You can X and O and scheme and talk about motivation, but at the end of the day, a fully healthy Ohio State, probably the most talented team in the country, was always going to beat what was essentially a 3rd-string Notre Dame team with a couple of starters sprinkled in. And that's what happened in a 44-28 Buckeyes' win that was never a full-on boatracing, but was also never really in doubt.
For about 2 days there, after Ohio State lost two starting defensive linemen for the game, one to injury and one to suspension, it looked like the Irish might finally have something resembling a manpower advantage for a game for the first time this season, but then Devin Butler broke his foot, Max Redfield broke curfew, Jerry Tillery got booted, and Sheldon Day, while he played, also got injured.