Don’t look now, but we may get to see Ryan Day and Lou Holtz renew their rivalry in this year’s national championship game.
On Wednesday night, Ohio State took care of business against Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Will Howard had a surgical performance for the Buckeyes, completing 17-of-26 pass attempts for 319 yards with three touchdowns. Freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith torched the Ducks’ secondary, hauling in seven passes for 187 yards and two scores.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, has a 20-3 lead over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. There’s still a lot of time left in that game, but Marcus Freeman’s squad seems well on its way to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
So, why is their a rivalry between Day and Holtz? Back in 2023, Holtz questioned Ohio State’s physicality against elite opponents. That comment didn’t sit well with the head coach of the Buckeyes. After leading his program to a 17-14 win over Notre Dame that season, Day called out Holtz on national TV.
“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” Day told NBC. “What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world, and it’ll continue to be Ohio against the world.”
While nothing is finalized yet, theres a legitimate chance Ohio State and Notre Dame will square off in the national title game on Jan. 20. If that happens, the college football world will be amped up to hear what Day has to say about Holtz.
“Beginning to sink in that the predominant storyline of College Football Championship Game could very well be Ryan Day vs. Lou Holtz,” Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing said.
“Need Ohio state Notre dame final. Ryan day gets to put Lou holtz in the crippler crossface, or vice versa,” one person wrote on X.
“Feed me Ohio State and Ryan Day in the ship so Lou Holtz can irish jig on his grave please,” a Notre Dame fan tweeted.
Ohio State will face Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
If Notre Dame holds onto its commanding lead against Georgia, the program will have a date with Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
Related: Oregon Football Star Showed True Character After Losing Rose Bowl