On January 20th, at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia, Ohio State overtook Notre Dame to win the National Championship–their first time doing so  in eleven years. 

In the first quarter, Notre Dame was leading by 7 points, and Ohio State had zero. Their top players were Will Howard and Jack Sawyer. Howard threw for 231 yards, and Sawyer got three tackles calling the game “The best feeling I’ve ever felt.”

Ohio State made a comeback on the second quarter and at halftime led by 14 points with a the score of 21-7. Quinshon Judkins scored three touchdowns in one quarter.

In the third quarter, OSU added 10 more points to the scoreboard compared to  Notre Dame’s 8 giving the Buckeyes a heavy lead of 31-15. The coach for Notre Dame reflected during an interview on what he messed up in the game.  “Irish coach Marcus Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-15 lead, the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.”

Ohio State scored just 3 points in the fourth quarter, but its early touchdowns were enough to clinch the victory after a three-hour game that ended in  with a final score was 34-23. Ohio State had not won a title since 2014, and fans were elated over its first National Championship in eleven years.   

Tickets ranged from $1,000-2,000 dollars to attend the game.  Still, the stadium was filled with almost 78,000 spectators. And on their home televisions, more than 22 million people tuned into the game, according to ESPN.

Back in Columbus, Ohio State held a free celebration at Ohio Stadium. According to Ohio State News, the events was attended by more than 30,000 people and “included the unveiling of a new street sign, Champions Way, to be placed outside the stadium.”

An Ohio State fan reflected on the season and noted that they did not think the team would make it to the national championship. He found Jace Middleton and Jack Sawyer to be the players who had the most impact on the team.  “My favorite part of the game was the 2nd quarter,” he said. 

 A different fan noted that he was hopeful from the beginning of the season. “I thought they had a shot since they returned so many starters from last season.” And that optimism was also felt the day of the game. “They had been playing so consistently at a high level,” he said.  He felt Jack Sawyer, Will Howard, and Trey Henderson were the standouts from the season. He noted what he felt was the best part of the game: “the scoop and score came at a time when they had lost momentum and Texas was going in to score, so it was an enormous play from a timing standpoint.”

Ohio State fans enjoyed this victory as the team’s legacy continues with their 9th national title.