Ohio State tops Notre Dame to cap inaugural 12-team CFP with first national title in 10 years

ATLANTA — Ohio State triumphed in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, rising from the ashes of a crushing rivalry loss to claim the national championship. After an emotional setback in a rivalry game, the Buckeyes ran the gauntlet of college football’s elite teams to seal their victory.https://svtoday.org/

Quarterback Will Howard threw for 231 yards, completing his first 13 passes, while running back Quinshon Judkins added three touchdowns. Ohio State capped coach Ryan Day’s seven-week redemption journey with a 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday night.

The longest college football season in history, which began in August and concluded on Inauguration Day, ended with an Ohio State coronation.

The Buckeyes dominated from the outset, scoring on their first four possessions against Notre Dame’s typically strong defense, and finished the first half with a 31-7 lead. The Fighting Irish responded with three consecutive long drives, including two touchdowns and a missed field goal, narrowing the lead to 31-23 with 4:10 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Facing a tense moment, Ohio State needed one final drive. As the stadium’s video board displayed an image of former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, who had famously criticized Ohio State’s toughness before a 2023 regular-season game, Buckeyes fans responded with loud boos.

On third-and-11 at their own 34-yard line, Howard delivered a crucial play. He connected with freshman Jeremiah Smith for a 57-yard gain down the right sideline, setting up a critical first-and-goal at the Notre Dame 10-yard line. With just 26 seconds left, Jayden Fielding, who had missed two field goals in Ohio State’s bitter loss to Michigan earlier in the season, nailed a 33-yard kick to seal the victory.

With the national title secured, Ohio State (14-2) claimed its seventh championship since the poll era began in 1936, and its first since 2014, when Urban Meyer guided the Buckeyes to victory in the initial four-team College Football Playoff.

After Meyer’s retirement following the 2018 season, Ryan Day took the reins, and in his six seasons as head coach, the Buckeyes have remained a force, with the exception of the critical game against Michigan.

Coming off a bitter four-game losing streak to their archrivals, Day faced intense pressure, but now, with his second national title, he stands alongside Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer in Ohio State lore. Day, at 45 years old, has a 70-10 record as head coach.

The Buckeyes entered their rivalry game against Michigan with high hopes but left their home field defeated after a 13-10 loss. It was a crushing blow, especially after an emotional postgame brawl and Michigan planting a flag on Ohio State’s 50-yard line.

Ohio State, a program with more than 125 years of football history and 335 losses on its record, faced a low point in the rivalry. But with star players like defensive ends Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, receiver Emeka Egbuka, and running back TreVeyon Henderson returning for a chance at redemption, the Buckeyes aimed for victory in “The Game,” the Big Ten title, and the national championship.

Despite failing to win the first two, the 12-team Playoff format offered a lifeline, and the Buckeyes seized the opportunity.

While the loss to Michigan had consequences, the new playoff structure meant Ohio State needed to win four postseason games to secure the national title. They overcame tough opponents, including a dominant win over Tennessee and a revenge victory over Oregon at the Rose Bowl.

In the semifinals, Texas proved a formidable opponent, but Sawyer sealed the win with a late scoop-and-score, leading Ohio State to the championship game against Notre Dame, the most successful program in college football history.

In a historic all-Midwestern title game held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, temperatures were frigid outside, but Ohio State fans kept warm with their team’s high-powered offense. More than two hours before kickoff, fans filled the concourses, exchanging high-fives and posing for photos with the marching band.

Notre Dame, underdog by 8.5 points, began the game with an 18-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, taking nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Riley Leonard capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown, giving the Fighting Irish a 7-0 lead.

However, Ohio State responded immediately, tying the game with a 75-yard drive, finished off by Howard’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Smith. The Buckeyes struck again on their next possession, with Judkins breaking free for a 9-yard touchdown, followed by a third touchdown from Howard to Judkins for a 21-7 halftime lead.

Ohio State’s offensive line, despite losing key players to injury, dominated the Notre Dame defense, with Judkins breaking free for a 70-yard run early in the second half, setting up his third touchdown to make it 28-7.

But Notre Dame didn’t back down. Leonard threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, including a second score to Jaden Greathouse and a two-point conversion that made it 31-23 with 4:15 left in the game.

In the end, Ohio State’s star-studded offense, led by Howard, Judkins, and a defense featuring Caleb Downs, delivered a championship performance, overcoming the pressure of a season defined as a “championship or bust” year. The Buckeyes’ victory is a testament to the resilience of Day’s team, and this historic win will be remembered as both redemptive and transformative for Ohio State football.