By Mark Tanner
The Ohio State Buckeyes captured their ninth national title by defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in a thrilling showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This is their first national championship since 2015 showing their return to dominance in college football.
Dominant first half by Ohio State
Notre Dame's first drive was incredible with quarterback Riley Leonard getting 36 rushing yards, 9 carries, one touchdown, and a 75-yard touchdown drive. Ohio State answered back with quarterback Will Howard leading the team. Howard showed incredible accuracy, completing 17 out of 1 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He also got 57 rushing yards which shows how he is a dual threat. Running back Quinshon Judkins played a big role in the first half with 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
By Halftime Ohio State built a big 24-7 lead, with their defense not allowing Notre Dame to score early in the game.
Notre Dame's comeback
The Fighting Irish mounted a comeback in the second half, narrowing the deficit to 31-23 by the fourth quarter. Their defense stepped up with only allowing one touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter. Riley Leonard made it a two-score game with a 34-yard pass to Jaden Greathouse and a clutch two-point conversion to Jeremiah making the score 31-15. In the fourth quarter, both defenses were not letting the other team close to the red zone but then a 30-yard pass from Notre Dame's Riley Leonard and a two-point conversion made this game 31-23 with only 4 minutes left.
Clutch play to seal the win
With the momentum shifting to Notre Dame, Ohio State's Will Howard delivered a crucial 56-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith. This set up a 33-yard field goal, extending Ohio State's lead to 34-23 and sealing a victory.
This game was attended by 77,660 fans and solidified Ohio's legacy as a powerhouse in college football with nine national titles.
Who did you want to win?
0%Ohio State Buckeyes
0%Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Wow! What a great article, I was wondering when someone was going to cover this fantastic game. My great team of Notre Dame brought it home!!!!!! I like the wording you used talking about great and dominant victory. I think more articles like this can be really big for your carrer as writer.
Good work!