Buckeyes Complete Turnaround, Win 2025 National Championship

©️Photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State (14-2) beat Notre Dame (14-2) 34-23 on Monday night in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The No. 8-seeded Buckeyes were up 31-7 in the second half, but the No. 7 Fighting Irish fought back to make it just an 8-point game in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes then faced a third-and-11 with just 2:38 left in the game. On that play, quarterback Will Howard saw star freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith out in one-on-one man coverage. Howard took the snap, set his feet and delivered a strike down the sideline to Smith for a 56-yard gain.

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Ohio State then killed the clock with Jayden Fielding kicking a field goal to ice the game. It is the first national championship title for sixth-year head coach Ryan Day. In his postgame interview, when asked about his team's postseason turnaround, Day told ESPN's Holly Rowe, "The story gets to get told now, and it's a great story."

Game Summary

The Fighting Irish came out with a perfect start to the game. They took the opening kickoff and drove right down the field on an 18-play, 75-yard drive, capped off with a 1-yard TD run from QB Riley Leonard. The drive took over nine minutes off the clock as Notre Dame kept the explosive Ohio State offense off the field. That offense responded with their own impressive scoring drive. Howard took the Buckeyes down the field and found a wide-open Smith for an 8-yard TD to tie the game at 7-7. The Buckeyes' defense then locked in and held Notre Dame scoreless for the remainder of the first half, only totaling 7 more snaps in the first 30 minutes. The Ohio State offense continued to be productive, leading the Buckeyes to a 21-7 lead at the break.

Ohio State picked up right where it left off to start the second half. Running back Quinshon Judkins exploded for a 70-yard run. Three plays later, Judkins scored on a 1-yard TD run to make it 14-7 Ohio State. Notre Dame continued to struggle on offense, but fought back to cut the lead to 16 before the fourth quarter.

Before the final quarter, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath that the Fighting Irish needed a takeaway to get back in the game. Well, Notre Dame's Drayk Bowen punched the ball out of Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka's hands, leading to a Fighting Irish recovery. Notre Dame marched down the field, getting inside the Ohio State 10-yard line. The now-legendary Ohio State goal-line defense held up, forcing a fourth down. Freeman then made a heavily criticized decision to not go for a touchdown. He chose to send kicker Mitch Jeter out for a field goal attempt. Jeter saw his kick doink off the goalpost, giving the ball back to Ohio State.

The Irish defense stepped up and stopped Ohio State's offense. Leonard quickly capitalized, connecting with WR Jaden Greathouse for a 30-yard TD. Notre Dame converted a 2-point conversion as well, making it just an 8-point game at 31-23. Then, the Buckeyes laid everything on the line on a key third-down sequence.

Turning Point for the Buckeyes

The biggest play of the game was unquestionably a third-and-11 play as Ohio State was desperately holding onto its one-score lead. The Buckeyes lined up and Howard peaked over to his top receiving target, Smith. He loved what he saw. Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray was all alone, on an island with perhaps the best receiver in college football. Smith had not been targeted in the second half. Well, that changed when Howard threw a laser down the right sideline to Smith. He hauled in the perfect pass for an incredible 56-yard gain. That led to Fielding's game-clinching 33-yard field goal as the Buckeyes took a 34-23 lead. It held up until the clock hit triple-zeroes.

Making History

Ohio State also won the first four-team College Football Playoff. That is not the only historical feat the Buckeyes accomplished on Monday night. The win over Notre Dame marked the fifth victory against an AP top-5 opponent this season, the most ever in a season. They beat six of the top-eight teams in the final playoff rankings as well. This Ohio State team was as battle-tested as any team in the history of college football. Day has faced heavy criticism of his coaching and inability to win big games in previous years, specifically in his inability to beat the Michigan Wolverines. But on Monday night, Day quieted that narrative for now with the Buckeyes' historic win.

Day and the entire team received more criticism than perhaps any team in college football history after Ohio State's 13-10 loss to Michigan. What defined the Buckeyes' season is how they would respond to that adversity. Well, Ohio State's response was to rip off four monumental wins on their road to a national championship.

Howard was named the game's offensive player of the night. He played tremendously, finishing 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards and 2 TDs. He also added 57 rushing yards, outrushing Notre Dame's Leonard. He was asked to reflect after the win about his decision to join the Buckeyes in the offseason, since it paid off in the ultimate way. Howard simply pointed to former Ohio State coaching legend Jim Tressel's sentiment he shared when speaking to the team earlier this season. "I can't believe God gave me a chance to be a Buckeye. There's nothing like it."