Ohio State Beats Notre Dame To Win CFP Title as Fans Celebrate Will Howard, Ryan Day

A 34-23 victory for the Ohio State Buckeyes over Notre Dame gave head coach Ryan Day his first National Championship and was the Buckeyes ninth in program history.

The Fighting Irish got the only score of the opening quarter but Ohio State responded with 21 points in the second quarter to take a 14-point lead at the half. The Buckeyes would extend this lead to 31-7 before 16 points from Notre Dame made it look a bit more competitive.

The Buckeyes produced 445 total offensive yards and limited the Fighting Irish to just 308. Ohio State also limited Notre Dame's potent rushing attack to just 53 yards.

Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins had 11 carries for 100 yards and three total touchdowns while freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. However, the performance of quarterback Will Howard was legacy-defining.

Howard was an efficient 17-of-21 for 231 touchdowns and two touchdowns while adding 57 yards on 16 carries. He delivered several strong throws, including a dagger to Smith late in the fourth to pretty much solidify the win.

Fans took to social media to praise Howard's performance and hype his 2025 NFL Draft stock.

While Howard, Smith and Judkins made their presences known on the field, Day was the one who truly proved the doubters wrong.

Despite compiling a 70-10 overall record since taking over as the head coach in 2019, Day's inability to lead the Buckeyes to a National Championship or wins over Michigan in the regular season has made him easy critique.

Now that Day is a champion, fans took to social media to congratulate him and acquit him of pass mistakes.

The Buckeyes win the first year of the 12-team format after entering the field as an eight-seed. The program defeated No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon and No. 5 Texas prior to beating the FIghting Irish for the title.

Ohio State also won the inaugural College Football Playoff, which took place in the 2014 season and featured a four-team field. The Buckeyes also are the second consecutive Big Ten team to win the National Championship.