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Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day broke down the play that clinched the National Championship game victory over Notre Dame. The 34-23 win gave the program its ninth title in school history and capped off a remarkable turnaround. The game-clinching play came on a 56-yard reception by freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith on a third and long late in the fourth quarter.
That aggressive play call marked a change in philosophy for the Buckeyes' offense since the tough loss to Michigan. In an interview with Fox Sports College Football Analyst Joel Klatt, Day was honest about his reaction to Smith's legendary moment.
“We had said this in a meeting. If we’re in a situation like this and we have Jeremiah Smith one-on-one to the field with the game on the line, would you take that chance? And everybody in the room said yes. So that decision was already made. And then it was a matter of just going in and doing it. There’s a great picture on the sideline of that ball in the air, and you can see our entire sideline looking up at the ball saying, ‘if he catches this, we’re going to be National Champions.’”
Ohio State football's title defense has officially begun
After a regular season of highs and lows, the Buckeyes found consistency in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State football started this run with a dominant win over No. 7 Tennessee. That performance was followed by a stunning blowout of No. 1 Oregon. The Buckeyes then won two straight affairs against No. 3 Texas and No. 5 Notre Dame.
Jeremiah Smith was one of the standouts of this turnaround. The First-team All-American caught 19 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns in these four games. Smith will undoubtedly enter the 2025 season as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, as Ohio State will likely begin this year as the preseason No. 1.
Ryan Day's team's schedule starts out hot. The Buckeyes will host the probable No. 2 team in the country, the Texas Longhorns. Arch Manning and company will be seeking revenge for the semifinal loss in an electric environment.
Overall, this statement from Ryan Day marks the direction the program needs to continue heading in. Establishing the ground game is still vital for Ohio State. However, this team must continue to take advantage of its mismatches on the outside. As long as Jeremiah Smith plays in Columbus, that trend will certainly continue as Ohio State football looks to win its tenth national title.
