Ohio State hold off Notre Dame to claim first national football title in 10 years

Instead of having to contemplate another collapse, Ohio State can celebrate another national title after fending off a comeback bid over Notre Dame on Monday night to walk away with a nail-biter of a 34-23 win over the Fighting Irish.

Will Howard hit big-play receiver Jeremiah Smith for 56 yards on a late third-and-11 to end a game that first laughed and then turned into something else. Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two two-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.

The Irish stopped Ohio State on the first two plays of the next drive and used their timeouts. But on third down, Howard found Smith in single coverage on the right sideline and dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.

It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest and capped a seven-week climb from the depths of a loss to 20-point underdog Michigan to the top of college football. Ohio State will bring their first national title since the 2014 season back to the Horseshoe in Columbus.

Howard, a transfer portal success story out of Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing can beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line. The receiver, who was locked up by Texas in the semifinals and was fairly quiet for most of this game, finally broke free because of the type of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.

Ohio State scored touchdowns on their first four possessions, then added a field goal on the fifth.

When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-expanding portal, busted a 70-yard run to run up the score that tied the score 28-7, watched this game. But Notre Dame – and subsequently Smith – had something else to say.