Ohio State Basketball: Keys to Victory for Clash with Notre Dame

Posted By on November 16, 2025

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Photo Credits / The Ohio State University

The Buckeyes have their first true test of the 2025-26 season this Sunday when they welcome the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to Value City Arena for a Big Ten vs ACC clash.

Ohio State has started this season red-hot with three straight home wins, while averaging 95 points per game over that stretch, which is good enough for 5th in the Big Ten so far. Jake Diebler has let team captain Bruce Thornton run this offense with authority, which, in return, has enabled the Buckeyes to look as good as they have in years.   

This Sunday, the Buckeyes prepare for their first test of the season. Notre Dame comes into Columbus also riding a three-game win streak, with their offense also looking great. Junior guard Markus Burton could have entered the transfer portal this past offseason, but he decided to return to Notre Dame for his Junior season. The Fighting Irish went out and got Northern Arizona forward Carson Towt, who was a three-year starter for the Lumberjacks. Coach Micah Shrewsberry also brought in true freshman five-star Jalen Haralson, their best commit in modern program history. Four-star Ryder Frost has also been a key contributor so far this season for the 3-0 Irish. 

Ohio State’s Keys to Victory  

Play a Consistent offense in the first half

The Buckeyes have played tremendous offense this season, but we saw this past Tuesday that they can have a major cold spell in the first half. With shooting 28% from the field and 13% from three in the first half, Ohio State was still able to pull ahead going into the break. After the twenty-minute break, the Buckeyes couldn’t miss, shooting 54% from the field and 45% from the three-point line. If the Buckeyes once again struggle from the field in the first half Sunday, it may cost them a resume-building win as Notre Dame will take advantage, as they have the talent to run away with a game when given the opportunity. 

Stop Markus Burton 

Burton may be one of the best pure scorers in the ACC. He has been since he was a true freshman, the junior guard can put up 30 points and take over the game by himself on any given night. Last season, he put up 43 points in a four-overtime thriller against California, where he would play 53 minutes before fouling out. But in the ACC tournament last year, he was a non-factor in each of their games against Pittsburgh and UNC. Jake Diebler must make someone else on the Fighting Irish team beat them, whether that is Carson Towt or one of the true freshmen. 

Play Good Defense 

This is a given, but Ohio State has played shaky defense this season, which has gradually gotten better over each of the three games played. Between Burton, Shrewsberry, Towt, Haralson, and Frost, the Fighting Irish can score the ball better than they have been able to since the Bonzie Colson days. If the Buckeyes can play solid defense and not allow this to be a shootout, this should be a great resume-building win that will be looked back at in March. 

Do not get outcoached by Micah Shrewsberry 

Micah Shrewsberry has always had the upper hand on Ohio State. Whether that be on a game-winning miracle half-court shot or an 18-point comeback on the road. It always seems like the Buckeyes get outcoached by Shrewsberry at the very end of games. So for Ohio State to pull of a big early-season win, Jake Diebler needs to outcoach someone who has outcoached the Buckeyes for years. 

This should be a great game on Sunday, and a big game for the Buckeyes, as this will show fans and the conference what the rest of the season could look like. If they pick up a convincing win, they have a chance to go into the Pittsburgh game at 6-0 and possibly be 7-0 going into Big Ten play. These are the next few big weeks for the Buckeyes and the future of their season and how the college basketball world views them.

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