Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23

In December 2014, I had to leave campus. I had to finish my college degree at home. That meant I would have to leave my friends from Kent State behind. I said my goodbyes, but I still hurt. That was my second family.

I was a sad, lonely 23 year-old college kid just wondering how I was going to succeed in the next chapter of my life. The depression definitely hit me at times. I was hurting. But sports was one of the things that brought me through that rough time.

Sports are just sports to many people. And when we look at them on the surface, they are indeed just games people watch for entertainment. But in cases like what happened to me back then, they're something much deeper.

In my case, sports, and specifically Ohio State football, became a pick me up for the tough time I was facing in life. And I know seeing Urban Meyer, Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliot and the rest of the Buckeyes win the National Championship over Oregon put a rare, much-needed smile on my face!

The Buckeyes are more than just my favorite college football team too. They're a mix of everything to me. They symbolize early happy childhood memories with my father. Ones that were made spending time with him learning what the game of football was, and how it worked.

The Buckeyes also gave me my first real sense of sports community, and feeling like I really belonged somewhere as a fan.

And the Buckeyes were (and still are) an example of what it means to work and strive your hardest to be the best you can be. Everyone at Ohio State, and everyone on that team strives for excellence. It shows in the high standards they set for themselves and the work they do.

How could a little kid from northern Ohio NOT fall in love with a football team that embodies all these things to him? I've been an Ohio State fan since I was a five year old boy, and I'll be one until the Good Lord calls me home.

And I don't care if I'm a 90-year old man one day, who's seen Ohio State win a dozen National Championships. Every single win in the big game feels like the first one all over again. It never gets old. Never. They're all extremely special. And seeing Ohio State topple Notre Dame last night is no exception!

The 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes now join the teams from 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002 and 2014 as National Champions. They're the best team in the country.

And no Wolverine or hater will tell me otherwise. Oh, they certainly can try. But they'll fail miserably and look stupid while doing it. This is Buckeye Nation's time to celebrate and be happy after all this team's been through. It's our turn.

The haters can take their scorn and scoffing, roll it in a ball, stick it in a freezer, and shove it where the sun doesn't shine! They'll take this title win by our Buckeyes and like it! They can stand to listen to us all offseason. They'll live.

How'd the Buckeyes get the job done though? How'd they finish things off against the Fighting Irish and bring home college football's ultimate prize? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory!

Weathering the storm

Even though the Buckeyes were a clear favorite in the game, Notre Dame's first drive had me a little concerned, and definitely nervous. The Irish drove 75 yards in 16 plays, and chewed up over nine minutes of clock. That was Notre Dame's recipe for success. If they had won last night, there would've been several more drives like that first one. But the Buckeyes managed to take Notre Dame's best shot and roll with the punches.

And in order to bring home the National Championship, the Buckeyes would be called on to weather the storm again late in the fourth quarter. I'm still not happy about the fact that they nearly blew a 24-point lead. But they hung on. And even though this next key to victory might be overlooked, I think it's worth mentioning...

Winning the line of scrimmage against Notre Dame

I wasn't sure how Ohio State would run the football compared to Notre Dame. Even though the Buckeyes have an arsenal of offensive weapons, the Irish hung their hat all season on being able to run the football, and run it really well. They were fantastic at it.

But Ohio State would flip the script. The Buckeyes ran the football 41 times for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns. They averaged 5.2 yards per carry. The Irish on the other hand, were held to a measly 53 yards on 26 carries (two yards per carry), and their longest run of the night was only nine yards.

Winning the line of scrimmage and running the football helped the Buckeyes do several things:

1. Establish their physicality against a faster but smaller Notre Dame defensive front.

2. Drain the clock later in the game.

3. Open up the possibility for explosive plays in the passing game.

In a game that's evolved to become pass-first, and oriented around explosive, high-octane offenses, running the football really well seems like it's become so underrated. It's an underrated weapon.

But the final Key to Victory came from Ohio State's biggest weapon. He'd been quiet most of the night. But when he needed to show up, he made probably one of the biggest plays in Buckeye football history.

Jeremiah Smith: Mr. Clutch

I still can't get over how special this kid is. I've never seen a more explosive, talented wideout in my life. What can I say that hasn't already been said?

He'll already go down as one of the greatest receivers this team's ever had. And that's only after one year. Can you guys imagine what else he might do before he goes pro for the 2027 Draft? He could end up being Ohio State's first Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006.

But for now, I think he'll be happy winning at least one National Championship ring while going after more next season. And the biggest play of his career so far helped seal one of the greatest runs in college football history.

Before the play happened, I was sitting on the couch with my girlfriend and telling her how I was terrified Ohio State was going to blow this game. And that if they did blow it, the entire country would be laughing at us forever.

Notre Dame seemed poised to make that happen. After all, it was 3rd and 11 with 2:45 left, and Ohio State only led the game by eight, 31-23. All the Irish needed was a defensive stand, a couple explosive plays, a touchdown and two-point conversion, and the certifiable insanity of overtime would kick in.

But as the Catholics sometimes say, Notre Dame committed a mortal sin. They broke the number one rule when it comes to guarding Jeremiah Smith: Never leave the kid one on one. I don't care how good a defensive back is. He's probably not talented enough to cover this kid all by himself. And the Irish learned that painful lesson the hard way.

Will Howard launched a deep ball that had more than just air under it. As it spiraled toward Smith, the ball had the entire hopes of a fanbase, city and team riding on it. Redemption after Michigan. Shutting up the haters at least a little bit. And even Ryan Day's future in Columbus. All of those things hung in the balance as Will Howard uncorked that deep ball to Jeremiah Smith.

And just like the famous "Holy Buckeye!" catch by Michael Jenkins that saved the season in 2002, Jeremiah Smith's grab against Notre Dame was a soft, over the shoulder catch. He didn't have to lay out for it, leap to get it, or make an acrobatic grab. It was a simple, soft grab that hit him right in stride. Like an outfielder catching a fly ball.

Game. Set. Match.

Ohio State defeated Notre Dame for all the marbles. They won it all. They hit rock bottom after the loss to Michigan, but decided they were going to do everything they could to redeem themselves after that. They picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and made one of the most remarkable runs I've ever seen in my almost 29 years of being a fan.

The run is over. Mission accomplished. The Buckeyes are the best football team in the country. Celebrate all offseason, everybody. The next time Ohio State takes the field against Texas in just under eight months, they'll be the defending National Champions!

Thanks for riding the CLE-BUS with me this season. I appreciate it!

GO BUCKS!

Statistical Leaders

Will Howard: 17-21, 231 yards, 2 TDs

Quinshon Judkins: 11 carries, 100 yards, 2 TDs

Jeremiah Smith: 5 catches, 88 yards, TD

Source

ESPN

Picture Credit

fox56.com