If you told an Ohio State fan they’d win the national championship after their shocking loss to 7-5 Michigan, they wouldn’t have believed you. Yet, four playoff games and less than two months later, the Buckeyes stood atop the college football world, winning their first title since 2014 and cementing their legacy as a forever team. Ohio State was on a mission, demolishing Tennessee and Oregon before outlasting Texas and Notre Dame in grueling but rewarding finishes. Here’s how the Buckeyes went from heartbreak to redemption.
After the Michigan loss, Ohio State fans, players, and personalities were stunned. Buckeyes and Wolverines players fought as Michigan planted their flag onto the “Block O” at midfield, while fans booed and called for Ryan Day’s job. Losing to Michigan for the third consecutive year was bad enough given the rivalry’s history, but this Michigan team had lost nearly all of its stars and was a three-touchdown underdog to the Buckeyes heading into the game.
Photo Cred: USA Today
What was supposed to be a coronation of a strong regular season and a formality turned into Ohio State’s worst nightmare. In previous years, that loss would have likely removed the Buckeyes from playoff contention. But in the first year of the 12-team playoff, Ohio State received the #8 seed and a home game in Columbus. The path ahead seemed daunting. With Tennessee coming off a 10-2 season and Volunteer fans flooding Ohio Stadium in their signature orange, Ohio State needed to flush the painful loss to their archrivals and come out of the gates swinging. And that’s exactly what they did.
Ohio State blew the Volunteers out of the water from the opening drive, with Will Howard finding superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith for a 37-yard touchdown. The Bucks involved their star playmakers, with two touchdowns going to Smith and both members of their running back duo, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, getting into the end zone as well. On defense, the front smothered the Volunteers’ run game and shut down Nico Iamaleava. The Vols made the game respectable at halftime, cutting the deficit to 21-10, but OSU picked up right where they left off, staving off any comeback attempt and routing a solid Tennessee team 42-17. In front of a sellout crowd at home, Ohio State had turned the page on Michigan and was now headed toward something much bigger.
In a cinematic game at the Rose Bowl, Ohio State aimed to avenge their other regular-season loss. Oregon, coming off an undefeated season and Big Ten Championship, entered as the #1 seed in the expanded playoffs. Knocking them off was no easy feat for anyone, but Ohio State wasn’t deterred. They picked up right where they left off against Tennessee. They raced out to a 34-0 lead, with Howard connecting with Smith and Emeka Egbuka for multiple long pass plays, while Henderson ran for a long touchdown of his own.
Photo Cred: USA Today
The Ducks attempted a comeback, cutting the lead to 34-15, but were unable to get any further as Henderson scored a game-sealing touchdown. Despite a nearly perfect season, Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks’ offense were shut down by a ferocious Buckeye defense, with Cody Simon, Jack Sawyer, and J.T. Tuimoloau each collecting two sacks. For the second straight game, the Buckeyes blew out a formidable opponent, advancing to the semifinals as Rose Bowl champions.
In the semifinals, Ohio State traveled to Dallas to take on Texas at the Cotton Bowl. A hungry Longhorns team awaited, and they proved to be a much stiffer challenge than Tennessee or Oregon had been. Ohio State again struck first with a Quinshon Judkins touchdown, but Texas answered right before halftime with Quinn Ewers finding Jaydon Blue through the air to tie the game. With less than 30 seconds in the half, many assumed Ohio State would be content taking the game into the locker room tied. But Will Howard found TreVeyon Henderson on a 75-yard screen pass to put the Buckeyes up 14-7 at halftime.
Several offensive penalties put Ohio State behind the sticks, preventing them from pulling away as they had previously, which allowed Texas to stay in the game—something they would take advantage of later on. After a key drive that included multiple third and fourth-down conversions, Ewers threw his second touchdown pass to Blue, knotting the game up at 14 apiece. However, Ohio State found new life on offense, going up 21-14 with about seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Texas nearly tied the game, driving down the field and setting up first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. But Ohio State’s goal-line defense was once again stifling, and a questionable play call to pitch the ball to the outside cost the Longhorns several yards.
Backed up to eight yards from the end zone, Ewers was hurried into an incompletion on third down. On fourth down, Jack Sawyer got around the Texas offensive line, knocked Ewers down, and forced a fumble, which was returned 83 yards for the game-sealing touchdown. Instead of Texas tying it up, Ohio State turned the tables with a defensive stand and scored again. On Texas’ next possession, Caleb Downs intercepted Ewers to officially ice the game. The Buckeyes were heading to the national championship.
Photo Cred: USA Today
The national championship game would feature a battle of blue bloods. Notre Dame had won a thrilling semifinal against Ohio State’s Big Ten rival Penn State, so the Fighting Irish were making their first title game appearance since 2012. Once again, the Buckeyes had the talent advantage, but their opponent would not back down so easily. Notre Dame opened the game with a lengthy drive, utilizing quarterback Riley Leonard’s legs as they picked up key third downs on the ground.
They capped the nearly 10-minute drive with Leonard scampering up the middle for an early touchdown, making a statement. From there, Ohio State took over. Jeremiah Smith got the scoring started for the Buckeyes, with Notre Dame failing to provide sufficient coverage on his side of the field. Quinshon Judkins had the game of his lifetime, scoring three touchdowns to end the second quarter and start the third. A Jayden Fielding field goal extended Ohio State’s lead to 31-7, and many believed the game was already out of reach.
But Notre Dame wasn’t done. Leonard opened it up through the air, finding Jaden Greathouse for a touchdown and a two-point conversion. The Irish defense stepped up, and the offense put themselves in a position to cut the deficit further. However, Mitch Jeter missed a field goal attempt off the left upright, giving the ball back to Ohio State. The Irish made another stop, but once again Leonard found Greathouse in the end zone, and Notre Dame converted another two-point conversion to pull within eight points.
With Marcus Freeman’s squad needing one more stop, they sold out to stop the run, leaving Jeremiah Smith in single coverage—a big mistake. Smith torched Christian Gray for a critical first down deep into Irish territory, and Fielding knocked through a field goal to seal it for Ohio State. Despite Notre Dame’s valiant comeback effort, Ohio State triumphed, vanquishing their fourth playoff opponent and claiming their ninth title in school history. This victory felt especially sweet, hard-earned, and rewarding—perhaps the best one yet—especially after the adversity the team overcame this season. In a college football season like no other, Ohio State cemented its place among the greatest teams of all time, marking the exciting debut of the 12-team playoff and ensuring they seized their second chance to ride it all the way to glory.
