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From Crushing Defeats to National Champions

The incredible comeback story of Ohio State football
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship. Ohio State won the game 34-23 over Notre Dame. Photo by Reece Campbell.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship. Ohio State won the game 34-23 over Notre Dame. Photo by Reece Campbell.

     November 30, 2024, Ohio Stadium: the day all hope seemed lost as the Ohio State Buckeyes sought to avoid its fourth consecutive loss to their bitter rival, the Michigan Wolverines. Little did they know they would soon become national champions.

     The Buckeyes had been eliminated from playoff contention after their loss in 2023, and despite losing in 2022, they snuck into the playoffs after number four ranked USC lost to number 11 Utah in the PAC-12 Championship Game. The Buckeyes wanted this win badly, but they didn’t get it.

     On that fateful November day, Michigan’s head coach Sherrone Moore simply outcoached OSU coach Ryan Day, leading his team to a 13-10 victory. Michigan was unranked and 6-5 entering this game, and a 20.5 point underdog at most sportsbooks, while Ohio State was 10-1 and was the number two team in the country. 

     Many were furious, calling for Day’s firing. However, the players believed in Day, and he believed in his players.

     Ohio State would’ve normally been eliminated from the playoffs as a two-loss team, but this year, due to the expansion to a 12-team College Football Playoff, they were not. After the regular season concluded, the Buckeyes were given the 8 seed on selection Sunday.

     Ohio State would host Tennessee in the first round of the playoffs. This game was expected to be somewhat close, although Ohio State opened as a 7.5-point favorite. 

     The game was anything but close.

     Ohio State dominated the Volunteers on both sides of the ball in a 42-17 victory, led by true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s monster game, in which he had six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Suddenly, Ohio State looked like a serious contender. 

     Making it to the championship would not be easy for the Buckeyes, however, as they first had to go through the first-ranked Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl.

     Oregon merely got the better of the Buckeyes the first time they played by a score of 32-31. The rematch in the Rose Bowl was one of the most anticipated games of the year. The opening spread had the Buckeyes as slight favorites, but it was anybody’s game.

     Ohio State came out firing, while Oregon looked lifeless. The Buckeyes had a 34-8 lead at halftime, and the game seemed over. Smith had a better game than his last one, catching seven passes for 187 yards and two scores. Quarterback Will Howard looked unstoppable, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdown passes.

     After shocking the world by dismantling the top seed, it was now time for the Cotton Bowl. OSU would face the number five Texas Longhorns, a team that just pulled off an overtime win against number four Arizona State. 

     Ohio State didn’t play that great against Texas. Jeremiah Smith was held to one catch for three yards. However, the defense, led by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, came up with huge plays all game long.

     Jack Sawyer forced a fumble on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers late in the fourth quarter and took it to the house, giving the Buckeyes a 28-14 lead. On the next drive, Ewers threw a game-sealing interception to safety Caleb Downs, one of the best players in America.

     Ohio State was now heading to their first national championship in ten years. The final test would be against number seven Notre Dame. Ohio State had the better roster going into this game, but they had to prove that they were the best team in America one last time.

     At first, the Buckeyes looked doomed. Notre Dame went on a nearly ten-minute long drive to open the game, and the Irish capped off that drive with a rushing touchdown, courtesy of quarterback Riley Leonard. From there, however, it was all scarlet and silver.

     Ohio State would score 31 unanswered points, including four touchdowns, up until midway through the third quarter, with three of those being scored by running back Quinshon Judkins. But then, the luck of the Irish came back to life.

     Leonard would throw two touchdown passes to Jaden Greathouse. After two successful two-point conversions, it was now an eight-point game with four minutes to go. 

     The Buckeyes then took the ball and started to move down the field. However, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was faced with a 3rd & 11 situation. 

     Howard read the defense and saw that a blitz was coming, but more importantly, he saw a one-on-one matchup between Smith and Irish cornerback Christian Gray.

     Howard decided to take the shot down the right sideline. The ball hung in the air for what felt like forever, then fell right into Smith’s hands for a 56-yard completion.

     This legendary catch confirmed Smith as the next great Ohio State receiver, and he’s only a freshman. The catch also sealed the game, setting up Jayden Fielding’s 33-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes an 11-point lead with 26 seconds left.

     The Buckeyes had won their ninth national title, their first in ten years.

     “It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have overcome some tough situations. There was a point where there were a lot of people that counted us out, and we just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said after the game.

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