When Chip Kelly joined Ryan Day’s staff in Columbus, the college football world collectively blinked. It felt like a glitch in the simulation. Two of the most innovative offensive minds in the history of the sport, standing on the same sideline? It’s the kind of thing that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep and Irish fans start checking the schedules for any possible way out.
Honestly, the Notre Dame Ohio State dynamic is weirder than people realize. It’s a rivalry that isn't really a rivalry, but it carries more weight than most "annual" games. They've only played nine times in 90 years. That is insane. These are two programs that essentially define the Midwest’s football soul, yet they treat each other like distant cousins who only meet at funerals or weddings. Except, in this case, the wedding is the 2025 National Championship game and the funeral is usually for Notre Dame’s playoff hopes.
That 2025 National Championship Heartbreak
Let’s talk about what just happened in Atlanta because it still feels raw for the folks in South Bend. On January 20, 2025, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium turned into a pressure cooker. Notre Dame vs. Ohio State for all the marbles. The Irish actually jumped out to a 7-0 lead after an 18-play marathon drive that left Riley Leonard literally vomiting on the sidelines from exhaustion.
He was run ragged.
But then, the Buckeyes did what they always do. They waited. They suffocated. Ohio State rattled off 31 unanswered points. Will Howard, a guy who some critics said couldn't win the "big one," went 17-of-21 for 231 yards and two touchdowns. It wasn't just about the stats, though. It was the way Jeremiah Smith—the freshman phenom who lived up to every ounce of the hype—snagged a 3rd-and-long dagger that basically ended the Marcus Freeman era’s best chance at a ring.
The final was 34-23.
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It was the seventh straight win for the Buckeyes in this series. If you’re keeping score at home, Notre Dame hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1936. FDR was in the White House. The world was a very different place.
Why Notre Dame Can't Get Over the Hump
Marcus Freeman is an Ohio State alum. You know that, I know that, and the Buckeyes definitely know that. There is a specific kind of psychological warfare that happens when a former son returns to lead a different army. Freeman has brought a defensive tenacity to South Bend that we haven't seen in years. Al Golden’s unit held the Buckeyes to zero points in the first quarter of that title game.
They were physical. They were mean.
But the depth is where the Irish always seem to hit a wall. In the second half, Quinshon Judkins started finding gaps that weren't there in the first. He finished with 100 yards and two touchdowns. When you play a team like Ohio State, you have to be perfect for 60 minutes. Notre Dame was perfect for about 22. In the modern era of the transfer portal and NIL, the gap between "elite" and "championship elite" is a razor-thin margin of error, and the Buckeyes have historically owned that margin.
The "Game of the Century" That Actually Was
Most people think the hype in modern sports is a new invention. It’s not. In 1935, when these two first met, they called it the "Game of the Century." Over 81,000 people crammed into Ohio Stadium. For context, tickets were selling for prices that would be over $1,000 today when adjusted for inflation.
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Notre Dame was down 13-0 in the fourth quarter. It looked over. Then Bill Shakespeare (yes, that was his real name) threw a 19-yard touchdown to Wayne Millner with 32 seconds left. The Irish won 18-13.
It remains one of the most famous comebacks in the history of the sport. But ever since the series resumed in the 90s, the narrative has flipped. 1995 was the Eddie George show. 1996 was the Pepe Pearson show. 2006 and 2016 were the "Fiesta Bowl Heartbreak" years.
The 10-Man Gaffe
We have to mention the 2023 game in South Bend. It’s the elephant in the room. 17-14, Ohio State wins on the final play. But the image everyone remembers isn't the touchdown; it’s the Notre Dame defense lined up with only 10 men on the field. Not once. Twice.
That is the kind of detail that haunts a program. It’s the difference between a program that expects to win and one that is learning how to win. Ryan Day caught a lot of flak for his post-game "Where’s Lou Holtz?" rant, but in his mind, he was defending the toughness of a program that had been labeled "soft."
The reality? Ohio State hasn't been soft against the Irish. They’ve been clinical.
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What’s Next for the Series?
Looking at the 2026 landscape, the two aren't currently scheduled for a regular-season meeting. But the 12-team (and potentially expanding) playoff format means we are almost guaranteed to see this matchup more often. The 2025 Championship proved the TV ratings are astronomical when these two blue bloods collide.
If you are a Notre Dame fan, the goal for 2026 is simple: find a way to match the Buckeyes' explosive playmaking. Riley Leonard showed the Irish can move the ball, but they lacked the "home run" threat that players like Jeremiah Smith or Emeka Egbuka provide.
Next steps for following this matchup:
- Watch the Recruiting Trail: Keep an eye on five-star receivers in the 2026 class. Notre Dame is desperate for a game-changer who can stretch the field against Big Ten-style secondaries.
- Monitor the Portal: Both schools have become aggressive in the transfer market. If the Irish can snag another veteran QB after Leonard’s departure, they stay in the conversation.
- Check Postseason Projections: With the expanded playoff, both teams are almost perennial locks for the top 12. A rematch in a quarterfinal or semifinal is highly likely within the next 24 months.
The 2025 title game wasn't just a loss for the Irish; it was a blueprint. It showed that they can stand toe-to-toe with the giants, even if they still haven't figured out how to knock them down.