The Notre Dame Fighting Irish opened Monday night's College Football Playoff national championship game with an in-your-face, 18-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 9:45 off the clock and concluded with a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Riley Leonard.
The Irish led 7–0, and looked like they were primed to compete against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
But one of the most expensive rosters in the NIL era of college athletics (and unquestionably the most talented), resided on the opposite sideline, and the Buckeyes quickly adjusted, then jumped the Fighting Irish by a final score of 34–23 to capture the program's ninth national championship and first since the 2014 season.
Following Notre Dame's first offensive touchdown, Ohio State scored touchdowns on all three subsequent offensive possessions to take a 21–7 lead into halftime. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard was especially sensational, as he completed 14-of-15 first half passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
In total, Ohio State scored on their first five possessions, which included four touchdowns and a field goal. In the middle of the third quarter, Notre Dame looked up at the scoreboard and found itself trailing 31–7.
But the Irish wouldn't stop fighting.
After allowing 31 unanswered points, the Notre Dame offense responded. Irish quarterback Riley Leonard hit Jaden Greathouse on a crossing route. A couple of missed tackles later, Greathouse took the reception 34 yards for a touchdown. Notre Dame went for two and converted a shovel pass to running back Jerimiyah Love to make it a two-score game, 31–15, with 3:03 to play in the third quarter.
But in order for Notre Dame to have any sort of chance, the defense would have to do something that it hadn't done all night: get a stop.
Ohio State was driving, and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka took a flip pass in the backfield and began weaving through the Fighting Irish defense on a play that appeared poised to set up the Buckeyes deep in Notre Dame territory. But as he went to the ground, Irish linebacker Drayk Bowen punched the ball loose. Notre Dame recovered and all of a sudden the Irish had life.
NOTRE DAME FORCES THE FUMBLE ON EMEKA EGBUKA 👀
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 21, 2025
A big turnover from the Fighting Irish defense 💪 pic.twitter.com/DOhbigd6r1
Then, chaos ensued.
Notre Dame drove the ball deep into Ohio State territory, appearing primed to make it a one-possession game with just under 10 minutes to play. But on 4th-and-goal from the Ohio State nine-yard line, the Irish elected to try to kick a short field goal, which would have cut Ohio State's 16-point lead to 13. Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter missed the field goal attempt off the left upright after a questionable decision to kick to begin with by Irish head coach Marcus Freeman.
But Notre Dame's defense forced a three-and-out, and the Irish offense went back to work quickly. Leonard hit rising star sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse on a 30-yard touchdown pass up the left sideline.
WHAT A CATCH 👀
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 21, 2025
Jaden Greathouse is DIFFERENT
📺 ESPN #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/GX48wuZzPg
Trailing by 10, Notre Dame needed to go for two. On a modified Philly Special, wide receiver Jordan Faison completed a two-point conversion pass to fellow wide receiver Beaux Collins to cut Ohio State's lead to eight, 31–23, with 4:15 to go.
All of a sudden, Ohio State needed to make a play on offense. Facing a 3rd-and-11 from their own 34-yard line with 2:38 to play, the Buckeyes turned to their can't miss freshman phenom—the best receiver in the sport—Jeremiah Smith. Smith, who did not have a catch in the entire second half, beat Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray on a go route, and Howard delivered his best pass of the night, a 56-yard connection deep in Notre Dame territory to all but ice the game for the Buckeyes.
YOU DON’T GUARD JEREMIAH SMITH ONE-ON-ONE. 😤 pic.twitter.com/BFH5G8pvzk
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) January 21, 2025
After running the clock down, Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding converted a 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining to put the Buckeyes up 11 and the game out of reach for good.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day became the fifth coach in program history to capture a national title, joining Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ohio State Beats Notre Dame to Secure Program's Ninth National Championship.
