The Notre Dame football secondary plans to go man-to-man-vs. Ohio State

“It’s fine; it’s fine,” Mickens said at Saturday’s College Football Playoff championship media day. “Our system is our system. That’s just what we do. We play it according to our plan. That’s what we have to do. That’s how it’s been all year.”

The FBS leader in defensive passing efficiency the past two seasons, Notre Dame is starting sophomore Christian Gray at field corner. Gray’s last-minute interception against Penn State was the 19th^th of the year for the Irish and their 35^th in the last 28 games.

“It’s just one of the things we do,” Mickens said of man-to-man coverage. “We’re preparing and we’re getting ready to compete. They’re a great team with great receivers, but we’ve got to go for a challenge.”

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Buckeyes senior wideout Emeka Egbuka, who had seven catches for 96 yards in the 2023 meeting with Notre Dame, leads a revamped receiving corps that now also includes freshman Jeremiah Smith and sophomore Carnell Tate.

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That trio has combined for 196 catches for 2,872 yards and 28 touchdowns.

“At our core, we’re wide receivers, so we love the opportunity to be able to go on a (defensive back) one-on-one,” Egbuka said. “No matter what coverage they’re playing, our coaches are going to have a great game plan and we’re going to go out there and do what we’re coached to do.”

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In the 2022 meeting in Columbus, a 21-10 Buckeyes victory, Egbuka had nine catches for 90 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown.

“He’s been a mainstay,” Mickens said. “The common thread is they’ve always been talented. The last two years we’ve seen them, they’ve been talented. We know that. We respect them because of their talent and all that character.

“But we also have to compete. That’s our way of thinking. We have to put the ball down and out and compete.”

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At 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, Moore has the length to stick with Smith (6-3, 215) when Ohio State’s rising star lines up on the edge.

“They’re both tall and tall,” Mickens said with a smile, “so it should be a fun matchup.”

After losing juniors Jaden Mickey (portal transfer) and Benjamin Morrison (hip surgery) for the first half of the season, Notre Dame has played the Moore-Gray combination for nearly every snap of every game. Sixth-year nickel back Jordan Clark, a transfer from Arizona State, has been a stalwart in the field.

“It’s just the mentality,” Mickens said. “That’s what we breed. We start it in fall camp and we condition ourselves that way to understand that’s the type of defense we play. They’re ready.”

Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.