Ohio State and Notre Dame made historical past even earlier than kickoff of the 2025 College Football Playoff nationwide championship recreation. The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish have been the primary two groups to achieve the primary title recreation of the 12-team playoff .
On Monday evening, Ohio State took a 31-7 lead into the third quarter earlier than Notre Dame stormed again. The Buckeyes held on for a 34-23 victory, thanks partly to a 56-yard completion from quarterback Will Howard to freshman Jeremiah Smith late within the fourth quarter.
The victory gave Ohio State coach Ryan Day his first nationwide title in his second championship recreation look. It can be the primary nationwide championship for the Buckeyes for the reason that 2014 season.
Here are the opposite numbers that you must find out about Ohio State’s win.
13: Howard related on his first 13 passes in opposition to Notre Dame to set the document for consecutive completions in a College Football Playoff Championship recreation. Alabama’s Mac Jones set the earlier document with 12 consecutive completions in opposition to Ohio State within the 2021 title recreation.
81%: Howard accomplished 17 of 21 passes (81%), the best completion proportion by a quarterback in a nationwide championship recreation within the CFP period with a minimal of 10 makes an attempt (earlier document was 80.0% Mac Jones).
906: Riley Leonard ran for 40 yards in opposition to Ohio State and set the Notre Dame single-season document for dashing yards by a quarterback (906), breaking the unique document (884) set by Tony Rice in 1989.
205: Emeka Egbuka grew to become Ohio State’s all-time chief in receptions with 205, surpassing KJ Hill. Egbuka was already Ohio State’s all-time chief in receiving yards and finishes his profession with 2,868.
1,315: Jeremiah Smith broke the Big Ten single-season document for receiving yards by a freshman with 1,315, surpassing Purdue’s Rondale Moore (1,258 in 2018). Smith beforehand grew to become the Big Ten’s freshman chief in TD receptions, ending the yr with 15.
Jeremiah Smith Highlights of the Ohio State Buckeyes 2024 Freshman Season
3: Quinshon Judkins is the sixth participant within the CFP period to have three scrimmage touchdowns within the nationwide championship, becoming a member of Ezekiel Elliott, Travis Etienne Jr., Najee Harris, Derrick Henry and DeVonta Smith.
4: Ohio State turns into the primary group to attain a landing on every of its first 4 drives in a nationwide championship recreation.
1,000: Ohio State completed the yr with 4 1,000-yard performers, the primary time that is occurred in a single season in Buckeye historical past (Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins).
6:05: Ohio State trailed Notre Dame for six:05 after the Irish scored a landing on their opening drive. It was the primary time the Buckeyes trailed on this yr’s CFP. The Buckeyes responded with a landing on their first offensive drive to tie it at 7-7 and by no means trailed once more.
5: Ohio State’s 5 wins in opposition to AP top-five opponents this season usually are not solely essentially the most for the reason that FBS/FCS cut up in 1978, but additionally essentially the most within the AP ballot period (since 1936); 4 of his 5 victories have come within the CFP.
9: Ohio State gained its ninth faculty soccer nationwide championship, tied with USC for the sixth most ever after Michigan (10), Notre Dame (13), Princeton (15), Alabama (16 ) and Yale (18).
5-19-1: The former Ohio State gamers turned coaches at the moment are 5-19-1 in opposition to the Buckeyes. Marcus Freeman (0-3 at Notre Dame) joins Luke Fickell (0-1 at Cincinnati and 0-1 at Wisconsin), Glen Mason (1-7 at Minnesota), Gary Moeller (0-3 at Illinois, 3 -1- 1 at Michigan) and Bo Pelini (1-3 at Nebraska).
7: Ohio State has gained seven straight conferences in opposition to Notre Dame and is 7-2 all-time in opposition to the Irish; Notre Dame’s solely victories within the collection got here in 1935 and 1936.
8-4: Ryan Day is now 8-4 in postseason play and have become the fifth coach in Buckeye historical past to win a nationwide championship (Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer).
45: Ryan Day is the youngest coach (45) to win a nationwide championship since Urban Meyer in 2008 (44).
Want nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports accountand observe leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a customized e-newsletter every single day!
Get extra from College Football Follow your favorites to get info on video games, information and extra
