“God made it hard for a reason,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said. “You just never know what’s in your path along the way, but this game can give you the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It can take you to your knees some days as a player and as a coach. I’ve been there before.”
Here are five things to know about the game:
1. Day credited the players
Ohio State’s head coach has been in the crosshairs of critics for losing four straight games to Michigan and missing the Big Ten Championship Game four years in a row, but he has resisted making the conversation around the program about him.
He did so again Monday night after getting the biggest win of his career.
“I think it’s the job of the head coach to take the responsibility when something goes bad like (being upset by Michigan), but then on days like this, make sure that everyone understands it’s the warriors and guys on the field that deserve all the credit, not the coach,” Day said. “The coach gets too much attention sometimes. I want to make sure these guys are the ones getting the attention.”
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
2. The players credited Day
Buckeyes of all ages, ones who just got to Ohio State as transfers this year and those finishing their fourth or fifth seasons, had nothing but love for their head coach in the aftermath of victory.
“I’ve only been here for a year, but it feels like forever winning this,” said running back Quinshon Judkins, who transferred from Mississippi last January. “I feel so happy for him, man, because he’s such a great coach, and he has great leadership, and the guys take a great liking to him, and we all follow his lead. And you know, he preaches great things, and not only about football, but about life as well. And I think everybody appreciates that, and we’re all happy for him to get this.”
Judkins finished with 100 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns, including one on a reception.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
3. Ohio State dominated the middle part of the game
Notre Dame put together an incredible 18-play touchdown drive to start the game, taking a seven-point lead and melting nearly 10 minutes off the clock.
It was all Buckeyes the rest of the first half and into the third, however, as Ohio State scored 31 straight points to take control of the game.
“I’ve got to give all the credit to my guys, my O-line giving me time, and those guys, my receivers,” said quarterback Will Howard, who completed 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. “We’ve got the best receiving room in the country, it’s not even close. The running backs did a hell of a job, and everybody stepped up when we needed it.”
4. The Buckeyes left no doubt — finally
That was the mantra for the season after Ohio State lost a one-score game at Michigan last season, a one-point game against Georgia in the 2022 CFP semifinals at this stadium and a close call against Clemson in the 2019 semifinals after a dominant regular season.
Notre Dame made it interesting with a pair of touchdowns and two-point conversions after falling behind 31-7, but Jayden Fielding’s 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds left put the game out of reach.
The last one came in contrast to a missed kick that cost Ohio State a win over Georgia two years earlier.
“It’s going to be hard and there’s going to be things you learn along the way, but if you surround yourself with great people, you’re resilient, and you believe in the guys around you, and you just keep fighting and keep putting one foot in front of the other, you give yourself another chance. And that’s really what it was,” Day said.
“You think back when we were in the stadium last time, I couldn’t quite come to grips for a while with why we just didn’t quite finish that game against Georgia but I understand now. It all makes sense. And here we are. I couldn’t feel better.”
5. The Ohio State seniors secured their legacy
Standards are high at Ohio State, one of the winningest programs in college football history.
Day himself has identified three primary annual goals — beat Michigan, win the Big Ten and win the national championship — then taken heavy criticism for not doing any of those things since 2020.
Teams that win trophies get talked about, while others tend to be forgotten.
“Now the stories of these guys will be told because they’ve cemented themselves in Ohio State history, the ninth national champ and the third really in the last 50 years,” Day said. “There’s been some great, great teams in the last 50 some-odd years at Ohio State. Great teams, great players. Only three of them have been national champs, and these guys are one of them.”
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