Jack Sawyer and Ryan Day hoist the national championship trophy. (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
Buckle up, Ohio State fans. An ending like this has so much to be said about it that this may be a bit of a read, but this 2024 team is worth every word!
The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Ohio State relied on a balanced offensive attack to secure their 9th national championship with a victory over Notre Dame. Will Howard and Jeremiah Smith did what they do in the passing game, and Quinshon Judkins led the way running the football. J.T. Tuimoloau and Cody Simon led the way for the defense that, after an early punch to the gut, was lights out. They weathered a late surge by Notre Dame to secure the 34-23 win.
The pivotal moment came with nearly two minutes to play, and the Buckeyes had an eight-point lead. They faced a third and long, and Ryan Day made the call of his career and had the Buckeyes go for the win. Will Howard had Jeremiah Smith deep in one-on-one coverage. Howard put the ball where Smith could get it, and he did. A Jayden Fielding field goal then put the game away, and the Buckeyes are the 2024 National Champions. Ohio State now has a brand-new batch of legends.
Ryan Day
It’s been well talked about how this team came together before the playoff started. Particularly the players and Coach Day, but I want to mention Coach Day and his staff. They were just as fantastic as the young men they were leading. Ryan Day, Chip Kelly, and Brian Hartline came up with a great offensive plan for the playoff that focused on the Buckeyes’ strengths. Going to Jeremiah Smith, getting TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in space, and trusting Will Howard to make smart decisions. It won them a national championship.
The defensive staff did just as well. There have been rumors (and only rumors) that Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson had some differing ideas about the Buckeye defense. If they did (and I emphasize that if), then they got on the same page for this playoff run. They did it behind an elite pass rush from the defensive line, getting 53 sacks, the second most in all of college football this season.
Day’s success against Notre Dame in the championship game is impressive in a couple of statistics. The first being, the Buckeyes offense was 9 of 12 on their 3rd down conversions. They also outrushed a very good Notre Dame running attack, 214 yards to 53 yards. Ryan Day now has a 70-10 record to go along with that shiny new national championship trophy. I was a critic of Coach Day and must acknowledge that I was wrong about his coaching at Ohio State. I apologize and recognize that Ryan Day is as fantastic coach and an even better person. I’m so happy I was wrong, and so glad he’s the leader of the Ohio State Buckeyes that I love.
Jim Knowles
After Notre Dame’s first drive, I thought Jim Knowles was going to hate the city of Atlanta forever. Some have suggested that seeing everything Notre Dame had to throw at him on that first drive was part of his plan. Whether he was seeing what they had or not, after that one, Jim Knowles called a great game defensively. Even when Notre Dame started a comeback and got within eight points, Knowles kept calling good defensive plays. Penalties and missed tackles helped the Irish as well Notre Dame also being a darn good team.
His defense only really had one rough game, and it was a game that was only lost by one point. And to his credit, Knowles didn’t let that kind of game happen again for the rest of the year. The finale was an exclamation point. Notre Dame had the 10th-best offense in the nation, averaging 36.1 points per game. Knowles’ held them to two touchdowns beneath their average in the most important game of the year.
Jim Knowles’ defense would end the season 1st in the nation in yards and points allowed. They allowed only 254.6 yards per game and only 12.9 points per game. The defense was equally good defending against the run and the pass. They had the 3rd best run defense, allowing only 87.6 yards per game. They allowed only 13 rushing touchdowns and forced 19 fumbles. Their pass defense was also 3rd in the nation, allowing only 167 yards per game. They only gave up 10 passing touchdowns in 16 games and had 10 interceptions. A defense that will be remembered as one of the all-time greats.
Will Howard
Will Howard had the greatest statistical season of any Ohio State quarterback to ever win a national championship. Howard wrote his name into Buckeye record books. He is 3rd all-time in season with passing yards with 4,010 and total yards with 4,236 yards, behind only the late great Dwayne Haskins Jr. in 2019 and CJ Stroud in 2021. His 42 touchdowns (35 passing, 7 rushing) is 6th all-time behind Haskins, Stroud, Justin Fields, and J.T Barrett twice. His 35 passing touchdowns tied JT Barrett’s 2017 season for 4th, behind only Haskins, Stroud, and Fields. Finally, he was a sniper this year. He owns the team record for completion percentage in a season with 71.4%.
Howard’s season nationally was among the best, too. His 4,010 yards were good enough for 6th nationally, and his 35 touchdowns were 4th in the nation. His completion percentage was 4th highest in the country and Howard owned the top spot for quarterback rating (QBR) with 89.6. Will Howard finished the title game against Notre Dame, going 17 of 21 for 231 yards and two touchdowns, and added 16 carries for 57 yards rushing. Howard did it against the Irish’s 4th best passing defense in the nation that was giving up only 169.4 yards per game, and had allowed only 17 touchdown passes while making 14 interceptions. His College Football Playoff totals were 82 of 109 for 1150 yards and eight touchdown passes.
Will Howard’s best plays of the national championship were his 56-yard bomb to Jeremiah Smith that allowed Ohio State to ice the game. That one’s obvious, but his touchdown pass to Quinshon Judkins was just as huge. Howard had started to run but the Irish defense was collapsing on him. He couldn’t have been blamed if he just slid to protect himself and fight for another play. But Howard kept his eyes downfield and found Judkins open in the endzone for a crucial touchdown to make the score 21-7 at the half. Just a phenomenal year, postseason, and game for Buckeye legend Will Howard.
Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson
The tandem of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson may be the best Ohio State has had since Pete Johnson and Archie Griffin. These two were the perfect running tandem all year, and they did it in a historically long season (16 games) and against elite competition (six games against top 5 teams). Together, they had 338 carries (Judkins 194, Henderson 144) for 2,076 rushing yards (Judkins 1,060, Henderson 1,016), 445 receiving yards (Judkins 161, Henderson 284), and 27 total touchdowns (Judkins 16, Henderson 11).
They saved their best for the College Football Playoff, too. Judkins had 11 carries for 100 yards, two catches for 21 yards, and three total touchdowns in the championship victory over Notre Dame. Judkins scored 7 of his 16 touchdowns in the four playoff games. In the postseason, he had 47 carries for 255 yards, 7 catches for 52 yards, and seven total touchdowns.
Henderson was terrific in the playoff run as well. He had 36 carries for 265 yards, 8 catches for 149 yards, and five total touchdowns. #32 also put his name in the Buckeye record books during his four years in Ohio. Henderson finishes with 3,761 rushing yards, good enough for 5th all-time behind Archie Griffin, J.K. Dobbins, Ezekiel Elliott, and Eddie George. He’s also 5th in rushing touchdowns with 42 behind Pete Johnson, Keith Byars, Eddie Georgie, Ezekiel Elliott/and J.T. Barrett. And just as impressive, he never fumbled the ball in four years.
Jeremiah Smith
The ferocious freshman was poetry in motion all year and continued to be in the national championship. Ryan Day went back to the misdirection and counter they used to beat Oregon, and it worked to perfection, especially on Smith’s touchdown catch. He had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown, including the big 56-yarder that helped put the title game away. In the Buckeyes playoff games, he had 19 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns.
Smith’s complete season was fantastic. He had 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 16 total touchdowns. He, too, put his name in the record books. His 15 touchdown catches were the second most all-time in a season by a Buckeye, second only to Terry Glenn’s 17 in 1995. He had as many touchdown catches as Heisman winner Travis Hunter but on 20 fewer catches (Smith had 76, Hunter had 96), and nation leader Nick Nash, who had 16 touchdowns, had 28 more catches than Smith.
Smith’s 1,315 yards were 4th nationally and 4th all-time in Buckeye history (behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba, David Boston, and Terry Glenn). His 76 catches were 6th all-time in Buckeye history. I can’t wait to see what this guy does in his sophomore year this Fall.
Emeka Egbuka
Jeremiah Smith wasn’t the only elite receiver playing for the Buckeyes this year. Egbuka set the program record for career receptions with 205, surpassing K.J. Hill’s previous record of 201. His 2,868 career yards are 2nd all-time only 30 yards behind legend Michael Jenkins. His 81 catches this season are good enough for 4th behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Parris Campbell, and David Boston. He finishes 7th in career touchdown receptions with 24. He had 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior season.
JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer
These two have been shoulder-to-shoulder their whole careers, but especially during this College Football Playoff run. This season, they had 120 tackles (Tuimoloau 61, Sawyer 59), 31.5 tackles for a loss (Tuimoloau 21.5, Sawyer 9), 21.5 sacks (Tuimoloau 12.5, Sawyer 9), and forced six turnovers (Tuimoloau 2, Sawyer 4). They had saved their best for the College Football Playoff, too. They had 36 tackles (Tuimoloau 23, Sawyer 13), 11 sacks (Tuimoloau 6.5, Sawyer 4.5), 14.5 tackles for a loss (Tuimoloau 10, Sawyer 4.5), and seven pass deflections (Tuimoloau 1, Sawyer 6).
Jack Sawyer provided all-time highlights and moments with his strip sack that he returned 83 yards through the heart of Texas for a touchdown. JT Tuimoloau put his name in Ohio State record books. His 23.5 sacks in his career are 6th in Buckeye history behind Mike Vrabel, Chase Young, Jason Simmons, Joey Bosa, and Matt Finkes. His 12.5 sacks this season were 5th nationally and 5th in Ohio State history behind Chase Young, Vernon Gholston, Joey Bosa, and Mike Vrabel.
Cody Simon
The Buckeyes’ tackling machine and Block O wearer had a fantastic season, too. Cody Simon had eight tackles, including one for a loss against Notre Dame. Simon had 48 tackles, four sacks, eight tackles for a loss, and four pass deflections. On the season for Ohio State he had 112 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, seven pass deflections, a fumble forced. He was another senior who etched his name in stone and raised the standard for the #0 at Ohio State.
A Fantastic Team
I could go on and on with this team. Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs were tackling machines. Denzel Burke had maybe the biggest bounceback of any Buckeye I’ve ever seen. Jayden Fielding overcame going one of four in November and December to go four for four in January in crucial moments and currently is making 78.4% of his kicks. The offensive line had been beaten up, lost two all-Americans, and was led by Donovan Jackson to give up only 17 sacks all season, putting them in the top 25 at protecting their quarterback.
There are countless stories to this storied team. But the best story is just that: the team. It’s a team that defied critics, both outside and inside (Yours truly, and I’ve repented) of the Buckeye faithful. It’s a team that refused to quit. A team that refused to stay down. That rallied around each other. That, led by an embattled head coach, achieved redemption. A team that changed their program this season. This team taught their fans a lot. A lot about faith, family, brotherhood, resilience, and being better today than you were yesterday. That is their main legacy. It’s just etched in stone with that golden national championship trophy.
