Honestly, if you missed the Ohio State vs Notre Dame championship game back in January 2025, you missed one of those "how did this happen?" moments in sports history. Most people expected a defensive slugfest between two of the most disciplined teams in the country. Instead, we got a weird, wild, and eventually dominant performance by a Buckeyes team that basically looked like they were playing a different sport for three quarters.
It wasn't just another game. This was the pinnacle of the inaugural 12-team playoff era. You had Ryan Day trying to finally shake the "can't win the big one" label and Marcus Freeman, a former Buckeye himself, trying to bring a title back to South Bend for the first time since the late 80s. The energy in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was basically vibrating through the floorboards.
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The Ohio State vs Notre Dame Championship Game Breakdown
The game ended with a 34-23 scoreline in favor of the Buckeyes, but that doesn't really tell the whole story. If you just look at the box score, you'd think it was a close contest. Kinda. But for a solid hour of real-time, it felt like Ohio State was going to hang 50 on them.
That Massive Second Quarter Explosion
Notre Dame actually started exactly how they wanted to. Riley Leonard, who’d been a tank all year, orchestrated an 18-play opening drive that took nearly ten minutes off the clock. Ten minutes! They capped it with a 1-yard Leonard plunge. At 7-0, the Irish fans were losing their minds.
Then, Will Howard woke up.
Ohio State didn't just respond; they dismantled the Notre Dame secondary. Howard, who ended up with the MVP trophy, went on a tear where he completed 13 straight passes. He found the freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith for an 8-yard score to tie it, and then the floodgates just... burst. By the time the halftime whistle blew, it was 21-7. Quinshon Judkins was running like he was mad at the grass, scoring twice in that period alone.
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The Judkins 70-Yard Dagger
If there was a single moment where the Ohio State vs Notre Dame championship game felt "over," it was the second play of the second half. Quinshon Judkins took a handoff, found a seam, and ripped off a 70-yard run that set up another quick touchdown.
When the scoreboard hit 31-7 in the third quarter after a Jayden Fielding field goal, the Atlanta crowd started looking for the exits. The Buckeyes outgained the Irish 445 to 308 in total yardage. They were faster, stronger, and frankly, better prepared for the speed of the indoor turf.
Why the Notre Dame Comeback Almost Worked
You've gotta give Marcus Freeman credit—his guys didn't quit. While everyone else was crown-printing the Buckeyes, the Irish defense finally forced a punt. It was actually the only punt Ohio State had to kick all night.
Riley Leonard started targeting Jaden Greathouse, who turned into a monster in the fourth quarter. Greathouse caught a 34-yard touchdown, then another 30-yarder shortly after. Notre Dame converted two-point conversions on both. Suddenly, it was 31-23. The "here we go again" feeling started creeping into the Ohio State sideline. You could see the tension on Ryan Day’s face.
The Irish actually got the ball back with a chance to tie. But the Buckeyes defense, led by Cody Simon and JT Tuimoloau, tightened up exactly when they had to. A late sack by Tuimoloau on Leonard basically iced the momentum.
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The Jeremiah Smith "Dagger"
With 3rd and 11 and the game on the line late in the fourth, Will Howard didn't play it safe. He dropped a 56-yard rainbow right into the hands of Jeremiah Smith. It was one of those "NFL-ready" throws that confirmed why Howard was the right portal pickup for Day. That catch set up the final field goal to make it 34-23 and secured Ohio State’s ninth national title.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2025 Title
A lot of folks act like this was a fluke because Ohio State came in as the #8 seed. But remember, the 12-team format changed everything. The Buckeyes had to go through Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas just to get to Atlanta. By the time they hit the Ohio State vs Notre Dame championship game, they were the most battle-tested team in the country.
- The Quarterback Narrative: People said Will Howard couldn't win the big one. He finished 17-of-21 for 231 yards and two touchdowns.
- The Trench Warfare: Notre Dame’s offensive line was supposed to dominate. Instead, they only managed 53 rushing yards. Fifty-three!
- The Ryan Day Factor: This win basically gave Day a lifetime contract in Columbus. It silenced every critic who complained about the Michigan losses.
Actionable Takeaways for the Next Season
If you're looking at how this affects the 2026 landscape, pay attention to the transfer portal patterns. Ohio State won because of Judkins and Howard—two portal stars. The "build from within" model is still great, but the Buckeyes proved that aggressive, high-end portal additions are the only way to survive a four-game playoff gauntlet.
Watch the defensive line rotations as well. Ohio State stayed fresh because they rotated eight guys in the front four. If your team isn't deep enough to sub out stars in the third quarter, they’ll get gassed by the championship game just like the Irish did.
To really understand the shift in power, look back at the film of that third-and-11 play to Jeremiah Smith. It wasn't just a lucky catch; it was a schematic masterpiece that exploited a specific Notre Dame coverage tendency they'd seen all night. That's the level of coaching it takes to win in the new era.
Go back and re-watch the second quarter if you can find the replay. It’s a clinic on how to use tempo to neutralize a physical defense. The Buckeyes didn't just win; they provided a blueprint for how to navigate the 12-team bracket.