Ohio State Buckeyes Win National Championship, Defeat Notre Dame 34-23

The Ohio State Buckeyes secured their ninth national title and first since 2014, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the college football national championship game.

The Ohio State University Buckeyes secured their ninth national title and first since 2014 by defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the US college football national championship game held in Atlanta, Georgia. The Buckeyes dominated early, then withstood a late surge by Notre Dame to emerge victorious.

Ohio State's road to the championship was far from certain, particularly after their loss to arch-rivals Michigan in November. As a result, they were seeded eighth in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. However, the Buckeyes persevered and ultimately claimed the title.

A decade after Ohio State won the first four-team CFB Playoff, the Buckeyes win the first 12-team CFB Playoff 🏆 🏆 pic.twitter.com/m9AJeKFuBO

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 21, 2025

The game began with Notre Dame marching 75 yards to score a touchdown on their opening drive. However, Ohio State quickly responded, with quarterback Will Howard connecting with Jeremiah Smith on an eight-yard touchdown pass to level the score at 7-7. The Buckeyes then seized control, building a 31-7 lead thanks to three touchdowns from Quinshon Judkins and a 46-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding.

Notre Dame injected a dose of tension into the game with two crucial touchdowns. Quarterback Riley Leonard connected with Jaden Greathouse on scoring passes of 34 and 30 yards, respectively. Both touchdowns were followed by successful two-point conversions, which pulled Notre Dame within 31-23 with 4:15 remaining in the game.

Nope. Wasn’t a dream. WOKE UP NATTY CHAMPS🏆 pic.twitter.com/4xv07KjhJ8

— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) January 21, 2025

However, the Buckeyes responded promptly to Notre Dame's surge. Quarterback Howard found wide receiver Smith with a 56-yard pass down the right sideline, extending a drive that ultimately sealed the win. The drive concluded with a 33-yard field goal from Fielding, which put the game out of reach with just 26 seconds left. Howard finished the game with an impressive 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards.