SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Joe Alt didn’t want to say much about Ohio State.
As soon as Notre Dame’s All-America left tackle started to say a few things about the No. 6 Buckeyes (3-0), he steered the conversation back to the No. 9 Irish (4-0).
“They have a really good front seven,” Alt said Tuesday of Ohio State’s defense. “They’re physical. They’re experienced. They have a lot of games played. They have a leader in the middle with their middle linebacker [Tommy Eichenberg] who’s played a lot of football for them. I think he kind of gets that group going.
“For us, it’s just how are we going to get ourselves ready to play this game, focus on us, focus on what are the things we need to improve in from last game, from this practice and get ourselves ready and focus on us. That’s the biggest thing.”
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The first time Alt was asked about Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau, he didn’t have much to say.
“Their whole D front is a good front,” Alt said. “They have a good group. For us, it’s watching film, breaking down opponents, breaking down what their moves are and how we’re going to apply that to our game.”
Then a second question provided only a little bit more insight.
“He’s definitely a good player,” Alt said. “He brings physicality and speed to the game. But for us and for our group, you have to focus on you and what you have to work on and improve on. You watch the tape. You watch the film. You see what they’re good at. You see how you’re going to work that into your game. Just be confident going in and trusting your ability at the end of the day. That’s what it is.”
The message head coach Marcus Freeman has instilled in his team and delivered to reporters at his own Monday press conference is that Notre Dame has to focus on winning every day internally before it gets to Saturday. The same way he demanded players not look ahead to Ohio State while preparing for last week’s game against Central Michigan, he wants them to stay in the moment this week and not make Saturday too big of a presence in their minds.
At least outwardly, Alt seems to be executing that mindset as well as he blocks.
“You have to take every opponent seriously,” Alt said. “There’s no one team or one game where it’s different. It’s a football game for sure. It’s a good team. They’re a physical team. We have to focus on us and getting ourselves ready for this game, how we’re going to prepare for that, how we’re going to get a little better this week and get ready for the game.”
The 6-foot-8, 322-pound junior wouldn’t be so successful if not for his commitment to self-improvement. Alt’s physical gifts allow him to be a college offensive tackle, but his relentless work on the details allow him to be elite.
Of the 106 offensive tackles who have been on the field for 100 pass plays so far this season, Alt is one of four who have received perfect pass blocking efficiency ratings of 100 from Pro Football Focus. Alt hasn’t allowed a single pressure in four games, let alone a hurry, hit or sack.
Alt has the second-highest offensive grade from PFF among offensive tackles who’ve played at least 100 snaps this season. Alt’s 87.3 is just behind Missouri left tackle Javon Foster’s 87.8.
Yet Alt has plenty in mind when asked about what he can do better.
“My biggest thing is I want to continue to play a bit lower in everything I do run and pass, using my punch more and more in the pass game, in the run game just making sure my footwork is getting me where I want to be, gaining leverage with my first step and then getting my drive with my second step and getting it there,” Alt said.
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The Irish offensive line has cleared the way for the No. 26 rushing offense in the FBS averaging 204.5 yards per game. And in allowing just four sacks, Notre Dame is ranked alongside 21 teams at No. 20 with one sack per game.
With two new guards starting this season, Alt has been pleased with the communication along the line.
“We know where we’re going,” Alt said. “For us, it’s just continue to work the run game, hitting our targets, hitting our landmarks in the run. Making sure we want to be on those and that will allow us to get in position so we can actually drive off the ball. Then in pass pro, continue to work our hands, work our feet and making sure hands and feet never stop. We have to work that and fight through the interval.”
The presence of quarterback Sam Hartman “brings a cool, collected feel” to the offensive line, Alt said. Hartman has thrived in his sixth season of college football and first at Notre Dame following his Notre Dame transfer. A big performance in Saturday’s game could make Hartman, who is third in the FBS in passing efficiency with a 71.1% completion rate, 1,061 passing yards and 13 touchdowns, a Heisman Trophy contender.
Hartman’s celebrity may be growing, but he’s still the same teammate and friend to Alt.
“There’s definitely a confidence back there, and that’s been huge for us,” Alt said. “He obviously knows the game due to all the film he’s watched. He puts a lot of time into it, a lot of effort. There’s a confidence in when he makes a call, you trust it and you’re ready to go. It started with him being confident back there, and that transpires through the whole offensive line and the whole group.”
Running behind Alt and the Irish offensive line, Audric Estimé could make a case for the best running back in the country as well. His 130.2 rushing yards per game rank No. 2 in the FBS and his 8.27 yards per carry rank third.
Like Hartman, Estimé influences the offensive line to be better.
“With Audric back there, obviously he’s a great back and he runs super hard,” Alt said. “That makes us want to block so much more for him. He runs so frickin’ hard and he wants it so bad — same thing with Sam — it kind of oozes into the offensive line and oozes into us to want to work harder and be better and make those holes for him. Because you know he’s going to hit them with a full head of steam and he’s going to run as hard as he can. We want to give him those opportunities to do that.”
But the Ohio State defense will present a challenge for the Irish offense on all fronts. The Buckeyes have only given up 20 points across three games and are ranked inside the top 20 in team passing efficiency defense (No. 8, 93.8 rating) and rushing defense (tied-No. 19, 83.3 yards per game). The Irish will be confronted with all that talent when kickoff finally arrives Saturday (7:30 p.m. EDT on NBC).
“At the end of the day, it’s another football game, but obviously it’s a big one,” Alt said. “It’s at home. It’s a big opponent. You want to play to the best of your ability. So for us, the biggest thing is just reaching our full potential on Saturday. That’s what we want to do.”
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