The Ohio State football team earned one of the most resilient wins in program history beating Notre Dame 17-14 in South Bend amid mass doubt.

Dear fellow Buckeyes,

“It’s always been Ohio against the world. It will always be Ohio State against the world.”

Those are the emotional words of a fired-up Ryan Day after Ohio State walked it off on the second-to-final play against Notre Dame.

For the last few weeks, I said the defense was going to win this game and anchor the Buckeyes until Kyle McCord and the offensive line got in rhythm. The Silver Bullets did exactly that, and McCord engineered one of the greatest drives in Ohio State history to punch it in at the buzzer. 

Heading into the open week, let’s check the pulse in Columbus: 

1. Jim Knowles answered the bell. 

Knowles’ unit was stout for the entire evening, holding one of the top offenses and QBs in the country to 14 points. The defensive line was able to get pressure throughout the game, which was crucial to disrupt Sam Hartman. Ohio State also held Hartman to 175 yards through the air. It was his first game with less than 200 yards passing since 2020. 

The secondary locked down the wide receivers all night. For the first time since 2019, Ohio State has the players to play one-on-one coverage and load the box to stop the run. The Silver Bullets bent but didn’t break at times. Even in situations where Notre Dame began imposing its will with one of the top offensive lines in the country, Ohio State found an answer. 

During the game’s biggest moments or when Ohio State’s defense showed up the most. There were two separate fourth and short yardage stops and a crucial sack that led to a second and third and long in the closing minutes to get the ball back before the game-winning drive. 

The defense made plays it wouldn’t have last year. Multiple white jerseys flew to the ball on every down. Ohio State played with toughness and resilience for 60 minutes and earned the best win of the season. 

2. Ryan Day’s Emotion

In his postgame interview, Ryan Day emotionally expressed his love for his team. He emphasized the brotherhood and that the Buckeyes are built on toughness. Here’s his speech, which I’ll let speak for itself in this segment: 

As I’ve said before, Ryan Day is the right man for the job in Columbus. You can’t teach competitive spirit, love, and passion the way he has it. Day gets it, and the players and coaches love him for it. As a fanbase, you should, too. 

3. Resilience 

One of the hallmarks of championship teams is going on the road into a tough environment (even tougher at night) and finding a way to win as a team. Ohio State did just that on Saturday night. Kyle McCord showed poise and resolve as they marched down the field staring defeat in the face. 

Remember in 2014, when the Buckeyes went into Whiteout conditions in Happy Valley, and JT Barrett tweaked his knee? Ohio State found itself in a 2OT thriller that changed the course of the season. That’s the magnitude of a win the Buckeyes earned in South Bend against a Top 10 team with a phenomenal defense. 

The Irish are a legitimate national title contender, which was a season-defining victory for Ohio State. Still, two monster games loom in conference play, so there’s a lot of football to go. One thing is clear: Ohio State is battle-tested and a different football team than it was the last three seasons. More importantly, the Buckeyes laid the narratives to rest.