I haven't always agreed with what Colin Cowherd has said in the past. He toes the line between real and clickbait on a day-to-day basis, but on Tuesday, he was telling the truth.

On his weekly show post Week 8 in college football, he made multiple claims that were exactly right. 

First, the longtime sports talkshow host's claim he made was saying out loud what nearly everyone is thinking, but not everyone has the guts to say. 

"Ohio State is the only great team. I think Indiana, 'Bama, and I'm going to say Notre Dame. I predicted they'd win by 10 (against USC) and run the ball. I think Notre Dame is good. I don't think they are great... I think Ohio State's defense is great... There is one really special team and then there is a bunch of good."

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In the "good" category is a team that is on a crash course for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship this year. Outside of the Buckeyes, Indiana is playing the best football in America and wants their chance at OSU in the conference championship game.

The other two programs, Alabama and Notre Dame, must wait their turn to potential face off against Ohio State in the playoffs. 

Regardless, it does not feel that there are more than four or five teams that could reach the level of the Buckeyes, and even if they do, they still need miracle conditions to beat them. So many elements have to go just right for Ohio State to fall, making it an unlikely outcome.

One of those teams, according to Cowherd, is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Obviously, the familiar foe from the 2025 National Championship game that the head coach Ryan Day and his squad managed to outlasted in Atlanta last year. 

The reason why Cowherd believes that the Irish can hang with Ohio State is their ability to run the football. Notre Dame's offensive line is elite, and so are their tailbacks. The combination of Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price is the most lethal duo in college football, and they have shown it throughout the course of the regular season.

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If Ohio State's defense has shown any weakness at all, it is that they are slightly susceptible in the run game. Texas, Grambling State, and Washington were able to establish some sort of a run game on defensive coordinator Matt Patricia's front seven. The Buckeyes' defense has certainly stiffened up over the past couple of weeks, but the ability to run the football against Ohio State is the first ingredient for an upset.

Cowherd did not outwardly call for an upset, as he acknowledged that the Fighting Irish are one of the few teams that might be able to hang with the Buckeyes. Notre Dame needs to hold the course and win out so that they can guarantee a spot in the playoffs.

After losses in weeks 1 and 2, the Irish need to be perfect just to get a selection into the Big Dance. Once they are in, they may be one of the teams that Ohio State wats to avoid.