Ohio State Wins 2025 National Championship, Sixth in Team History

Devin Pietro-Starting Line Sports

The 2025 College Football National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame lived up to every ounce of the hype, delivering a thrilling, hard-fought battle that had fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle. In the end, Ohio State emerged as the national champion, but not before Notre Dame made them work for it in one of the most exciting title games in recent memory.

From the start, it was Notre Dame that took Ohio State to task. The Fighting Irish methodically marched down the field for their first touchdown of the game. The running game of senior Riley Leonard and Jeremiyah Love led the way. “I think the best thing we did on that drive was stay on the chains. That first drive we just came out and played Notre Dame football…everything was just clicking.”

However, Ohio State came right back with a touchdown on their own. That started a route in the first half. Notre Dame’s offense was bottled up, while Ohio State kept marching down the field for scores. The game was 21-7 by halftime, and Ohio State scored ten points to take a dominating 31-7 lead.

Will Howard was dominant early on, completing his first 13 passes. “Coming into this season, something that coach Day and Billy really emphasized to me was completions. Get completions, take completions. There were a couple of times where I had to check it down, and maybe it wasn’t perfectly how it wasn’t drawn up, and sometimes you have to get it with your legs, but I gotta give credit to my offensive line.”

Then, Notre Dame’s defense, led by Xavier Watts, stifled Ohio State’s high-powered offense in the second half. The Buckeyes struggled to get into a rhythm, with quarterback Will Howard feeling pressure on nearly every drop back.

Meahwhile, Riley Leonard finally got his mojo back, completing a 34-yard dime to Jaden Greathouse for a touchdown to make it 31-15. Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka fumbled, and Notre Dame’s Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa recovered the fumble. Notre Dame had a great chance to make it one score, but on a fourth-down, coach Marcus Freeman decided to kick a field goal. Unfortunately, kicker Mitch Jeter, who had only one miss the entire 2024 postseason, shanked it.

Marcus Freeman explained the rational of not going for it on fourth down instead. “I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better probability of getting 14 points than you do 16 points,” Freeman said.

Luckily, Ohio State couldn’t get anything going on offense and punted back to Notre Dame, and Riley Leonard threw another gorgeous 30-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Greathouse. The Fighting Irish got the two point conversion, and now they were within just one score, 31-23.

That was when the game breaker happened. Super-talented freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith hadn’t been a massive factor in the game, but on 3rd and 11 from Ohio State’s 34, he caught a 56-yard pass from Howard with 2:38 left in the fourth to get the Buckeyes in field goal range. Kicker Jayden Feeling nailed the dagger field goal to reach the final score of 34-23.

Will Howard had a gunslinger mindset on that throw to Smith: “They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said.

Ohio State had won the game 34-23, capturing their first national title in years. The stadium erupted in celebration as the Buckeyes rushed the field. For Ohio State, it was the culmination of a season filled with highs and lows, but ultimately one that ended with the ultimate prize.

“This team never quit,” said Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. “We were tested, but we found a way. That’s what champions do.”

For Notre Dame, the loss was a tough pill to swallow, especially after such a strong performance. “I’m proud of how our guys fought,” said Marcus Freeman, head coach of the Irish. “They played with heart, and we gave it everything we had. Ohio State is a great team, and they earned that win.”

As confetti fell and the Buckeyes hoisted the championship trophy, the 2025 National Championship will be remembered as one of the most dramatic and well-played games in recent memory. For Ohio State, it marked the end of a long wait for another title, while Notre Dame will be left to regroup and look ahead to next season.

This win comes with some records broken too. This Ohio State team surpassed the 2022 Georgia Bulldogs for the highest point differential in a playoff run, and the Buckeyes became just the third two-loss team in history to win the national championship.

In the end, both teams proved they belonged on the biggest stage, but it was Ohio State who emerged victorious, their resilience and composure in the final moments ultimately sealing their place in college football history.