By Charlie Miller, Staff Writer
On Nov. 30, 2024, Ryan Day watched as his Ohio State Buckeyes, after losing for the fourth year in a row to hated rival Michigan, engaged in a fierce brawl in the center of Ohio Stadium that involved pepper spray usage by police. We will never know what went through the mind of the bearded 45-year-old, but his mind was undoubtedly in a different place on the night of Jan. 20, 2025.
On that Monday night in Atlanta, Day watched his squad hoist the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy after beating Notre Dame 34-23 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Notre Dame put together a shocking 18-play opening drive on the first series, which saw quarterback Riley Leonard carry the ball nine times, including into the end zone. Perhaps the Irish expunged too much energy (evidenced by Leonard’s subsequent vomiting on the sidelines) and showed little signs of life for the rest of the half. The heavily favored Buckeyes jumped to a 31-7 lead in the third quarter on the backs of quarterback Will Howard, freshman phenom receiver Jeremiah Smith and running back Quinshon Judkins. Smith found the end zone first for Ohio State, while Judkins added two more scores to make it 21-7 at halftime. Judkins set the tone for the second half on the second play, streaking for 70 yards to the Irish five-yard line. The transfer from Ole Miss was just one part of Ohio State’s rushing attack, forming a tandem with speedster Treyveon Henderson, who ran for 1,000 yards in 2024.
Notre Dame would not go quietly and scored a touchdown and two-point conversion on their next drive, and when a Buckeye fumble gave possession back to Leonard, the folks from South Bend perked up. A handful of third and fourth down conversions allowed Notre Dame to drive deep in Buckeye territory, but its special teams continued their struggles. The Irish had statistically the worst kicking game in the country, and it plagued them on the biggest stage as the 27-yard attempt sailed wide. However, their defense held strong and got them the ball back, with which they promptly drove 80 yards on the vaunted Buckeye defense and made it 31-23 with just a few minutes remaining. The Buckeyes, shocked by the 16-point surge by the Irish, faced a third and 11 at the two-minute warning, with their lead potentially hanging in the balance.
It is impossible to imagine what was going through the minds of Day, Buckeye players and fans as they watched a 24-point second-half lead evaporate. They remembered the recurring nightmare against “the team up north,” Justin Fields’ errant pass in the 2019 playoff and countless other failures under Coach Day. Day, a man who just a month prior received death threats and public humiliation, decided to go to the playmaker that made the difference all year. Howard connected, hitting Jeremiah Smith for a 57-yard bomb, sealing the championship for Ohio State. The emotion burst from Day as he hoisted the trophy into the air, yet his demons are not entirely banished.
The juxtaposition of the Buckeyes’ national title yet looming losing streak to rival Michigan represents a microcosm of the tug-of-war within modern college football. To be clear, many debates, arguments and issues exist in the sport today, but most, if not all, have a common denominator of tradition against progress and profits. Recent conference expansion, the explosion of NIL (name image and likeness) and the transfer portal have altered the sport drastically. Ohio State is the poster child of the new age, with Howard, Judkins and star safety Caleb Downs leading a group of transfer portal additions that emptied the Buckeyes’ pockets. This progression seems unlikely to stop, to the dismay of some traditional college fans, who clamor for a return to the old style of recruiting and transfer punishments. A more significant consensus finds the changes positive while still needing substantial amendment (i.e., restrictions on NIL and tampering). Others argue against the 12-team playoff, arguing it diminishes the hallowed regular season. While the Buckeyes were left standing with the trophy, they were also left standing with four consecutive losses to their rival, offering an odd dilemma.
Wolverines fans, fresh off a disappointing 8-5 year after their controversial championship, will of course taunt Buckeyes fans that “The Game” is a different animal than a championship. To their credit, Ohio State legends have talked for over a century in the same tone, arguing that success outside the rivalry is hindered by failure within it. Legendary Buckeyes coach Earl Bruce discussed losing to Michigan despite winning every other game, noting, “You’re not going to be recognized for too much success. We’ve had 11-1 and 10-1 football teams that lost to Michigan, and they’re not even mentioned in the second breath.” The father of Ohio State football, Woody Hayes, told Michigan coach Bo Schembechler that “you’ll never win a bigger game” than The Game. Indeed, a trophy means a great deal, and the Buckeyes were the best team in the sport this year. The question, however, of bragging rights and overall superiority within the sport is still up for debate for this Ohio State team. Are they the kings of college football despite repeatedly falling short in what has been the biggest game in college football over the last century? Depends on who you ask, or more accurately, what color sweater they wear.