The Buckeyes were back on top as Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, 34-23, to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night.
Ohio State has won nine college football titles, tying them with USC for fourth among officially recognized NCAA championships.
This is also the first title since the 2014 season, which was the inaugural College Football Playoff.
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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20. 2025. (IMAGE)
The Buckeyes have been a much different team since losing to Michigan in their rivalry game. And after convincingly defeating Tennessee (42-17), Oregon in the Rose Bowl (41-21) and Texas in the Cotton Bowl (28-14), Ohio State used its high-octane offense to claw its way past of Notre Dame to win it all.
But this game wasn’t like Ohio State’s previous wins during this tiebreaker, as the Fighting Irish really made a statement on an opening drive that lasted 18 plays and ended more than nine minutes into the first quarter.
And it was all thanks to the hard work of quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offensive line.
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Leonard ran nine times for 34 yards and scored after picking up a fourth-and-1 at the Ohio State five-yard line. ESPN even reported that Leonard ran to the bench, vomited and stumbled a bit before sitting down on the bench. He also appeared to tell his teammates that he landed on the ball on one of the runs, which could have caused an upset stomach.
However, the tides of momentum quickly shifted to Ohio State’s bench, as Will Howard and his group of talented weapons not only responded, but took control when they had the ball in their hands.
The next drive was 11 plays and 75 yards, when freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith capped the drive with a perfect play that saw him act as if he were running after Howard in a pre-snap move, but planting himself on the ground and walking towards the end zone with no one in sight.
Not only did Ryan Day’s group tie the game, but the defense took it up a notch by forcing consecutive 3-pointers on Notre Dame’s second and third drives. And the Buckeyes offense took advantage of that with two more touchdown drives before the end of the first half.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates a touchdown catch with tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff Championship at Stadium Mercedes-Benz of Atlanta on January 20. 2025. (IMAGE)
Quinshon Judkins, the explosive running back who splits time with TreVeyon Henderson, scored both touchdowns, the first of which was a nine-yard run in which he fought off multiple tackles to get across the line. Then he was left wide open in the end zone on a rolling throw by Howard with 27 seconds left in the second quarter to put the Buckeyes up 21-7.
And if that weren’t discouraging enough, Judkins scored his third touchdown of the night on the first drive of the second half, a one-yard run that was set up by his 70-yard run on the second play of the half to immediately get the Buckeyes first and goal.
Judkins finished the game with 100 rushing yards on just 11 carries, in addition to his two receptions for 21 yards.
However, there was some concern for Ohio State when Notre Dame cut the game to two points after Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for a 34-yard touchdown and converted the two-point try to make the score 31-15.
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The concern stemmed from a fumble by Emeka Egbuka after going 24 yards on a catch-and-run. It was Ohio State’s first fumble since its game against Penn State on November 2.
Notre Dame used that turnover to move downfield, and Leonard found himself knocking on the door until an incomplete pass to Greathouse made it fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State nine-yard line with 9:27 left in the game.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day celebrates after a touchdown by running back Quinshon Judkins during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Given the outcome, one might think head coach Marcus Freeman wanted to try his luck at another touchdown, but kicker Mitch Jeter and the special teams unit ran onto the field. And the interesting play backfired, as Jeter’s 27-yard field goal attempt came off the left upright and hooked.
The game wasn’t quite over after the defense forced a punt, and Leonard was able to find Greathouse once again, this time with a beautifully thrown ball and an even better catch from 30 yards out. Needing another two-point conversion, Jordan Faison made a handoff and it looked like Ohio State sniffed it out, but threw it to Beaux Collins for the successful attempt.
Now in a one-score game, the Buckeyes had to dig deep and the Fighting Irish knew a stop would give them a chance to complete the comeback.
Backed with third down and 11, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called for a brave deep pass from Howard to Smith and, even though the freshman didn’t have a single reception in the second half, he secured the dagger: a catch from 57 yards to place the ball. Buckeyes at the nine-yard line at the two-minute warning.
The Buckeyes could run out of time at that point with the Fighting Irish using all of their timeouts, and the celebration continued.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) celebrates a touchdown with running back Quinshon Judkins (1) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. (IMAGE)
In the box score, Leonard was 20 of 29 for 240 yards with two touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 40 yards on 17 carries with his score on the ground. Greathouse also had 11 yards on five receptions.
For the Buckeyes, Smith led the way with his 89 yards on five catches, while Egbuka had six catches for 64 yards. Howard finished the game 17 of 21 for 231 yards and also ran for 57 yards on 16 carries.
