Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-23 to cap an improbable postseason run to become National Champions for the ninth time in school history. 

Two months ago, the Buckeyes suffered an unexpected and grueling defeat at the hands of archrival Michigan for the fourth year in a row. Pressure and noise were at an all-time high for Ryan Day and the senior class, which had yet to accomplish one of its goals.

A players-only meeting with Ryan Day followed in the days following the loss. It was filled with tough conversations that left the entire program with a choice: come together as a family to fight for four games to win a title or break it up and turn attention to the NFL.

In mature fashion, the Buckeyes chose to respond as a family fight for a chance to win a National Championship.

When the College Football Playoff bracket was released, Ohio State drew the No. 8 seed. The Buckeyes found themselves with the least favorable draw of the tournament with No. 9 Tennessee in the First Round with No. 1 Oregon awaiting the winner in the Rose Bowl.

The weeks leading up to the showdown between the Buckeyes and the Volunteers were tense. Nobody really knew what to expect from the Scarlet and Gray until the game kicked off.

Forty-two points later, the Buckeyes left no doubt. Ohio State put forth its best performance of the season en route to a shellacking of SEC-for Tennessee. The win lowered the volume of the doubters, but it was still only one win – anyone can win one game.

Then it happened again. No. 1 Oregon found itself in a 34-0 hole midway through the second quarter in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State was clicking and firing on all cylinders, dominating the Ducks to move onto the semifinals, where No. 5 Texas awaited.

Concerns mounted again if the Buckeyes could sustain such a high level of play for a third straight game. Doubts settled in about Will Howard from pundits as the Buckeyes faced a true matchup game against the Longhorns.

Ohio State vs. Texas was the best pound-for-pound roster game of the season. Talent was equal across the board. The Buckeyes started fast in the Cotton Bowl again, racing to a 7-0 lead. But then Texas swung back late in the first half and hit Ohio State in the mouth. How would they respond?

For the first time all postseason, the Buckeyes found themselves in a heavyweight fight. Ohio State and Texas continued to exchange punch for punch until late in the third quarter, when Texas tied the game for the second time. The Longhorns had all the momentum, and the game was slowly slipping away for the Buckeyes.

Could it be the end of the road after just two and a half magical games? Ryan Day told me at Media Day, “When you don’t have momentum, you have to go get it.” That’s exactly what his team did in response to Texas’s touchdown with a 13-play 88-yard drive to take the lead 21-14 midway through the fourth.

As Texas drove down the field quickly on the ensuing drive, two DPI penalties moved the ball to the 1-yard line. But as the Buckeyes have said all season, they’ll defend it if you give them an inch. And they did.

Fourth and goal lived in Buckeye lore forever as Jack Sawyer beat Texas OL Cam Williams off the edge for a strip sack of his former roommate Quinn Ewers. The ball bounced into Sawyer’s hands, who returned it 83 yards for a scoop and score to send Ohio State to the National Championship.

Just one win away, the Buckeyes needed to finish their mission. Coach Day’s message was to finish what they started.

Ryan Day: “Now we’ve gotta finish. We have to finish what we started.”

The Buckeyes appear locked in for the National Championship Game. pic.twitter.com/yAtIp6P3sc

— Blake T. Biscardi (@BlakeBiscardi) January 18, 2025

Notre Dame opened the game with an 18-play, nearly 10-minute touchdown drive. Ohio State would score the next 31 points. A turnover and punt allowed Notre Dame back in the game late as the Irish found themselves within a score.

Did Ohio State have enough to finish? The Buckeyes appeared to go into a shell and try to drain the clock running the football. Needing a first down to ice the game, Ohio State ran Will Howard twice for a 1-yard loss, resulting in third down.

Could the Buckeyes get 11 yards? It didn’t appear they would try until Jeremiah Smith was matched up in single coverage on the outside. Will Howard snapped the football and threw the pass of his life for 56 yards down the sideline.

Jeremiah Smith won his one-on-one battle, secured the catch, and set up the Buckeyes in business. Jayden Fielding tacked on a field goal to extend the lead to 11 with less than 30 seconds to play. Ohio State did it.

From wanting Ryan Day fired and the senior class to leave Columbus two months ago to etching themselves in College Football history is quite the plot twist. But one that was never in doubt inside the locker room.

Ohio State always believed, and because of that, they defended their family and became National Champions, beating the No. 1, No. 3, No. 5, and No. 7 teams along the way in the bracket.

Ryan Day and the Buckeyes cemented themselves in history as legends as they rewrote the narrative and finished the season at the pinnacle of the sport after an improbable run the sport won’t soon forget. The Ohio State Buckeyes are the 2024-25 National Champions.