College football’s top 5 matchups of Week 4

1. No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Notre Dame – Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC

Seeing a matchup on the schedule between Ohio State and Notre Dame has been rare over the years, but for the second straight season, the two storied programs face off, this time with both as top-10 teams. The Fighting Irish won the first two meetings of this series played all the way back in the 1930s, but the Buckeyes have won all five matchups since, including a 21-10 victory to open last season.

This year’s matchup has a different feel coming in, as a confident Notre Dame squad has gotten off to a 4-0 start thanks to the steady veteran presence of quarterback Sam Hartman who has already thrown for over 1,000 yards this season along with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. In addition to a top-20 offense, Notre Dame also has the fourth-best defense in the country, and has won each game this season by 21 points or more.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have not come out as sharp as in past years of the Ryan Day era, but a 63-10 win last weekend over Western Kentucky should provide some confidence, particularly for new quarterback Kyle McCord. Marvin Harrison Jr. has also produced back-to-back 100-yard receiving weeks, so the offense is beginning to click to pair with the third-best defense in the nation. A win in South Bend would be a statement for the Buckeyes’ eventual College Football Playoff hopes, while the same could be said for Notre Dame in what is one its most crucial games of the season.