Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is interviewed with Cody Simon and Will Howard after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Title-toting Ryan Day, Ohio State reflect on journey under championship glow

ATLANTA — On only a few hours of sleep since his Buckeyes were crowned national champions on Monday night, Ohio State coach Ryan Day knows next year is closing fast.

And not just because the Buckeyes start the 2025 regular season against the Texas Longhorns in a high-profile home opener on Aug. 30 already being dissected around Columbus.

“Try losing the first game and see how that goes at Ohio State. We’ll see about that,” Day said in Atlanta on Tuesday, his first day as a championship-winning head coach.

“We do have a talented group coming back, so we’ll get back and try to figure that out. I don’t know if spring practice is going to look like it usually does. I don’t know if it can for the amount of games these guys have played. But for the young guys, we’ve got to get them going, get them indoctrinated into the program and then we’ll ramp up soon.”

Transfer quarterback Will Howard delayed postgame sleep for the short flight back to Ohio, where a dramatic scene awaited seven weeks removed from a loss to defending champion and archrival Michigan in a stunning upset, 13-10. The national narrative in the afterglow of that defeat flickered somewhere between dim and doom. Fans weren’t shy about pointing fingers at Day and in some corners clamored for Urban Meyer to return to rescue the program.

Day reminded players the season wasn’t over Nov. 30 when Michigan attempted to plan its flag at Ohio Stadium. After blitzing through the first 12-team College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes (14-2) have a different level of appreciation for the journey they meandered to reach the mountaintop in Georgia on Jan. 20 with a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame.

Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon tried to put the entire picture into words Tuesday.

“The humility and the resilience of not only the seniors but just everyone on our team. People deciding to come back for another year when they could have made all the money in the NFL and be first-round picks. They came back for the love of the brotherhood and the appreciation for the culture and all their teammates,” he said. “I think that story is about determination, resilience, humility, just thankfulness, faithfulness, just everything good that comes out of a team game and a team sport. I think our team has showed it this year.”

Day said he reminded his victorious locker room of the life lessons to be taken from the season that began 10 months ago with spring practice.

“Just waking up this morning, just grateful that we had an opportunity to be with this team and certainly I would say that everything that came with the season and all the hard work was worth it. It was worth it,” Day said. “I’m proud of these guys. And again, we’ll go down in history and cement themselves as champions.

“We’re going to take some time to celebrate, enjoy it, because these guys deserve it.”

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown arrives on the field prior to the College Football Playoff first round game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024.

Ohio State backup QB Devin Brown transferring to Cal

After accomplishing his goal of winning a national championship with Ohio State on Monday night, backup quarterback Devin Brown is transferring to Cal.

Brown had entered the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 9 but announced he would fulfill his commitment to the Buckeyes through their College Football Playoff run, which concluded with a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the title game.

He reposted a tweet from the Cal football account on X welcoming him to the program.

Brown is seeking a starting job after backing up Kyle McCord in 2023 and Will Howard this season. Brown, who has two years of eligibility remaining, played in total of 15 games at Ohio State and was a combined 27-of-48 passing for 331 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed 30 times for 37 yards and one TD.

A four-star quarterback in the Class of 2022, Brown was the nation’s No. 43 overall prospect and No. 6 quarterback according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Brown heads to Cal, where 2024 starter Fernando Mendoza has transferred to Indiana.

Ohio State is losing Howard, a graduate transfer from Kansas State, as well as Brown and freshman backup Air Noland, who transferred to South Carolina. Julian Sayin, a transfer from Alabama, is entering his redshirt freshman season, while Lincoln Kienholz will be in his third year in the program if he stays. The Buckeyes also have signed five-star Tavien St. Clair.

–Field Level Media

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) is tackled by Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Ohio State starts hot, holds off Notre Dame for national title

ATLANTA — Ohio State had nine third-down conversions on Monday, but only one will be remembered as the play that essentially cemented the Buckeyes as champions.

Eighth-seeded Ohio State had to overcome a lot to put itself within minutes of a title — a one-point loss to then-No. 3 Oregon back on Oct. 12 and an embarrassing setback against unranked Michigan to close the regular season that had Buckeyes fans calling for coach Ryan Day to be fired.

So that’s why Ohio State didn’t panic when No. 7 seed Notre Dame rallied in the second half, allowing the Buckeyes to escape with a 34-23 victory in the College Football Playoff title game.

Ohio State (14-2) put the game away when quarterback Will Howard found Jeremiah Smith on third-and-11 for a 56-yard gain with 2:29 to go. Four plays later, Jayden Fielding made a 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds left to complete the scoring, and the partying began for the Buckeyes.

“Ultimately, we’ve got to make the play,” Day said of Smith’s catch. “The protection was excellent by the offensive line, and then the throw by Will, the catch by Jeremiah was special, and again, a huge play in Ohio State history.”

The Fighting Irish (14-2) had pulled within eight with 4:15 remaining after once trailing 31-7.

Quinshon Judkins had two rushing touchdowns and one receiving score and Howard had a near-perfect first half to help Ohio State take control.

“I think we did an unbelievable job on third down and winning the situations,” Howard said. “We talked about it all the time — we have to be the hardest team playing in the country and we’ve got to execute.”

The Buckeyes held their 31-7 lead in the third quarter before Notre Dame rallied on TD receptions of 34 and 30 yards by Jaden Greathouse and a pair of two-point conversions to make it 31-23.

“Not many words you can say when you’ve got a group like that that’s hurting,” Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN. “Just told them I love them. So proud to be a part of this season with them.

“There’s a lot of guys that are hurting, but they gave it everything they have. We didn’t get the job done tonight, and we’ve got to figure out why, and there’s reasons for it. But what they did for this school, this football program, and I think for people that watch college football, I think they sent a strong message about being selfless, working your tails off and putting others before yourself.”

Howard was 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns, Smith had five catches for 88 yards and a score and Judkins rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries.

Ohio State completed a four-game romp through the first 12-team CFP bracket, winning each of its playoff contests by a multi-score margin.

After recording both a receiving touchdown and a rushing TD in the first half, Judkins ran for 70 yards to the Irish 5 on the second play of the third quarter, the longest run in CFP final history. He then carried the ball into the end zone from the 1 three plays later to make it 28-7 Ohio State.

The lead expanded to 31-7 on a 46-yard field goal by Fielding after a Notre Dame fake punt failed.

The Fighting Irish pulled within 31-15 with 3:03 left in the third on a 34-yard scoring reception by Greathouse off a pass from Riley Leonard and a two-point-conversion pass from Leonard to Jeremiyah Love.

The Buckeyes fell behind for the first time in four playoff games when Notre Dame scored on the game’s opening possession, but they responded by scoring on all three of their first-half drives for a 21-7 lead at the break.

Howard set a CFP championship-game record by completing his first 13 passes and was 14-of-15 passing for 144 yards and two TDs in the first half.

Leonard capped an 18-play, 75-yard march with a 1-yard touchdown run on Notre Dame’s first drive. He had nine carries for 34 yards during the series.

“It’s very easy to be a successful quarterback when, first and foremost, your coaches are just setting you up for success. I’ve never been so prepared in my life,” Leonard said.

Ohio State then had scoring drives of 75, 76 and 80 yards using a combined 33 plays and 16:37 of possession.

Leonard wound up completing 22 of 31 passes for 255 yards, and Greathouse made six catches for 128 yards and the two scores.

“The story gets to be told now and it’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and there’s a point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out and we just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said. “It’s the reason why you get into coaching is to see guys overcome things, learn life lessons and then reach their dreams.

“This is what happened.”

–Craig Merz, Field Level Media

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) on the podium after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Will Howard shines in spotlight, carries Ohio State to title

All Ohio State quarterback Will Howard ever wanted was a chance to show off his talents.

The spotlight was all his on Monday night.

Howard built off a record-breaking first half to complete 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, lifting the Buckeyes to a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game in Atlanta.

It was after a 56-yard completion to Jeremiah Smith with 2:38 left in the game that reality seemed to set in for Howard, who took some time to showboat a bit by throwing his arms up while running downfield while Ohio State coach Ryan Day jumped for joy on the sideline and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James celebrated from box seats.

Such a moment was always the goal for Howard, a Kansas State transfer who had always dreamed of performing on college football’s biggest stage.

“If you were to ask a 19-year-old or 18-year-old Will Howard if he’d be at Ohio State playing in the national championship, I think he’d probably say, ‘You’re crazy, man,’” Howard said earlier this week.

Now, Howard is a champion, and teammates think that this is just the beginning for the 23-year-old.

“Just the type of quarterback he is, in my eyes he’s a first-round draft pick,” Smith said. “Will’s just a great leader — on and off the field.”

Howard made CFP championship game history by completing his first 13 passes on Monday, and he was 14-for-15 passing for 144 yards and two TDs before the break. Ohio State scored a touchdown on all three of its drives in the first 30 minutes of action to build a commanding 21-7 lead by intermission.

The Fighting Irish rallied but couldn’t find a way to get past Howard and the Buckeyes, with the Ohio State signal-caller being named Offensive MVP following the game.

“They’ve changed my life in more ways than I can say, man,” Howard told ESPN, referring to the impact that Day and his new teammates have had on him. “Coach Day and these guys here have completely, completely changed my life. … I can’t believe God gave me the chance to be a Buckeye.”

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025.

Ohio State, Notre Dame open as favorites in CFP semifinals

If the semifinals unfold the way Las Vegas sees it happening, Ohio State and Notre Dame will play for the College Football Playoff national title.

No. 7 seed Notre Dame was installed as a 1.5-point favorite over No. 6 seed Penn State at various major sportsbooks on Thursday night, shortly after the Fighting Irish took down No. 2 seed Georgia 23-10 in their quarterfinal game at the Sugar Bowl.

No. 8 seed Ohio State, which trounced top-seeded Oregon 41-21 on New Year’s Day, is a slightly bigger favorite against No. 5 Texas in the other semifinal. The Buckeyes were 4.5-point favorites at DraftKings on Wednesday night and that grew to a six-point spread by Thursday, while it stood at 5.5 points at Fanduel Sportsbook and elsewhere.

This is the first season of the 12-team playoff, and the top four seeds all lost their quarterfinal games at neutral sites after receiving first-round byes. Penn State defeated Boise State, the top Group of Five champion, 31-14. Texas outlasted Big 12 champion Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime.

Fanduel also lists Ohio State as the +110 favorite to win the national championship, a significant edge over Notre Dame at +340.

The Buckeyes (12-2) had lost to Oregon by one point in the regular season and turned the tables in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, storming out to a 34-0 lead shortly before halftime. Will Howard finished the game with 319 passing yards and three touchdowns, with Jeremiah Smith going for seven catches, 187 yards and two TDs.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) celebrates a touchdown catch with quarterback Will Howard (18) during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025.

No. 8 Ohio State knocks out No. 1 Oregon in Rose Bowl

Will Howard passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns and fast-starting No. 8 seed Ohio State delivered a convincing 41-21 victory over No. 1 Oregon on Wednesday in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Freshman Jeremiah Smith had two long touchdowns while catching seven passes for a career-high 187 yards, and TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 94 yards and two scores on eight carries as the Buckeyes (12-2) scored the first 34 points while outclassing their fellow Big Ten mates.

Ohio State will play No. 5 seed Texas (13-2) in the CFP semifinals on Jan. 10 at the Cotton Bowl at Arlington, Texas.

Dillon Gabriel completed 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for Oregon (13-1). Gabriel finished his career with 155 touchdown passes, tying Houston’s Case Keenum (2007-11) for the all-time FBS record. Miami’s Cam Ward set the Division I mark (FBS and FCS) of 158 last week.

Traeshon Holden caught seven passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks. Oregon star Jordan James was injured in the first half and sat out the second. He had 14 yards on seven rushes.

The Buckeyes avenged the 32-31 regular-season loss on Oct. 12 to host Oregon in which Howard made a mental mistake by sliding to the turf after time ran out, preventing a possible game-winning field-goal attempt.

Howard completed 17 of 26 passes in the rematch as the Buckeyes outgained the Ducks 500-276.

Ohio State harassed Gabriel throughout the contest and recorded eight sacks. Cody Simon, Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau had two apiece.

The Buckeyes scored their four first-half touchdowns on drives totaling nine plays.

The opening drive took three plays to go 75 yards, with Smith catching a short pass from Howard and turning it into a 45-yard touchdown just one minute into the game.

Later in the quarter, a three-play drive was completed by Howard’s 42-yard touchdown pass to Emeka Egbuka.

Jayden Fielding kicked a 46-yard field goal to give Ohio State a 17-0 lead just 10 seconds into the second quarter. Four-plus minutes later, the Buckeyes needed just two plays with Howard connecting with Smith on a 43-yard touchdown.

Henderson then ripped off a 66-yard scoring run down the right sideline on the first play of a possession to make it 31-0 with 8:47 left in the half.

Fielding tacked on a 36-yard field goal with 2:59 left in the half to make it a 34-point margin.

Oregon finally got on the board as time expired in the half. Gabriel threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Holden, which was followed by a two-point conversion pass to Justius Lowe.

The Ducks also scored on Noah Whittington’s 2-yard run to start the third quarter to move within 34-15, but Henderson’s 8-yard TD run with 2:19 left in the period restored order.

–Field Level Media

Purdue Boilermakers tight end Max Klare (86) rushes past Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter (23) Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, during the NCAA football game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Penn State Nittany Lions won 49-10.

Purdue’s Max Klare, top transfer TE, chooses Ohio State

Coming off a 1-11 season, Purdue could ill afford to lose Max Klare — the No. 1 tight end in the transfer portal — but he is leaving the Boilermakers for rival Ohio State.

Klare, a redshirt sophomore who led Purdue with 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, is a four-star prospect in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. He ranks No. 30 overall.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Klare will have two years of eligibility remaining when he suits up for Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and tight ends coach Keenan Bailey.

“Really, when it came down to making the decision, Coach Day’s ability to develop players and send them off to the NFL, the developmental process for me was huge,” Klare told ESPN, which was first to report the news of his transfer.

An All-Big Ten third-team selection in 2024, Klare opted to join Ohio State over Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M and Louisville.

In two seasons with Purdue, Klare finished with 73 receptions for 881 yards and four scores. In 2024, his 685 receiving yards ranked sixth nationally among all tight ends.

Klare wasn’t the only big get on Monday for Ohio State, which will play Oregon at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in the CFP quarterfinals. Earlier in the day, the Buckeyes added former West Virginia running back C.J. Donaldson, former Minnesota offensive tackle and former Idaho State defensive end Logan George via the transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State University football coach Ryan Day talks with the media Wednesday, December 4, 2024 after the devastating loss to Michigan for the fourth straight year. The news conference was held in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center football team meeting room in Columbus.

Ohio State AD: Ryan Day ‘absolutely’ back in 2025

Ahead of Ohio State’s appearance in the College Football Playoff, head coach Ryan Day received a vote of confidence from his athletic director despite the Buckeyes’ latest loss to Michigan.

Ohio State AD Ross Bjork appeared on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus on Thursday, where a radio host asked him whether Day would be the Buckeyes’ coach at the start of next season regardless of how the playoffs shake out.

“Absolutely,” said Bjork, who came to Ohio State from the same role at Texas A&M in July.

“Coach Day and I have just hit it off so well. I’ve been really, really impressed. Every single time I’ve talked to him, I’ve learned something. He’s innovative. He recruits at the highest level. He’s got a great staff. There’s always tweaks. There was tweaks after last year, right? You’re always going to tweak things. You’re always going to make adjustments. You’re always going to make improvements.”

Bjork continued by addressing the “championship or bust” attitude held by some of the fanbase.

“This whole mentality about — and look, we live it, and we sign up for it — but if you get fixated on the end result and not have the process fully baked every time, you’re going to lose,” Bjork said. “The mindset’s going to lose because you’re only fixated on one thing. And so what we have to do is this whole ‘championship or bust’ mentality, you want that as the goal, but it has to be about the process.

“To me, we’ve got to maybe change some conversations a little bit. I think we need to maybe just approach things a little bit differently.”

Day is 66-10 as Ohio State’s coach and led the Buckeyes to one national championship game appearance, a 52-24 loss to Alabama to cap the 2020 season.

Ohio State went 10-2 in the regular season but missed out on a place in the Big Ten championship game when rival Michigan defeated the Buckeyes 13-10 on Nov. 30. It was Michigan’s fourth straight win in The Game, and Day is now 1-4 as a head coach against the Wolverines.

At the time, Bjork released a statement of support for Day, and he doubled down during Thursday’s radio hit.

“He’s great to work with. He totally gets it. He loves being a Buckeye, and so we’re going to support him at the highest level throughout,” Bjork said. “But here’s the thing too, and the reason why we needed to say something after that game is we’re still breathing. They’re still alive. The season’s not over. The book is not closed, right? And so we’ve got to have confidence. I mean, Ohio State should be confident every single day. We’re Ohio State.

“But we also have to make sure we stay to our values and we stick to what we believe in. And so to me, it’s the process as much as it is about the end result.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Josh Simmons (71) lines up beside offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) during the NCAA football game at Indiana University Memorial Stadium. Ohio State won 23-3.

Ohio State OT Josh Simmons entering 2025 draft

Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons plans to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, his agent confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Simmons was in his second season as the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle in 2024 but last played against Oregon on Oct. 12 because of a knee injury that required surgery. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten when the teams were announced Tuesday.

Simmons turns 22 on Dec. 26 and is one of the top five offensive linemen in the 2025 draft according to Field Level Media rankings, and agent Drew Rosenhaus proclaimed his new client on target to be a first-rounder.

“Josh will be fully cleared for practice by the start of NFL training camp and he will be a high first-round pick,” Rosenhaus said.

A transfer in 2023, Simmons spent his first two seasons at San Diego State. He started 13 games in 2022 at right tackle before shifting to the left side in Columbus. He started every game in 2023 and Ohio State’s first six games this season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) runs the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

No. 3 Ohio State, dominant in second half this season, meets Iowa

If Iowa hopes to upset No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, it would be wise for the Hawkeyes to get off to a good start.

While the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) have outscored opponents by an average of 42 points (48.8 to 6.8), they have been more vulnerable in the first half before making defensive adjustments.

The Buckeyes have a 91-3 scoring advantage after halftime after a combined 104-24 in the first two quarters.

Their yards allowed are just as dramatic. They gave up 186 in the first half to Marshall on Sept. 21 and 203 last Saturday in a 38-7 victory over Michigan State followed by second-half totals of 61 and 60, respectively.

“We want to get stops. We want to force three-and-outs,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We’re going to deal with the same thing this week. Those guys (Iowa) have made improvements in a lot of areas on offense, and I think they’re playing really well, so it’s another challenge for our defense.”

Iowa (3-1, 1-0) likely won’t be able to match the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense but will try to control the ball and take the crowd out of the game.

One of the keys will be Hamilton, Ohio native Kaleb Johnson. In a 31-14 win against Minnesota on Sept. 21, he rushed for a career-high 206 yards on a 9.8 yards-per-carry average with three touchdowns for his fourth straight 100-plus-yard game.

He is No. 2 nationally with 685 yards.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz knows the Buckeyes will be ready for Johnson.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge,” Ferentz said. “The holes are going to close quick.”

Johnson has 12 runs of 20 or more yards this season, including a 64-yarder, which likely will be of concern to the Buckeyes. But the Hawkeyes will face a stern defense that is second nationally in total defense (196.5 yards per game). The Hawkeyes are 18th (272.8).

Iowa will have to contain a multi-faceted Ohio State offense that features running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson — who have combined for 666 rushing yards and nine touchdowns — and a group of talented receivers led by freshman Jeremiah Smith (19 catches for 364 yards and five TDs).

“They are very balanced and talented at every position,” Ferentz said. “They’ve got really good players in all three phases, and I think are really deserving of their ranking. Certainly, they’ve had great production in all three phases, and they’re really well-coached in all three phases. So it’s kind of what you’d expect of a top-ranked team like that.”

Meanwhile, with so much reliance on the running game, Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara has been efficient. He was 11 for 19 for only 62 yards against Minnesota but did not have a turnover for a second straight game.

McNamara referenced Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions, who completed 18 of 18 passes vs. the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.

“There’s always going to be ups and downs in games,” McNamara said. “Other than basically Jared Goff, you can’t play a perfect game.”

–Field Level Media