The Ohio State Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory over Notre Dame gave head coach Ryan Day his first national championship and the Buckeyes’ ninth in program history. The Fighting Irish scored the only points in the opening quarter but Ohio State responded with 21 points in the second quarter to take a 14-point halftime lead. The Buckeyes would extend this lead to 31-7 before 16 points from Notre Dame made the game look a little more competitive. The Buckeyes totaled 445 yards of offense and limited the Fighting Irish to just 308 yards. Ohio State also limited Notre Dame’s high-powered offense to just 53 yards.

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Buckeyes quarterback Quinshon Judkins had 11 catches for 100 yards and three total touchdowns while rookie Jeremiah Smith had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. However, it was the performance of midfielder Will Howard that shaped the legacy. Howard had 17 of 21 completions for 231 yards and two touchdowns while adding 57 yards on 16 carries. He made some strong throws, including a dagger to Smith late in the fourth inning to cement the win. Fans took to social media to praise Howard’s performance and hype his chances of entering the 2025 NFL Draft. While Howard, Smith and Judkins made their presence felt on the field, it was Day who truly proved their doubters wrong. Despite a 70-10 overall record since becoming head coach in 2019, Day’s inability to lead the Buckeyes to a National Championship or win over Michigan in the regular season has left him easily criticized. Now that Day has become the champion, fans have taken to social media to congratulate him and acquit him of passing errors.