Home Sports Less than two months after heartbreaking loss to Michigan, Ryan Day and Ohio State have their vindication

Less than two months after heartbreaking loss to Michigan, Ryan Day and Ohio State have their vindication

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January 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day celebrates after a play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half of the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Nearly two months after dropping a stunner at home to Michigan, Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes won the national championship. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

ATLANTA – Fifty-one days ago, Ryan Day stood frozen as the victorious (again) Michigan Wolverines planted a flag in the middle of Ohio Stadium. Around him there were tears, ridicule and requests for work. The players fought. Pepper spray hung in the air.

Then I felt apoplexy.

Now they are national champions.

In one of college football’s great reversals of fortune, Ohio State overcame that terrible loss to its archrivals, took advantage of the second chance provided by the sport’s newly expanded playoff and challenged itself to be better in every way.

That started with their coach, who as poorly as he coached then, has been equally brilliant ever since, putting together a playoff run to win it all.

The Buckeyes capped it off with a 34-23 victory over a Notre Dame team that never gave up here on Monday; this time leaving Buckeye flags flying and Buckeye fans (some of whom roasted the Day seven weeks ago) roaring. The screams were now one of joy, not confusion and disappointment.

This was the ultimate playoff example of what this Ohio State team was: tough and talented and, when properly focused, nearly unbeatable. They had the best roster in the country and it showed once Day was able to put the Michigan loss behind him and get out of his team’s way.

You have to give Notre Dame credit for coming and going, pulling back to make this a nervy affair until the end. So give the Buckeyes credit for not giving in to that pressure.

What happened (and continues to happen) against Michigan can be addressed another time, and certainly next November in Ann Arbor.

He didn’t let that loss cost him his season that day, even though it’s a coaching victory in itself. He was terrible in November against Michigan: paralyzed during the game trying to be the tougher team, paralyzed after the game by the carnage that followed.

But you have to give him credit for this: deep down, he found his footing. They like to use a slogan in Columbus: “Ohio against everyone.” In this case, if you listened to the radio or social media, it was Ohio against its own coach. But in a way, that just cemented things.

“We had some honest conversations, man,” running back TreVeyon Henderson said. “The most important thing is when we come together as a team.”

“That was really just a test of our brotherhood,” defensive end JT Tuimoloau said.

“That mantra of Ohio against the world, that’s something we try to embody,” quarterback Will Howard said.

The world didn’t stand a chance. Ohio State blew the doors off Tennessee and Oregon, won a battle with Texas and then set foot on Notre Dame here. Where once the talk shows were filled with complaints and the Ohio Stadium stands filled with Volunteer Orange, here there was nothing but a party.

Narratives go to the winners.

For Day, this was vindication. Maybe not entirely, but certainly more than anyone could ask for. He went from a small college quarterback to replacing Urban Meyer thanks to his creative decisions and relentless recruiting.

He took over at Ohio State at age 39, with plenty of momentum in the program but still plenty to learn on the job. The lessons continue, but the title ring on his finger, Ohio State’s first since 2014, answers a lot of questions. He is now 70-10 as a head coach.

This is your program now; their national championship program.

Monday night’s Buckeyes were the Buckeyes who played free and confident, who focused on doing what they do best and not getting dragged into the rock fight that the game-playing but less-skilled Irish wanted.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates a rushing touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the third quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025 Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns/USA TODAY RED via Imag Images

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins celebrates one of his three touchdowns on Monday night. (Adam Cairns/RED USA TODAY)

The Irish’s first 18-play, 9:45 touchdown drive was something out of their dreams, but Ohio State simply shrugged and responded with an 11-play touchdown of its own. Then the Buckeyes scored again and again.

The variety of weapons is impressive: Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka (who became the school’s all-time receiving leader), the running back duo of Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and so on.

Howard eventually sat back and distributed, leaving Notre Dame with little hope… all while the Buckeye defense, which had been solid all season, did what was expected.

The Irish kept pushing and pushing, making it interesting in the fourth quarter with a touchdown and two-point conversion to cut the game down to a score. But in the end, Ohio State held strong, sealing it with a short field goal after a deep catch by freshman star Jeremiah Smith.

This was the product of a Buckeye roster loaded with experienced returning talent. NIL money, to the tune of $20 million, certainly played a role, but you can’t possibly have that many guys foregoing the NFL Draft and chasing a national title unless you’ve built a strong culture. You won’t get them to delay their professional dream unless they believe in their coach.

That speaks to something that goes far beyond decisions or game planning.

In the end, it was enough to weather the November storm.

And it sparked a party in Atlanta that few saw coming.

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