SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Ohio State showed up with a lunchpail.
It needed every last second of work to claim a paycheck.
In one of the more bewildering outings of the Ryan Day Era with the Buckeyes, the defense did just about everything it could for three quarters but the offense completely disappeared before salvaging a 17-14 win on Saturday night that avoided a potential meltdown for the program heading into the off date.
The season is absolutely not over for the Buckeyes now, of course. But it nearly was before Chip Trayanum plowed into the end zone from the 1-yard line on the last second of the game. The Big Ten title is still available to play for, and a College Footbal Playoff berth would surely come with claiming that crown again. But it may well be a fair question to ask if this version of Ohio State is still going to climb that mountain at this point.
Heading into the off date and even with a victory, the heat just got cranked up on Day and the Buckeyes in a major way. And that's obviously where the Snap Judgments must begin.
Ohio State defense bent early, finally broke late before holding on
There were open pockets for the Notre Dame passing attack. The Irish were able to stack up a few consecutive chain-moving plays for stretches in the middle of the field. And with a chance to force a turnover or two in the first half, Ohio State let them slip away.
But all of that early effort was matched by an ability to get off the field without giving up a single point. Eventually Notre Dame continuing to chip away created real cracks in the Buckeyes, and the defense couldn't find a solution for a patient, powerful rushing attack. It's hard to point to the Silver Bullets as the main culprits on Saturday night given how much time they gave the offense to build a lead without giving up any points until late in the third quarter, and they shouldn't have to pitch a shutout on the road for the Buckeyes to pull out a win -- even against Notre Dame.
But there will be continued questions about the effectiveness of the Ohio State defensive line, and that is more than fair considering the lack of pressure against the pass and the way Notre Dame imposed its will on the ground when it mattered most.
Ohio State red-zone, short-yardage situations under microscope
The Buckeyes tried to find new solutions. The problem was the same, and so was the outcome.
Ohio State couldn't execute in the red zone despite trying a defensive end as a lead blocker and then adding an extra offensive lineman on the next play. It couldn't convert on either a third-and-short or a fourth-down try on the game-deciding drive, ultimately trying an end around with Emeka Egbuka and essentially conceding that it couldn't trust its line or running backs to get a yard when it mattered most.
For all the fireworks that Ryan Day has brought to the Ohio State offensive over the last few years, the regression on the most important downs is impossible to ignore -- and caught up with the Buckeyes nearly cost them a victory.
Eventually they got the touchdown they absolutely had to have from Chip Trayanum to avoid disaster.
Attention shifts to Marvin Harrison Jr. health moving forward
The wildest possible swing of emotions happened just about simultaneously for Ohio State.
With the offense finally clicking into high gear as TreVeyon Henderson dashed down the left sideline for the first touchdown of the game, one of the key blockers that sprung the rush was writhing in pain on the ground -- and it happened to be the best wide receiver in the nation. The matchup with Notre Dame finally had a little breathing room in the short term, but the long-run outlook for the Buckeyes was seemingly hanging in the balance while Harrison was getting medical attention.
Harrison didn't put any weight on his ankle as he was helped to the sideline and into the red tent for evaluation, where he stayed for roughly 10 minutes. When he popped out, Harrison jumped up and down twice to test his leg, did a little light jogging and then tried to pry his helmet back from the training staff. Ultimately Harrison won that battle, then returned to make a catch on the next offensive snap with yet another reminder of his toughness.
That doesn't mean it won't be sore or worth monitoring moving forward once the adrenaline wears off. But the Buckeyes do have the benefit of an extra week for him to recover before returning to action in two weeks against Maryland.
