In a dramatic showdown that not only lived up to the hype, but exceeded it, the Ohio State Buckeyes knocked off the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a last-second touchdown.
The 17-14 thriller had everything you’d want in a football game. Some fans might have been hoping for more points, but that was great old-fashioned football between two Playoff-caliber powerhouses.
Moments after the final whistle, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day couldn’t hide his emotions during his on-field interview with NBC.
“I’m really upset … about what Lou Holtz said publicly about our team and Ohio State and Buckeye Nation,” Day said, visibly impassioned. “We’re not going to stand for that. That’s not even close to true.”
“We had one bad half a couple of years ago up in Ann Arbor, the second half. Every game we play in, we’re physical, we are. I don’t know where that narrative comes from, but that ends tonight.”
RYAN DAY. FIRE ME UP. pic.twitter.com/jKsnYi6vAY
— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) September 24, 2023
“We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world, and it’ll continue to be Ohio against the world. But I’ll tell you what, I love those kids, and we’ve got a tough team.
Those words came straight from the heart and were music to every single Buckeye fans’ ears. There’s no doubt the entire state of Ohio wanted to run through a brick wall for Day at that very moment.
His fiery response was aimed at legendary Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz who had openly doubted Ohio State’s toughness on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Clearly, Day and the entire team took that to heart.
Here’s what Lou Holtz said on @PatMcAfeeShow that Ryan Day angrily referred to after Ohio St. beat Notre Dame: pic.twitter.com/r1Ju4pwl00
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2023
Despite squandering a 10-0 lead and facing adversity throughout the game, Ohio State rallied in the final minutes with a game-winning drive.
Quarterback Kyle McCord was outstanding as he made clutch throw after clutch throw. Running back Chip Trayanum punched in the go-ahead score with just one second left on the clock.
“As a running back, you live for runs like that,” Trayanum said. “The nitty-gritty runs, the runs where you’re fighting with your body to stay up and making sure nothing touched. This feeling, it’s still surreal, but it’s definitely a good Buckeye win.”
McCord, who had faced criticism for his performances earlier in the season, answered the bell in an enormous way for the Buckeyes.
“Down four points with a chance to go win it there in the end, a historic stadium, a great environment against a great defense, you can’t draw it up any better than that,” McCord said. “To come away with a win, it wasn’t perfect, but it feels really, really good.”
WHAT A COMEBACK BY OHIO STATE! 😱 pic.twitter.com/1o3mcXMECM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 24, 2023
“Our team did that,” Day declared. “Because in life, when people start talking and saying things about you, at some point you’ve got to put your foot in the ground. Our team did that.”
Ryan Day brought the vibes 🤩
(via @OhioStateFB) pic.twitter.com/2HGMTMQ5Ck
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 24, 2023
Day and the Buckeyes deserve to say whatever they want after that game. It was a hell of a game and a hell of a win.
Notre Dame is still alive for a Playoff spot – but now they have no margin for error.
Meanwhile, Ohio State knows they control their own destiny in the big picture. That final regular season game at Michigan is going to be epic, as usual.
What did you think of the game???