On Nov. 30, 2024, the then No. 2-ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes, led by embattled Head Coach Ryan Day, suffered a humiliating 13-10 defeat to their archrivals, the University of Michigan Wolverines. Though the Wolverines came into the contest with a middling 6-5 record, they out-toughed the Buckeyes on their home turf in Columbus — Day’s fourth straight defeat in the rivalry.
Fans called for Day’s dismissal as head coach, and adding to the humiliation was a postgame brawl in which Ohio State players fought Michigan players attempting to plant their block “M” flag at midfield. Police were called, pepper spray was deployed and Coach Day was caught on camera looking at the madness unfolding and asking a player passing by, “What happened?”
Fast forward to Jan. 20, those same Buckeyes became national champions. The Buckeyes (14-2, 7-2 Big Ten) survived a furious second-half comeback attempt by the 7th-seeded University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-2) to hold on for a 34-23 victory and claim the program’s first national college football playoff (CFP) championship since the 2014-15 season. By winning his first national championship, Day ended the firestorm around his job.
In a historic season for college football that saw the implementation of an expanded playoff format from 4 to 12 teams, Ohio State and Notre Dame each carved their own path to the national championship game in Atlanta.
The Buckeyes, who amassed a roster worth around $20 million in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals thanks to the acquisition of multiple stars from the transfer portal in the offseason, were on the shortlist of national championship contenders from the get-go. Key players like quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State University and All-American safety Caleb Downs from the University of Alabama were just a couple of the stars Ohio State lured to campus with the promise of millions in NIL deals and the chance to win a national title.
After a dominant 5-0 start to the season, Ohio State lost a heartbreaker on the road 32-31 to the eventual Big Ten champions, the No. 1 ranked University of Oregon Ducks (13-1, 9-0 Big Ten), after a late gaffe by Howard. However, the Buckeyes bounced back to reel off another 5 straight games, including a 20-13 slugfest in Happy Valley against the future Big Ten runner-ups Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions (13-3, 8-1 BIG) and a thrashing of the then-ranked 5th University of Indiana Hoosiers (11-2, 8-1 BIG) 38-15.
Yet the Michigan loss dashed the Buckeyes’ Big Ten title hopes, meaning Ohio State ended up seeded 8th in the final playoff rankings.
The Fighting Irish, like the Buckeyes, were predicted to be a major player in the national championship sweepstakes with the addition of star transfer portal quarterback Riley Leonard from Duke University and the return of many key starters, including running back Jeremiyah Love and wide receiver Jordan Faison.
Initially ranked 7th in the AP Poll to begin the season, the Fighting Irish began their campaign with a statement 23-13 win over No. 20 Texas A&M University in the notoriously tough Kyle Field environment. But when the Fighting Irish returned to South Bend, Ind. for a gimme matchup against Northern Illinois University (NIU), they undid their progress, with the NIU Huskies (8-5, 4-4 MAC) delivering a historic 16-14 upset.
Yet the Fighting Irish got back on their feet and took everyone else to the woodshed, reeling off 10 consecutive dominant victories to finish off the season and earning the 7th playoff seed after ranked wins over the U.S. Naval Academy (10-3, 7-2 AAC) and the U.S. Military Academy (12-2, 8-1 AAC).
Once in the playoff, Ohio State’s path to the national title game was simply breathtaking. The Buckeyes started with a 42-17 thrashing of the 7th-seeded University of Tennessee Volunteers (10-3, 6-2 SEC), then followed that game with a dominant revenge outing against top-seeded Oregon, winning 41-21 at the historic Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, Calif., and a brilliant 28-14 victory over the University of Texas (13-3, 7-1 SEC) at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.
Notre Dame, on the other hand, began their CFP journey with a 27-17 statement win over 8th-seeded Indiana before enduring two tough matchups in their quarterfinal 23-10 victory over the 2nd-seeded University of Georgia (11-3, 6-2 SEC, SEC champion) and semifinal 27-24 victory over 6th-seeded Penn State.
During the national championship, Notre Dame got the ball first and assembled a vintage smashmouth football drive. Utilizing 9:45 and 18 plays, the Fighting Irish marched 75 yards down the field for a touchdown thanks to a litany of bruising QB runs from Leonard to put the Fighting Irish up 7-0 with two-thirds of the first quarter having gone by.
After that, it was quite literally all Ohio State. The Buckeyes reeled off 31 unanswered points, starting with their own bruising six-minute drive to tie the game at 7 early in the second quarter. Ohio State’s heralded defensive front, led by standout defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, began to dominate the line of scrimmage and held Notre Dame to just 3 total yards the rest of the first half.
Meanwhile, Ohio State’s dynamic duo in the backfield — Ole Miss transfer running back Quinshon Judkins (11 carries, 100 yards, 2 total TDs) and running back TreVeyon Henderson (12 carries, 49 yards) — sliced the ND front seven drive after drive, leading to a 21-7 lead at the half.
After halftime, things really began to look bleak for the Fighting Irish, as Judkins unleashed a 70-yard run and eventually a 1-yard TD to put Ohio State up 28-7 at the 12:46 mark of the third quarter. With a field goal from kicker Jayden Fielding (2/2 FGs, 4/4 XPs) at the 7:46 mark, Notre Dame’s national championship hopes looked all but vanquished.
However, the Fighting Irish, with a hearty spirit and some trademark luck, were able to crawl their way back into the affair. A beautiful 34-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to wide receiver Jaden Greathouse (6 catches, 128 yards, 2 TDs) along with a 2-point conversion got the Fighting Irish within two scores, 31-15.
Just as Ohio State was on the verge of responding with their own score, a long catch from star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (6 catches, 64 yards) turned into a crucial fumble that the Fighting Irish recovered. Leonard, struggling with his breathing, led the Fighting Irish down the field but the team was stalled inside the 10-yard line on 4th down.
This drive proved pivotal: after Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman made the baffling decision to go for a short 27-yard field goal, embattled kicker Mitch Jeter doinked it off the left post, keeping the Fighting Irish down 16.
Once again, all hope seemed lost for the Fighting Irish, but they continued to fight anyway. The defense quickly got a stop and the offense promptly responded with a gorgeous 30-yard TD pass from Leonard to Greathouse. Another successful 2-point conversion drew the contest within 8, 31-23, with 4:15 remaining and ND holding on to all three of its timeouts.
But with the Buckeyes’ all-star roster, it was fitting that Ohio State’s brightest star of all sealed their national title. Facing a 3rd-and-11 at their own 34-yard line, Howard aired out a deep pass to phenom wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (5 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD). Smith caught it for a gain of 56 yards, putting the final nail in the coffin for Notre Dame.
Smith’s catch encapsulated Notre Dame’s struggles. Throughout the game, the Fighting Irish defense had trouble covering the Buckeyes’ electric wide receiver core — and with Notre Dame sending an all-out blitz during the 3rd-and-11 play, they left Smith all alone in one-on-one man coverage, allowing him to bury the Fighting Irish comeback attempt.
As for the entirety of the twelve-team playoff, the expanded format proved to be a media darling, with ratings for each round producing viewership records for ESPN, ABC and TNT. Indeed, the expanded system was designed to increase revenue for participating schools and conferences — and it did just that, with Ohio State pocketing a total of $20 million for their time in the tournament to divide among the Big Ten conference. Meanwhile, Notre Dame, as an independent, was able to pocket all $20 million for themselves, showcasing why being an independent in this day and age can be so impactful despite independent’s not having the ability to earn one of the four first-round byes.
Though many fans called for a re-seeding system to give the top seeds more favorable paths — first-seeded Oregon faced a Buckeye buzzsaw in the quarterfinal rather than a weaker Arizona State team — the CFP committee has already stated they don’t plan on making significant changes to the format for the 2025 edition.
For now, though, Ohio State and its fans can reflect on a tremendous season culminating in a dominant postseason run. Despite the rivalry loss to Michigan, Buckeye fans can take solace in placing a national title back in the trophy case for the first time in a decade. As Coach Day said postgame, “The story has been told and it’s a great story.”