The Ohio State Buckeyes outplayed the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the most part of the NCAA National Championship game, enroute to the school’s ninth title in college football. After the game, head coach Ryan Day dropped a huge admission about Marcus Freeman’s mishap in a crucial third-down play.
The Buckeyes prevailed 34-23 over the Fighting Irish, largely led by a commanding offensive performance that left Notre Dame struggling for answers all game long.
After a quiet outing against the Texas Longhorns during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith put on a clinic against Notre Dame. Smith delivered the dagger to the Fighting Irish as he reeled in a crucial catch on third-down that ultimately shattered the school from Indiana’s hopes.
After the game, head coach Ryan Day was asked about the bold playcall on a critical third down. The Buckeyes’ coach shared an intriguing quote, hinting at a costly mistake made by Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish defense.
“If they play one on one on the outside, we are gonna take our shot,” Day said about the play Jeremiah Smith made to seal the deal. “They made a great job of gameplanning us, Will [Howard] made a huge throw, and Jeremiah [Smith] made a huge catch to seal the game.”
Came back to bite the Irish
Ahead of the highly-anticipated matchup between the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish, Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore had issued a blunt message, stating they wouldn’t steer away from their recipe and would play man coverage on the stacked Ohio State’s wide receiver room.
“Going into this game we’re not going to change who we are,” Moore said prior to the game, via A to Z sports. “We’re going to play man coverage like we do every week.”
Aftermath
The bold move came back to bite Notre Dame as Ohio State found much success on the passing game, though the rushing game wreaked havoc on Freeman’s defense as well.
When the clock hit zeros at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as Ryan Day was poured on by his players. For anyone wondering, the Gatorade’s color was green. Howard finished the night with 231 passing yards and two touchdowns, while adding 57 yards through the ground.
Quinshon Judkins stole the spotlight on the backfield, stacking up 100 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to his touchdown reception. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka combined for 11 receptions, 152 yards, and a touchdown.