The Ohio State Buckeyes are your 2024-25 College Football Playoff National Champions!
Regular-season losses to the Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines caused many to write head coach Ryan Day’s squad off entering the CFP. All they did was run the gauntlet, winning all four contests by a touchdown or more.
The Ohio State Buckeyes Are National Champions
Ohio State defeated Notre Dame 31-23 to secure their first national title since 2014, when the Urban Meyer-led Buckeyes knocked off Oregon 42-20 in the CFP’s debut.
QB Will Howard and WR Emeka Egbuka set records vs. the Irish, while RB Quinshon Judkins (10-99-2 rushing line) and freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith (5-88-1 receiving line) highlighted the offense’s dominance.
The defense also did its job, holding Notre Dame to 5 of 12 on third down and just 2.0 yards per rush — it averaged 5.9 entering the contest, a top-five figure in the country.
Of course, it wasn’t without some drama, as Riley Leonard and Co. outscored the Buckeyes 18-10 in the second half after digging a 21-7 hole in the first. Nevertheless, Howard and Smith called game, connecting on a 56-yard bomb with just over two minutes left in the final frame.
JEREMIAH SMITH DOWN THERE SOMEWHERE
pic.twitter.com/GVtQqoDKdz— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 21, 2025
Ohio State capped off its final offensive drive with a 33-yard field goal, which is notable for one reason: it closed as 8.5-point favorites.
The betting market is still bullish on the Buckeyes, with DraftKings Sportsbook listing them as the favorite to win the 2025-26 CFP National Championship this time next year (+450).
MORE: When Was the Last Time Ohio State Won the National Championship?
They already made history by dominating the first 12-team College Football Playoff, but after celebrating Day’s much-deserved first national title, they’ll turn their attention toward joining the Georgia Bulldogs (2021, 2022) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (2011, 2012) as the only programs to win back-to-back championships in the 2000s.
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