While the Ohio State Buckeyes often schedule at least one strong non-conference opponent each year, the Big 10 power has faced only three Top 25 ranked foes on their home turf in the past 25 years. In those games, Ohio State is only 1-2, winning only their most recent contest in 2016 against Oklahoma.
This weekend, the Buckeyes will add to that total when Ohio State travels to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In a game featuring two Top 10 teams, the winner will have an inside track to make the College Football Playoffs based off their quality win Saturday.
Which players are primed to leave their mark in this primetime game? Explore our “Four Sure” player prop bets to see which players should make a difference in the game. But first, here is a quick look at the live odds.
Notre Dame TE Holden Staes Anytime TD Scorer (+300)
When it comes to scoring a TD for either team, neither player is a safer bet at better odds than Fighting Irish TE Holden Staes. The Sophomore TE caught one pass in 2022, backing up future NFLer Michael Mayer.
In his first season as Notre Dame’s primary TE target, Staes has been consistent. In their last three contests, Staes has brought in six receptions for a team-best four TDs and 123 yards receiving.
The Fighting Irish TE also has recorded a TD in each of the last three games, making him one of QB Sam Hartman’s top targets once inside the endzone.
Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman OVER 250.5 Passing Yards (-114)
When Sam Hartman entered the transfer portal, the veteran QB was looking for a competent team that would allow him to compete for a national championship. The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, were looking for a competent QB that would allow Notre Dame to take their ambitious goals to the next level.
Opportunity knocked, and both Hartman and the Fighting Irish answered. Hartman has exceeded this total in three of his four games thus far for Notre Dame.
The lone game the fifth-year QB failed to reach that total was against Tennessee State, and he played less than three quarters of the 56-3 blowout victory. Expect Hartman and the Fighting Irish to air it out against an Ohio State secondary that has yet to be tested this season.
Ohio State TE Cade Stover OVER 27.5 Receiving Yards (-114)
Kyle McCord – the Buckeyes first-year starting QB – has a bevy of talented options at his disposal, including Julian Fleming, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. You can also add Senior TE Cade Stover to that mix for Ohio State.
Last week, Stover posted the most receiving yards for the Buckeyes by hauling in 98 yards off five receptions. Prior to that, the TE recorded 90 receiving yards against Western Kentucky in the season opener.
In a game that Ohio State will need to extend drives with chain-moving receptions, expect McCord to easily connect with Stover for more than 27.5 yards this Saturday.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson UNDER 66.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
While Ohio State has rushed on nearly 49 percent of their plays this season, more than 67 percent of the offensive yards have come through the air. For the Buckeyes, keeping teams honest against the rush is important, but it’s not necessarily where this team earns their yards.
While Buckeyes RB TreVeyon Henderson is by far the most-talented athlete the Notre Dame defense has faced this season, no player has exceeded 60 rushing yards in a game against the Fighting Irish in 2023.
Notre Dame’s defense has held their four opponents to 107 rushing yards on average. Expect much of the same when the Fighting Irish face Henderson this weekend.
