A lot of people thought that Ohio State had never seen a defense like Notre Dame's but in reality, the Fighting Irish have not seen an offense like the Buckeyes.
First-year Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has practically called a flawless game for the Buckeyes in the first two and a half quarters of the National Championship, as the Buckeyes are currently up 31-15 on Notre Dame. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and the offense have been rolling through a Notre Dame defense that was ranked one of the top in the country.
When looking at Notre Dame's opponents this season, since they don't play in a conference and play the majority of ACC teams, they just didn't have to face an opponent like Ohio State all season long. Ohio State has faced tough defense in the Big Ten, such as Iowa, Michigan, Penn State, and even Indiana, and was able to find a way to get through them except one.
The Buckeyes, though, have been an offensive powerhouse throughout the College Football Playoff, stream rolling through Tennessee and Oregon in the first two rounds and really their first test coming from Texas in the Orange Bowl in the Semifinals. The Buckeyes trailed for the first time during the CFP for a mere four minutes because Notre Dame got the ball first and scored on their first drive. Since then, it has been all Ohio State.
Kelly is proving what he can do when he has the talent to back up his coaching. Quarterback Will Howard had not turned the ball over once, and the rest of the offense has backed him up with play of their own. Howard is 14-for17 for 144 yards and two touchdowns and has done everything Kelly has asked of him.
Ohio State's offense seems to have baffled Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, who has been a coach known to find answers in any game. Let's just hope he doesn't somehow find an answer to this game for Ohio State's sake.