The Ohio State Buckeyes finally quieted their doubters and critics with a thrilling 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. In a battle of NCAA blue bloods, the Buckeyes unleashed a championship run for the ages to capture their first national title since 2015.
Silencing the Noise
All season long, Ohio State worked hard to tune out the deafening outside noise and criticism. Head coach Ryan Day and his staff preached a mantra of focusing inward rather than seeking vengeance or vindication. Yet the pressure and scrutiny only mounted after a crushing regular season loss to arch rival Michigan.
The Buckeyes used the torrent of doubt and disapproval to bring the team closer together. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, himself no stranger to criticism, helped the unit recapture a sense of joy and fun. As quarterback Will Howard explained:
“Outside noise can also be a great way to bring a team together. You close the doors to the locker room to lock all that out, bunker down together and go to work. That’s what it did for us.”
Will Howard, Ohio State quarterback
Proving the Doubters Wrong
For Ohio State’s vaunted transfer class headlined by Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins, this championship served as more than just a trophy. It was proof that they made the right decision to become Buckeyes, even as many at their former schools still view them as traitors.
Judkins, who scored 3 touchdowns vs Notre Dame, was especially motivated playing in his home region:
“When people asked me why I left Ole Miss to come here, my answer was always the same, to go somewhere that I could win a national championship. Now, that championship has happened. And I’m not going to lie, to do it back here in the South, in Atlanta, in front of so many people who have known about me all the way back to high school, that makes it even more special.”
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State running back
Relief and Redemption for Ryan Day
Perhaps no one felt the weight of the championship drought and searing criticism more than head coach Ryan Day. Despite reaching the playoff, Day faced intense scrutiny and even death threats after the Michigan loss. His family opened up about the toll of the negativity.
So while Day consistently deflected any notion that this title run was about proving people wrong, the sense of relief and redemption was palpable as the confetti fell in Atlanta. Day finally let his true feelings show:
“In this day and age, there’s so much noise. Social media. People have to write articles. But when you sign up for this job, when you agree to coach at Ohio State, that’s part of the job. I’m a grown-up. I can take it. But the hard part is your family having to live with it. The players you bring in, them having to live with it. Their families. In the end, that’s how you build a football family. Take the stuff that people want to use to tear you apart and try to turn that into something that makes you closer.”
Ryan Day, Ohio State head coach
One Finger Pointed Up
As the Buckeyes pushed back against the Fighting Irish surge and sealed the victory, they also firmly pushed back against those who tried to tear the program apart. The same critics they vowed to ignore all year could no longer be disregarded. While Ohio State extended one finger skyward in triumph, they might as well have been pointing it at their doubters too.
Day encapsulated the Ohio State football ethos and this team’s special journey perfectly:
“Ohio State might not be for everybody, but it’s certainly for these guys.”
Ryan Day, Ohio State head coach
The Buckeyes made that emphatically clear on the sport’s biggest stage. The outside noise has been silenced. The national championship drought has ended. Ohio State stands alone at the summit of college football once again. The haters and doubters have been served their answer, with an exclamation point.
