Fiesta Bowl pits two storied programs against one another

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, January 02, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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On Monday afternoon at 4:30 eastern time, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will kick off and two of the greatest programs in college football history will do battle. Notre Dame (9-2), the AP's 5th ranked team in the nation, and Ohio State (9-2), the AP's 4th ranked team, should make for a matchup of epic proportions. Both bring stars to the forefront and that in itself should make it an incredibly interesting game.

Notre Dame's passing offense finished the regular season 4th in the nation as QB Brady Quinn threw for 342.5 yards per game. The junior threw for 3,633 yards, 32 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions. He had a great deal of help. Fellow junior Jeff Samardzija had a dream season with 72 catches, 1,215 yards, and 15 touchdowns. To go along with Samardzija, Quinn had the luxury of throwing to another junior receiver, Maurice Stovall. On the season, Stovall pulled in 60 catches for 1,023 yards, and 11 touchdowns. If you ask me, that's the finest receiving duo in the nation. As if that's not enough, Quinn also has tight end Anthony Fasano as a target. For the season, the senior caught 45 passes and proved to be an incredibly reliable target. If the Buckeyes can slow that trio down, they'll be in for a great day. However, nobody's been able to slow down Charlie Weis' passing attack this season so it definitely won't be a fun or easy task.

As for the Buckeyes passing game, it isn't nearly as imposing as Notre Dame's but is still solid. Junior QB Troy Smith, a dual threat, came into his own this season with 14 touchdown passes and an efficiency rating of 158.4. Also, he managed to run for 545 yards. Notre Dame's defense definitely won't have too much fun trying to stop him. Smith's main targets are two terrific NFL prospects. Junior receiver Santonio Holmes caught 48 passes, averaged 17.8 yards per catch, and caught 10 touchdowns. Buckeyes secondary receiver Ted Ginn Jr. caught 43 passes and could also give the Fighting Irish big trouble in this game. Clearly, Ohio State's passing attack isn't on the same level as Notre Dame's but if the Irish don't watch out for the passing threat, it could come back to kill them.

As for Notre Dame's running game, it performed very well this season. Sophomore Darius Walker rushed for 1,106 yards and showed the ability to gash opposing defenses on numerous occasions in 2005. He ended the regular season schedule with three straight games of rushing for over
100 yards, but I don't see it happening in this game. Buckeyes linebacker A.J. Hawk, the best in the nation, will be gunning for Walker and the rest of Notre Dame's running game and will stymie the attack. Hawk is an incredible player and could have a major hand in what team wins this football game.

I neglected to mention the threat that Hawk poses to Notre Dame's passing offense. He could easily step in front of an errant pass by Quinn and take it the house. I have a feeling the senior LB will come out on Monday with his guns blazing, ready for action.

The Buckeyes bring one of the finest tailbacks in the country into this contest. Sophomore Antonio Pittman rushed for 1,195 yards on 5.4 yards per carry. It was an extremely impressive season from him and I expect him to have a pretty solid day against Notre Dame's run defense. If he doesn't show up, it could easily cripple the Buckeyes' hopes of winning the football game. However, if Pittman performs solidly, it will open up Smith's passing game as well as his running game. The Buckeyes need to hope that their offense can resemble the well-oiled 2004 Atlanta Falcons offense in this game. A great running game from Pittman could lead to Smith escaping the pocket for big gains, which could lead to some big pass plays from the Buckeyes' offense.

The coaching matchup in this game pits two of the best in the nation up against one another. For the Irish, rookie coach Charlie Weis has done a brilliant job of returning the program to glory, and the offensive genius has transformed Notre Dame's offense into one of the best in all of college football. For the Buckeyes, Jim Tressel has already proven his worth in the college football world. He's won one national championship and has consistently had the Buckeyes among the highest ranked in the nation since the beginning of his tenure. I don't see either making a crucial mistake in this game that would cost their respective teams the game.

Look for this to be one of the best college bowl games in recent memory. The Fiesta Bowl usually turns into a solid one as it is, I feel like this matchup is one of the most compelling in recent memory. Two of the best teams in college football will put on a show of epic proportions.

Notre Dame will win 34-30.

Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.
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