.

Notre Dame brass also has reason to believe that the stadium won’t be taken over by a sea of red yet again on Saturday.

If that is indeed the case, and this tremendous Irish team is backed up by a raucous Notre Dame-supporting crowd, this could be a night for the ages in South Bend.