Nevertheless, Leonard didn’t have to think very long about where he wanted to go. He’d grown up a fan of Notre Dame — his great-grandfather, James Curran, played for the Fighting Irish in the 1940s — and committed in mid-December.

Both quarterbacks knew their final season of college football could still be a special one even after their teams endured difficult setbacks.

He’s been somebody who’s led by example,” the Irish QB said of his grandfather. “A lot of the lessons I’ve learned have come from him."

The one common denominator between the Irish teams that lost to Ohio State in the past two seasons was quarterback play. It wasn't Leonard then. but it's Leonard now.

On this Friday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Stefan Krajisnik and Andrew Gillis are breaking down the matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This one is Ohio State’s defense vs.

Ohio State coaches and players view Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard as “a driving force” of the Fighting Irish with his running ability, leadership and competitiveness.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard was ushered off the field by officials after a possible concussion in the Orange Bowl against Penn State, but returned.