Notre Dame's Riley Leonard Praised by Fans Despite CFP Title Game Loss to Ohio State

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard did his best to keep his team afloat in Monday night's College Football Playoff national championship game against Ohio State, but in the end, it just wasn't enough.

After Leonard spearheaded an 18-play opening drive that culminated with his touchdown run to give the Fighting Irish an early lead, the Buckeyes responded by scoring 31 straight points on their way to a 34-23 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Leonard finished with 255 yards on 22-of-31 passing and added two touchdown passes in the second half. He had team-highs of 17 carries for 40 yards and a rushing score in the loss. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who entered the game with 1,122 yards on the season, was limited to just three yards on four carries after the game got out of hand.

Still, Leonard refused to go down quietly and continued fighting until the final whistle.

Fans on social media couldn't help but praise the senior signal-caller for the toughness he showed in Monday's national title game:

Notre Dame was hoping to win its first national championship since 1988. The team's defense fell apart at the worst possible time, as the Fighting Irish hadn't allowed over 25 points in any of its three previous CFP games.

Notre Dame will now have to regroup and gear up for another national title chase next season.