Sports
By Patrick Rupinen, Guest Writer
On Monday, The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish took to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. to fight for the College Football National Championship. Looking back at this historic season filled with many upsets and great games, the new 12-team playoff format only added to the excitement of the season.
Ohio State and Notre Dame were the No.8 and No.7 seeds, respectively, in the playoffs, and neither team was expected to make it to the championship. Both teams had to battle against Big Ten and SEC champions on the playoff road. Ohio State claimed their most recent National Championship in 2014, while Notre Dame was hoping to break a 36-year drought.
The Irish were led by senior quarterback Riley Leonard while senior quarterback Will Howard led the Buckeyes. The Irish received the ball to start the game and began with a long nine-minute drive. Leonard kicked off the Irish’s lead after scoring from the one-yard line. The Buckeyes responded right at the start of the second quarter by scoring off a Will Howard passing touchdown.
The Buckeyes had possession of the ball for 12 of the 15 minutes of the second quarter, leading them to two more touchdowns. Notre Dame’s offensive and defensive struggles in the second quarter put them in the hole heading into the second half with the Buckeyes up 21-7.
Ohio State was able to continue their momentum in the second half since they had the ball in their hands to start. They quickly scored with junior running back Quinshon Judkins breaking through Notre Dame’s defense for a 70-yard run, setting up the perfect position for Ohio State to score once again, adding to their lead of 28-7.
The Ohio State University freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was an important piece of Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame with five caught passes and 88 yards to his name in the championship.
When on offense, the Irish turned the ball over after a failed fourth down conversion attempt. Being unable to make it to the end zone after the turnover, Ohio State added to their tally with a field goal, putting them up by 24 points.
When Notre Dame got the ball back, they quickly moved down the field scoring a 34-yard touchdown by sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse. Instead of settling for just one point, the Irish went for the two point conversion that was caught by sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love to bring the score up to 31-15.
On their next drive, Ohio State junior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka ran down the field and on a 24-yard reception, but ultimately fumbled the ball at the end of the play, resulting in a turnover. Notre Dame failed to add points to their name with no touchdown and a missed field goal.
Notre Dame’s defense stood firm as the game progressed, forcing Ohio State to punt on their next possession, putting the ball back in the hands of the Irish. Notre Dame quickly passed down the field, scoring on a 30-yard reception by Greathouse. Notre Dame once again went for the two point conversion with a trick play, adding two more points to their name.
However, Notre Dame’s strong defense ultimately proved to be not enough against Ohio State’s offense on the next drive, allowing the Buckeyes to score a field goal. With only 26 seconds left on the clock for Notre Dame’s final possession, Ohio State cemented their win in the college football history books.
When Ohio State won the national championship back in 2014, it was a monumental win, as it was the first year with a playoff format in college football. With their win this year in the new 12-team playoffs, the Buckeyes are likely hoping the playoff format will change more often so that they can secure more national championships.
