No. 8 Ohio State is back on top of the college football world, defeating No. 7 Notre Dame 34-23 to secure the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia Monday night.
The Buckeyes’ victory marks their ninth national football title, tying them with USC for the fourth-most in NCAA history. This is Ohio State’s first national championship since the 2014 season, the inaugural year of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes have been a different team since their loss to Michigan in their regular-season finale. After impressive wins over Tennessee (42-17), Oregon in the Rose Bowl (41-21), and Texas in the Cotton Bowl (28-14), Ohio State’s high-powered offense powered them to the title, overcoming Notre Dame’s stingy defense.
The game started with a long, grinding drive from Notre Dame, which took 18 plays and more than nine minutes off the clock in the first quarter. Quarterback Riley Leonard and the Irish offensive line dominated the early minutes. Leonard, who ran nine times for 34 yards, capped the drive with a gutsy fourth-and-1 touchdown from Ohio State’s five-yard line. Leonard appeared to be struggling after the play, reportedly telling teammates that he had landed on the ball during one of his runs, leading to an upset stomach.
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But the momentum quickly shifted toward Ohio State. Quarterback Will Howard led a methodical 11-play, 75-yard drive, which culminated in a perfectly executed touchdown play by freshman Jeremiah Smith. Smith faked a route behind Howard on motion before breaking free and walking into the end zone untouched, tying the game.
From there, Ohio State’s defense tightened up, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs on Notre Dame’s next two drives. With the Irish struggling, Ohio State’s offense took full advantage, scoring two more touchdowns before halftime. Running back Quinshon Judkins, who shared time with TreVeyon Henderson, was the star of the show. He powered through defenders for a nine-yard touchdown run and later caught a touchdown pass from Howard with just 27 seconds left in the second quarter, putting the Buckeyes ahead 21-7.
The second half began with more of the same from Judkins, who ran for 70 yards on the first play of the half before scoring a one-yard touchdown on the following play. That touchdown put the Buckeyes in complete control.
Judkins finished the night with 100 yards rushing on just 11 carries, along with two catches for 21 yards and three total touchdowns. His performance, coupled with Ohio State’s relentless offense and defense, sealed the national championship for the Buckeyes.
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CFB: Predicting Where Each Big 12 Team Lands In Final AP Top 25 Poll
