On Jan. 21, Ohio State University won its 9th national title, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team 34-23.
Going into the game, the Ohio State Buckeyes were favored to win by more than a touchdown. After the first quarter, Notre Dame led by one touchdown, scored by quarterback Riley Leonard on a one-yard run.
However, it didn’t take long for Ohio State to take the lead with three touchdowns in the second quarter. Star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith scored Ohio State’s first touchdown on an eight-yard pass from quarterback Will Howard.
Running back Quinshon Judkins scored both the second and third touchdowns. The first was on a nine-yard run, and the second by a six-yard pass from Howard. The Buckeyes added one more touchdown and a field goal to their lead in the third quarter. Judkins scored the fourth touchdown on a one-yard run, and Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding scored the field goal. It seemed as though Ohio State had locked in their victory as the score stood at 31-7.
However, during the middle of the third quarter, Notre Dame’s offense began making some progress, scoring two touchdowns at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter.
Both the Irish’s touchdowns were scored by wide receiver Jaden Greathouse on a 34-yard and 30-yard pass from Leonard. On both touchdowns, Notre Dame successfully completed a two–point conversion, bringing the game score to an 8-point difference with 4 minutes left in the final quarter.
However, Ohio State was able to seal the game when Howard threw a deep pass to Smith, who beat the Notre Dame cornerback to gain 56 yards for the Buckeyes. Ohio State then kicked a field goal to create an 11-point lead, and the final score of the game was 34—23 Ohio State.
This championship game marked the end of a momentous season for both teams. In order to make it into the college football championship game, a team often must go undefeated during the regular season or get very lucky. Even one loss during the regular season could derail a team from the championship path.
Earlier this season, Ohio State lost a critical game to their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. Not only was this loss devastating to the Buckeyes because they were favored to win by 21 points but they were also knocked out of the Big Ten championship game.
Similarly, Notre Dame also had a shocking loss against Northern Illinois back in September. Both of these losses would typically have made it very difficult for either team to make it to the championship game.
However, this year, the playoff format shifted to include 12 teams, whereas the old format only had 10, providing a chance for both Ohio State and Notre Dame to take a spot, seeded eighth and seventh, respectively, in the tournament bracket.
Although the Ohio State football team has enjoyed more recent success, winning championship games in 2014 and 2002, while Notre Dame’s last victory was in 1998, both programs rank among the most successful teams in the country.
Upon entering the playoffs, Ohio State defeated the number nine seed, Tennessee, in the first round before taking on the number one seed, the Oregon Ducks, in the quarterfinals. The Buckeyes beat Texas in the semifinals to earn their spot in the championship game.
However, Ohio State’s success did not discourage the Notre Dame team going into the finals. “Every season you go into the season wanting to be national champions. Obviously Ohio State has achieved that goal in more recent years than we have, but those are the expectations, to be at the mountaintop,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said.
After the win, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said, “It’s the reason you get into coaching, to see guys overcome things, learn life lessons and then reach their dreams. This is what happened tonight.”