Buckeyes Beat Irish for National Championship
The Ohio State Buckeyes beat Notre Dame for their first national title in ten years. They displayed a dominant explosive offense which took over the game in the 2nd quarter and only a late scare by the Irish threatened their 34-23 victory.
The Buckeyes made an amazing recovery from the devastating loss to Michigan in their season finale. In the first expanded 12-team College Football Playoff series, they responded like a champion.
They outscored their four postseason opponents by a combined score of 145-75, culminating with a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for their 7th national championship. Their offensive weapons were too much for the gritty Irish defense. The leadership of QB Will Howard was outstanding whether throwing the ball or scrambling on designed plays. He kept the ND defense on their heels, and took advantage of the soft Irish coverage vs the talented Buckeye receivers. Wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka outmatched the ND corners who played off in fear of being beat deep. Consequently, Howard picked apart their defense with many underneath passes which allowed receivers to run with the ball after the catch. The power ground game was also impressive with the combination of tailbacks TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins providing a strong tandem. Judkins scored 3 TDs and completed an impressive first season in Columbus after a career at Ole Miss.
The Irish completed an amazing 2024 season which saw them recover from a September loss to Northern Illinois to win their final 10 regular season games plus three playoff wins over Indiana, Georgia and Penn State. As an independent, Notre Dame does not get a bye like the top four conference champions. QB Riley Leonard displayed fine leadership and the toughness to run the ball effectively and make key throws.
Ohio State spent $20 million in NIL deals, Ohio State went about convincing its top players to return to school, too. They brought in key transfer portal acquisitions – QB Will Howard, safety Caleb Downs and running back Judkins. Veteran players defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton, offensive lineman Donovan Jackson along with wideout Egbuka and corner Burke kept the core roster together to make their magical run at the national title.
Day signed another top recruiting class, including receiver Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State entered 2024 as one of the most talented teams in the country and expectations were high. They rebounded from the late Michigan loss and fulfilled those expectations with an outstanding run to claim the National Championship title.
Ohio State meets Texas in their 2025 opener at home on August 30th which could be a matchup of #1 vs #2. That matchup could determine the early polls for the season. Notre Dame opens the 2025 season at Miami on August 30th, in key Labor Day matchup.
