South Bend, Indiana - Will Notre Dame's better offense outplay Ohio State's better defense in the biggest clash of college football Week 4 showdowns?

Sam Hartman, one of college football's most efficient quarterbacks this season, has a chance to seize the Heisman spotlight with a victory over Ohio State in Saturday's prime-time matchup.

It's an enticing scenario, with Notre Dame playing as the home underdog. The matchup between Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and his alma mater also adds another layer of intrigue.

This game will test Ohio State's ability to respond to adversity, and the focus of interest for the Buckeyes lies in the performance of their defense.

Despite being heavily criticized last season, their defense has now risen to the top spot among Power Five teams in yards allowed per play. If the Buckeyes can slow down Notre Dame's offense, then it will give much-needed leverage to Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord!

With little experience as a starter, this will be McCord's first massive game, and if this match-up were scheduled for November, the Buckeyes would have a stronger chance at easily taking this victory.

However, Ohio State seems to be in a vulnerable state at the moment, and McCord doesn't have the experience in an atmosphere like this one. This is a showdown where Notre Dame's got the better offense, and Ohio State's got the better defense.

In the end, Notre Dame is predicted to win by the slightest of margin.

Ohio State is favored by the slightest in the spread against Notre Dame.

BetMGM has designated Ohio State as a 3-point favorite and has set the over/under at 54.5 points.

DraftKings Sportsbook has also positioned the Buckeyes as 3-point favorites, offering an over/under line of 54 points.

FanDuel Sportsbook is favoring Ohio State by 3.5 points.

The College Gameday showdown between Ohio State and Notre Dame is set for Saturday at 7:30 PM airing on NBC.