The Ohio State football team has just one game left to win a national championship. They have to beat Notre Dame as the final foe. Doing so will not be easy, as the Fighting Irish have a very tough defense to play. Their secondary is one of the best group of defensive backs they've played against.
In order to win the game, the Buckeyes will need to have something different in the gameplan. Texas did a great job of taking away Jeremiah Smith. Notre Dame will try to do the same, but I don't think they'll have the same sort of success. Still, Smith is not the key to this game.
The X-factor in this game for the Ohio State Buckeyes is an offensive player, but he is someone who has been overlooked for most of the season. He finally had a bit of a coming-out party against the Longhorns. The X-factor in this game will be Carnell Tate.
Why Carnell Tate is the X-factor for the Ohio State football team
Tate was the leading receiver for Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl against Texas. He had seven catches for 87 yards. While he did drop a wide-open touchdown, he still had a solid game. Since he's normally the third receiver on the team, he doesn't get as much attention from defenses.
Because he isn't a bigger part of the defensive gameplan, he will be the X-factor in the National Championship Game. He would be the number-one option on a lot of teams, but not this one. He is going to show the country how talented he is in this game, though.
Tate is going to have over 100 yards receiving and at least one touchdown in his game. His ability to get yards over the middle of the field is going to be key. Tate might not be the best receiver Ohio State has, but he's still pretty darn good.