Ryan Day, the coach of Ohio State football, has finally won his first national championship after a 51-day wait since suffering the worst loss of his career. The Buckeyes defeated No. 7 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship game presented by AT&T with a score of 34-23.
The victory was redemption for Day and his team, who were heavily favored to win against Michigan but lost to the rival school in a stunning 13-10 defeat at home on November 30th. That loss, which knocked them out of the Big Ten championship game, left the Buckeyes’ fans booing them mercilessly as they left the field.
However, Day’s team bounced back from that setback and dominated their way to the national championship title. The Buckeyes took down No. 9 Tennessee in the first round, No. 1 Oregon in the quarterfinals, and No. 5 Texas in the semifinals before beating Notre Dame in their 16th game of the season.
Day accepted some blame for coming up short against Michigan but credited his team’s leadership and perseverance as key factors in their ultimate victory. The Buckeyes’ players also praised Day’s leadership, saying that he addressed all the issues they had on the team and helped them overcome tough situations.
The win marked a significant milestone for Ohio State football, which now has seven national titles in its program history. The Buckeyes look loaded under Day, who has the second-best winning percentage among coaches with at least 80 FBS games.
With Michigan having claimed the last four-team CFP after the 2023 season, the Big Ten captured consecutive national titles for the first time since 1940 to 1942, when Minnesota won back-to-back titles and Ohio State added a third. The victory also marked redemption for Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, who had a strong game against the Buckeyes with 255 yards on passing.
The win was especially satisfying for the Big Ten because it came in the SEC’s backyard.
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43499656/ohio-state-puts-away-notre-dame-claim-cfp-championship