COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 6 Ohio State (14-2) scored 31-unaswered points to pull away from No. 5 Notre Dame (14-2) to earn the program’s ninth national championship Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in the 2024 College Football Playoff. After the Irish scored on the first drive of the game, the Buckeyes scored the next 31 points on their way to the 34-23 win, the seventh-consecutive victory for the Buckeyes over the Fighting Irish. Prior to the title this year, Ohio State won the 2014 title, in the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship. Will Howard quarterbacked the Buckeyes to the win behind 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Quinshon Junkins scored twice on the ground and once through the air. He finished with 11 carries for 100 yards to go with two receptions for 21 yards. Jeremiah Smith had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Egbuka added six grabs for 64 yards. Cody Simon led the defense with eight tackles with Sonny Styles adding six stops.
First Quarter (Notre Dame 7, Ohio State 0)
Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Notre Dame chose to receive the opening kickoff. The Fighting Irish took over at its 25 after a touchback. The first play of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship game was a 1-yard loss on a Jeremiyah Love rush up the middle. Notre Dame got a first down on rushes of 8 and 4 yards to the UDN36. The Irish added another first down on a 10-yard pass play from quarterback Riley Leonard to Love to the UND46. Ohio State’s defense stopped the Irish short of a first down at the OSU45 but the Irish went for it on fourth down and earned another set of downs on a 3-yard Leonard rush up the middle to the OSU42. A Leonard pass to Eli Raridon gained 14 to the OSU28. After an incompletion, Jadarian Price rushed left for 9 yards to the OSU19. Leonard then rushed up the middle and behind a push by the Irish offensive line, gained 5 yards and a first down to the OSU14. Leonard then gained 5 more to the OSU7. After a gain of 2, Leonard earned a first down with a 4 yard gain up the middle on fourth-and-1. Leornard then got the touchdown with 1-yard rush up the middle for a 7-0 lead for the Irish with five minutes, 15 seconds left in the opening quarter. The drive covered 75 yards on 18 plays over 9:45. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard started the first drive for the Buckeyes from their 25 after a touchback. TreVeyon Henderson opened the drive with a 5-yard rush over the left side. After a Henderson rush for no gain, Howard connected with freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith for a gain of 7 and a first down to the OSU37. After a Gee Scott Jr., reception of 4 yards, Henderson rushed for 19 up the middle and then down the right side to the UND40. Running back Quinshon Judkins then went for 15 yards on a catch and run down the right side to the UND25. After Smith lost 5 on a rush, Howard connected with Emeka Egbuka for 12 yards to the Irish18. Howard then kept the ball and rushed up the middle for a first down to the UND13 to end the half.
Second Quarter (Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 7)
Judkins opened the quarter with a 5-yard gain up the middle to the Notre Dame 8. The Buckeyes then evened the game at 7-all with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Smith, who scored untouched in the left front corner of the endzone. The drive covered 75 yards on 11 plays over 6:05. Howard was 5-for-5 passing on the drive for 46 yards. Henderson carried three times for 24 yards. After another touchback delivered by Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding, the Irish started from their 25. Leonard opened with an incompletion before a false start penalty moved the Irish back to their 20. Notre Dame was then called for holding, sending Notre Dame back to its 10. After a Price gain of 2 and a Leonard pass to Mitchell Evans for 8 to the UND20, the Irish were forced to punt. James Rendell delivered a kick of 46 yards that was fair caught by Ohio State’s Caleb Downs at the OSU34. The Buckeyes were called for holding during the punt, moving the Buckeyes back to their 24 to start the drive. Egbuka gained 13 on the opening play on an end around to the right side to the OSU37. Receiver Carnell Tate then gained 15 on a catch near the right sideline at the UND48. Henderson rushed for 2 and Egbuka earned 3 yards on a catch to the UND43. Howard then scrambled for 11 yards to the Irish 32. Egbuka moved the chains another 12 yards with a reception to the Notre Dame 20. The Buckeyes called timeout with 8:20 left in the half. Judkins carried for 2 yards up the middle after the break before Howard found Egbuka for 6 yards to the UND12. Howard kept it on the next play for a gain of 3 and a first down to the Irish9. Judkins then scored on a tough 9-yard rush over the left side to give the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead. The drive covered 76 yards on 10 plays while using 6:06. Howard remained perfect through the air with nine completions on nine attempts for 82 yards. Leonard gained 5 yards after a touchback to the UND30 to open the next possession. Ohio State’s defense applied pressure to force an incompletion before a fumbled snap recovered by the Irish led to a punting situation for the Irish at their 26. Ohio State took over at their 20 after a 51-yard Rendell punt and a loss of 3 yards on the return by Ohio State’s Brandon Inniss. After a short gain of 2 by Smith on a catch and a 1-yard rush by Henderson, Howard found Inniss for 19 yards down the left sideline for a first down at the OSU42. Howard was sacked for a loss of 1 before a 4-yard gain by Henderson to the OSU45. The Buckeyes then faced third-and-7 at the two-minute timeout. Howard then delivered a strike over the middle to Tate for a first down at the UND35. Howard was sacked on the next play for a loss of 3 before a Notre Dame timeout with 1:25 left in the half. After the break Smith gained 15 on a Howard pass to the UND23. A deep pass intended for Henderson down the left side was incomplete before Hoard scrambled for a gain of 11 to the UND12. Henderson moved the ball to the Irish 6 with a rush to the right. The Buckeyes called timeout facing a second-and-4 from the Notre Dame 6 with 30 seconds left. Howard came out of the break and connected with a wide-open Judkins for a 6-yard touchdown to the middle of the endzone to give Ohio State a 21-7 lead with 27 seconds left. The drive covered 12 plays and 80 yards over 4:26. Notre Dame ran one play, a 7-yard rush before the end of the half. Howard finished the half 14-of-15 passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns. The Buckeyes generated 231 yards of offense while holding the Irish to 93.
Third Quarter (Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 15)
After an Egbuka fair catch to open the second half, Ohio State started from its 25. The Buckeyes opened with an incompletion before Judkins rushed for 70 yards up the middle to the UND5. The Buckeyes called their first timeout of the half with a first-and-goal and 14:03 on the clock. Judkins carried after the stoppage for a 1-yard gain to the UND4 before a Howard keeper up the middle to the Irish 1. Judkins then scored on a 1-yard rush up the middle for a 28-7 lead for the Buckeyes. Ohio State needed just five plays and 2:14 to cover 75 yards for the score. The touchdown for Judkins was his third of the game with two rushes and a reception for scores. Notre Dame opened with an incompletion on its next possession followed by a short gain on second down. Leonard completed a pass for 6 yards short of the first down at the UND22. The Irish attempted a fake from punt formation when backup quarterback Steve Angeli’s took a direct snap before his pass attempt to Jordan Faison fell incomplete. Ohio State took over on downs at the UND33 and opened with a 4-yard gain on a rush by Henderson up the middle. Howard kept it on the next play for a gain of 7 over the right side for a first down at the Irish22. Henderson gained 3 over the right side but an Ohio State holding penalty on the next play moved the Buckeyes back to the UND29. Henderson added a gain of 1 before an incompletion forced a fourth-and-16 at the UND28. Fielding then converted a 46-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a 31-7 lead with 7:52 left in the quarter. Fielding delivered another kickoff out of the endzone for a touchback. Leonard earned 5 yards on a keeper and then a pass for 6 yards to Kris Mitchell for a first down at the UND36. The Irish added another first down on a 10-yard completion to Beaux Collins to the UND46. After a short gain, Ohio State’s Sonny Styles sacked Leonard for a loss of 11 back to the UND37. Leonard’s next attempt toward Mitchell Evans down the left side was incomplete but the Buckeyes were called for pass interference for an automatic first down for the Irish at the OSU48. Notre Dame earned a first down on a 5-yard keeper on third down to the OSU34. Two plays later the Irish scored on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to Jaden Greathouse, who caught the pass over the middle at the OSU29 before breaking free for the score with 3:03 on the clock to make it 31-15 Buckeyes. Notre Dame converted a two-point conversion with a shovel pass to Love up the middle. The drive covered 75 yards on 10 plays over 4:49. After another Egbuka fair catch on the Irish kickoff, the Buckeyes started from their 25. Egbuka opened the drive with a 7-yard catch before a pair of 2-yard Howard keepers for a first down to the OSU36. Henderson carried for 2 yards before an incompletion. The Irish were called for roughing the passer on the play to give the Buckeyes a first down at the UND47. The quarter ended after a 2-yard Henderson gain to the UND45.
Fourth Quarter (Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 15)
Egbuka opened the half with a 24-yard catch and run to the UND21 but fumbled. The Irish recovered and took over at the Irish21. Notre Dame gained a rushing yard before an incompletion. Leonard then completed a 30-yard pass down the middle to Greathouse to the OSU48. The ball moved to the OSU38 after the Buckeyes were called for holding. The Irish lost 4 yards on a screen pass covered by Ohio State’s Cody Simon. Leonard kept it for a 2-yard gain up the middle on the next play. Leonard then completed a pass to Mitchell Evans for a 7-yard gain to the OSU33. On fourth-and-5, Leonard found Greathouse for an 11-yard gain to the OSU22. Another catch by Greathouse for 6 yards moved the ball to the OSU16. The Buckeyes were called for holding on the next play to give the Irish a first down to the OSU8. Leonard lost a yard on the next play on a keeper before the Buckeyes forced an incompletion. After another incompletion on third down, the Irish missed a 27-yard field goal attempt that hit the left upright to give the Buckeyes the ball at their 20. Judkins opened the next drive with a rush for a 1-yard gain. Howard followed with a keeper up the middle for 11 yards and a first down to the OSU32. Two more carries by Judkins for a total of 7 yards moved the Buckeyes to the OSU39. A Howard pass attempt to Smith fell incomplete. The Buckeyes then attempted their first punt of the night, a 51-yard effort by Joe McGuire that was returned by Notre Dame’s Max Hurleman 10 yards to the UND20. With 6:25 left. Completions by Collins for 12 and Evans for 4 moved the ball to the UND36. Leonard then found Evans for a 33-yard gain to the OSU31. Leonard was sacked for a loss of 2 by JT Tuimoloau back to the OSU33. After a 3-yard gain, Leonard found Greathouse for a 30-yard touchdown to the left front of the endzone to make it 31-23 after Jordan Faison converted a pass attempt to Collins for the two-point conversion. The drive covered 80 yards on six plays over 2:10. Ohio State took over at their 24 with 4:10 on the clock after a Henderson return of 6 yards on a short Irish kickoff. The Buckeyes got a first down after a 3-yard Judkins rush and an 8-yard Howard keeper over the left side to the OSU35. Howard was stopped for no gain leading to a Notre Dame timeout with 2:40 left in the game and Ohio State facing a second-and-10 from the OSU35. After the break, Howard was stopped again for a loss of 1 before another Irish timeout. The Buckeyes, on third-and-11, went deep to Smith on the next play for a 56-yard gain down the left sideline to the UND10 just before the two-minute timeout. The Buckeyes were called for a false start after the break to move the ball to the UND15. Notre Dame called its final timeout after a short Judkins gain with 1:56 left. Howard kept it for a 1-yard gain on the next play. Ohio State called timeout with 1:13 to go. Howard kept it again for a loss of 2 to the UND15 on third-and-13 before the Buckeyes called timeout with 29 seconds to play. Fielding then came on to deliver a 33-yard field goal to make it 34-23 and secure the win for the Buckeyes.
