Joel Klatt sees Riley Leonard struggling against Ohio State

Riley Leonard is the star quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The dual-threat QB guided the Fighting Irish to the national championship game since transferring from the Duke Blue Devils.

Leonard is one win away from a dream end to his college football career. However, a renowned college football analyst proposes a struggle for the shot caller against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the big game.

"This has to be a low-scoring game for Notre Dame," Klatt said on his podcast on Thursday. "They won't score more than 20 points, maybe over 17 points on the Ohio State defense. This is the best defense in collegiate football. They have been excellent after the Oregon defeat in the middle of the season. They have too much veteran talent and quality players that it will be tough for Riley Leonard to run around."

However, Klatt gave the Fighting Irish a blueprint to win the game.

"The only avenue for Notre Dame to win is if they can somehow bait Ryan Day and the Buckeyes into the type of game that they played against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Michigan Wolverines and, in some ways, the Texas Longhorns; that's the blueprint for Notre Dame," Klatt said.

How has Riley Leonard performed in the playoffs?

Riley Leonard has been decent in three playoff wins in the lead-up to the big game. Leonard's passing and work on the ground have inspired his unit in games that could have gone differently.

Leonard had a stat line of 201 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception in the first-round 27-17 win over the Indiana Hoosiers. He had a tough time in the quarterfinal win over the Georgia Bulldogs. The senior-year quarterback amassed just 90 passing yards and a touchdown in the 23-10 win.

In their 27-24 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the CFP semifinal, he amassed 223 passing yards, two total touchdowns and two picks.