The ESPN College Gameday crew returns Saturday for Week 4 of the 2023 college football season, headlined by a marquee showdown pitting Notre Dame against Ohio State.

A year ago, the Buckeyes outplayed the Fighting Irish, earning a 21-10 victory in the season opener.

This year, with exceptional play from sixth-year senior Sam Hartman, Notre Dame looks to assert its status as a National Championship contender with a quarterback that can finally get them over the proverbial hump.

Their first test comes Saturday against a solid defense and the best wide receiver corps in the country.

Location: South Bend, Indiana

Time: 9:00 a.m. ET

Streaming: ESPN+

Panel: Reece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, and Pat McAfee

The time is now for Notre Dame to establish itself as a legitimate threat to win the national title with a win over a team that is perpetually in that conversation.

The team has rarely enjoyed the type of play from the quarterback position that it currently is getting from Hartman, who has tossed 13 TDs and zero interceptions through four games and has compiled over 1,000 yards in that span. He has exceeded all expectations to this point but will face his toughest test to date in a formidable defense featuring a solid front and superb secondary.

Tyler Horka @tbhorka

You couldn't run down the field and directly put the ball in Chris Tyree's hands in a better spot than Sam Hartman did on a throw from ~50 yards away. <br><br>Man oh man the Notre Dame quarterback throws a damn good deep ball. <a href="">

Hartman has not faced the pass rush often this season but, with all due respect to the likes of Navy, Tennessee State, and Central Michigan, none are as stout as what the Buckeyes will present.

The team may only have five sacks to this point but in Saturday's game, it may not be as much about sacking Hartman as it is pressuring and disrupting him. Throwing looks at the veteran QB that he has not seen to this point and preventing him from developing early rhythm is something Ohio State will attempt to do. If it can do so successfully, the physical secondary should be able to win match-ups against the Irish's receivers.

Speaking of receivers, Ohio State is home to the best in the college game in Marvin Harrison Jr.

The second-generation wideout has demonstrated an ability to dominate games. Through three so far in 2023, he has caught 14 balls for 304 yards and three touchdowns. More impressive than his personal stats is what his presence does for the rest of the offense.

Bleacher Report CFB @BR_CFB

Marvin Harrison Jr. just heating up ⏳🔥<br><br>(via <a href="">@OhioStateFB</a>) <a href="">

It opens up the other receivers to thrive by forcing defenses to shift coverage while also allowing the rushing game to heat up.

The Notre Dame defense did a solid job of containing the explosive passing game of the Buckeyes a season ago and returns starting corners Cam Hart and Benjamin Morrison. In that season opener, Harrison Jr. was held to just five catches for 56 yards and no scores.

If the Irish can replicate that performance in Week 4, and the front seven can contain running back TreVeyon Henderson, the potential for victory will be enhanced significantly.

Even more so if the Notre Dame defense can force Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord to beat them.

The junior is completing 69.7 percent of his passes for 815 yards, six touchdowns and an interception. He has had two consecutive three-touchdown games, but they came against Western Kentucky and Youngstown State teams that were fodder for the national powerhouse.

He has yet to put together a complete game that instills complete confidence in fans that he is the guy to lead them to their first championship since 2014. Until he does that, there is no reason to believe that McCord can put the team on his back and beat a quality opponent in a primetime setting.

The easiest way to erase that mentality?

Whether McCord does or not remains to be seen. What is a certainty, though, is that the visitors have the better roster on paper and in games like Saturday's, big time players show up in big time situations.

Ohio State has been in games of this magnitude before and won them. Notre Dame, under second-year head coach Marcus Freeman, is still discovering what it can be.

Despite renewed energy and the excellent play of Hartman, it is difficult to pick the Irish until this squad earns a signature win.

Prediction: Ohio State by three