By the numbers: How many times has Ohio State football faced Notre Dame?

Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
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Ohio State football opens its 2022 season against Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Here's a look at what numbers define the Buckeyes' season-opening matchup against the Fighting Irish.

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6: Previous games between Ohio State and Notre Dame

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer takes the field prior to the Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Jan. 1, 2016.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer takes the field prior to the Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Jan. 1, 2016.

While the two schools are only 267 miles apart, Ohio State and Notre Dame's football teams have only played each other six times.

After two wins for the Fighting Irish in 1935-36, the Buckeyes have won each of the past four meetings since 1995, including two Fiesta Bowl wins.

Notre Dame and Ohio State have not met up in the regular season since 1996.

2: Teams in top three of college football according to all-time winning percentage

Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes defense in the third quarter during the Fiesta Bowl in the University of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2016. (Dispatch photo by Kyle Robertson)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes defense in the third quarter during the Fiesta Bowl in the University of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2016. (Dispatch photo by Kyle Robertson)

Ohio State and Notre Dame are two of the winningest programs in college football history.

The Buckeyes enter the season tied for the best winning percentage in the sport's history with Alabama, posting a .731 winning percentage with a 942-329-53 record.

Notre Dame comes in with a .730 winning percentage with a 929-330-42 career record.

7: Heisman Trophy winners in each school's history

FILE - In this Dec. 2, 1975 file photo, Ohio State's running back Archie Griffin smiles and holds up two fingers as he poses with the 1975 Heisman Trophy in New York City. Griffin also won the Heisman in 1974. Griffin, the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, says he'd welcome being joined in that elite company by Florida's Tim Tebow or Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. Tebow won the award two years ago as a sophomore and is quarterbacking the nation's No. 1-ranked team. Bradford, who won the Heisman last December as a sophomore, returned as quarterback for the Sooners, who are ranked No. 3. (AP Photo)

Ohio State and Notre Dame are each tied for first in college football history with seven players who have won the Heisman Trophy.

Notre Dame has not had a Heisman Trophy winner since wide receiver and kick returner Tim Brown in 1987, who joined quarterback Angelo Bertelli (1943), quarterback Johnny Lujack (1947), end Leon Hart (1949), halfback Johnny Lattner (1953), quarterback Paul Hornung (1956) and quarterback John Huarte (1964) as the program's former winners.

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Halfback and quarterback Les Horvath (1944), halfback and punter Vic Janowicz (1950), halfback Howard Cassady (1955), running back Archie Griffin (1974-75), running back Eddie George (1995) and quarterback Troy Smith (2006) have each won the Heisman Trophy with Ohio State.

45.7: Points Ohio State's offense averaged per game last season

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 317 of 441 passes for 4,435 yards with 44 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions last season.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 317 of 441 passes for 4,435 yards with 44 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions last season.

With quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receivers like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State finished with the No. 1 offense in college football last season.

The Buckeyes averaged 45.7 points and 561.7 yards per game and was the only offense to average eight yards per play in 2021.

With Stroud, Henderson and Smith-Njigba all back along with Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming in the passing game, Ohio State will be looking to pick up where it left off.

19.7: Points Notre Dame's defense allowed per game last season

FILE - Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) plays during the second half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Glendale, Ariz. If Notre Dame is going to beat Ohio State for the first time since 1936, everyone in South Bend knows the defense must ace its test. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

Notre Dame's defense did its job in 2021.

The Fighting Irish finished tied for No. 15 in the country with NC State, averaging 19.7 points per game last season, allowing only 23 points through its last four games of 2021 against Navy, Virginia, Georgia Tech and Stanford.

Notre Dame allowed 360.5 yards per game and 5.3 yards per play in 2021.

3: New Ohio State defensive coaches that will make their debuts against Notre Dame

Ohio State fans will get their first look at the team's new-look defense Saturday night.

This offseason, coach Ryan Day overhauled his defensive coaching staff, adding defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State, safeties coach Perry Eliano from Cincinnati and secondary and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The three new coaches, along with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, are trying to repair a defense that allowed 22.8 points and 374 yards per game last season.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football vs. Notre Dame by the numbers