O-H-..!
The Ohio State Buckeyes demonstrated a commanding performance during the first half of the inaugural 12-team college football playoff championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notably, the Buckeyes established a significant lead, reaching as much as 24 points with 7:52 remaining in the third quarter.
The Fighting Irish reduced the deficit to eight points; however, with 2:38 remaining in the game on a third-and-11 situation, Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard successfully completed a pass to receiver Jeremiah Smith. This crucial play occurred late in the fourth quarter, securing Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame and marking the school’s sixth national title and first in ten years.
-I-O..!
“It was go ball on the outside with a couple of options if they played one on one on the outside we were going to take a shot,” Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said. “They did a great job of game planning us. Will made a huge throw, Jeremiah made a huge catch to seal the game.”
Smith recorded five receptions for 88 yards and one touchdown. Throughout the playoffs, he achieved a total of five touchdowns; however, in the game against Texas, he had one reception for three yards.
Notre Dame secures victory in the Orange Bowl and progresses to the championship game
This achievement was widely considered unlikely just seven weeks ago on November 30, following a 13-10 loss to Michigan that resulted in significant disruption on the field and raised concerns about Coach Ryan Day’s future with the team.
“The story gets to get told now and it is a great story,” Day added. “About a bunch of guys who just overcome some tough situations. There were a lot of people who counted us out. We just kept swinging and kept fighting. That’s the reason you get into coaching to see guys overcome things. Learn life lessons and reach their dreams, that is what happened tonight.”
Howard, a notable success story from Kansas State’s transfer portal, achieved 231 passing yards and two touchdowns. However, the highlight of his performance was the crucial pass to Smith in a high-pressure situation.
The Fighting Irish demonstrated resilience by scoring two touchdowns, along with two successful 2-point conversions, narrowing the deficit to a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.
“Obviously tough moment, tough outcome. There’s reasons why we didn’t get the outcome we wanted. Credit to Ohio State and their ability to execute on both sides of the ball,” Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said. “Obviously in the special teams they made a field goal that mattered at the end of the game.”
The recent loss by Notre Dame signifies that, as of now, there has yet to be a Black coach who has led a college football team to a national championship. Freeman was seeking to become the first to achieve this milestone.
“We obviously didn’t play the way we needed to to get the outcome we want, but as I said to the guys in the locker room, there’s not many words to say when everybody is hurting. I’m just proud of them and proud of what they’ve done,” Freeman added. “I’m proud of who they are, the way they represent themselves, and it’s just an honor to be on this journey with them. There’s going to be a lot of guys, seniors, that this was their final game with Notre Dame football, but they’ve left this place a better place, and very grateful to be on the journey with them.”
Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame faced their largest deficit of the season at 24 points. Their previous highest deficit was 10-0 against Penn State in the CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl.
This represents the first instance since 1942 that the Big Ten has secured back-to-back titles. The previous year’s champion, Michigan, was not participating this time but played a significant part in a remarkable redemption story for the Buckeyes that few anticipated.
“This is exactly what we envisioned when we decided to come back, go out and do it this way and on this note,” Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer said. “We thank God for giving us the ability to go out here and do it through the ups and the downs.”
Buckeyes become the fourth multiple champion in the CFP Era with two titles; Alabama has won three, Clemson and Georgia two and LSU and Michigan 1.
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