Ohio State football coach Ryan Day, surrounded by football players, looks proudly upward. He appears a little tearful but is smiling. Everyone in the photo taken after they won their final game of the playoffs wears a National Champs baseball cap. Ohio State football coach Ryan Day, surrounded by football players, looks proudly upward. He appears a little tearful but is smiling. Everyone in the photo taken after they won their final game of the playoffs wears a National Champs baseball cap.
Spirit & Sports

True believers

Relive with us how the 2024–25 college football national champions turned around a season over four nights of grit, glory and resilience

By Chris DeVille

March 25, 2025

They were left for dead.

Boasting a formidable roster even by Ohio State standards, the Buckeyes brought a “natty or bust” mentality into the 2024 college football season. On paper, this team full of future NFL draft picks seemed like Head Coach Ryan Day’s best shot at a national championship after coming up short in three previous trips to the College Football Playoff. Expectations were higher than ever.

But following an uneven 10-2 campaign that ended with an unthinkable home loss to heavy underdog Michigan, few believed Ohio State would put up a fight in the postseason. They seemed shell-shocked after a fourth straight defeat to That Team Up North, a result that had many fans and media personalities calling for Day to be fired, though university leaders remained steadfastly in his corner. It was a dark time for the team—even darker for Day and his family, who bore the brunt of the criticism.

And then, in resounding fashion, the Buckeyes brought their national title dreams back to life. Despite the disappointing finish to the regular season, Ohio State qualified for the newly expanded CFP based on the strength of its resume. The team spent a few weeks recharging, refocusing and retooling. Then, over the course of a month, they ran roughshod over four straight top 10 opponents, a historic display of dominance.

The glory once again belonged to the Buckeyes. A decade after Urban Meyer’s 2014 team won the first four-team CFP, Day’s 2024 squad had triumphed in the inaugural 12-team playoff. He and his players were vindicated. Living up to the coach’s season-long mantra, this team that was left for dead instead had left no doubt. 

 

 

FIRST ROUND
OHIO STATE 42
TENNESSEE 17
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Ohio Stadium

One silver lining to tumbling down the CFP rankings and missing out on a first-round bye: As the eighth seed in the bracket, Ohio State got to begin its playoff run by hosting a home game at Ohio Stadium. Ninth-seeded Tennessee brought an abundance of fans to the ’Shoe, but they didn’t have much to cheer for.

After the Buckeyes rocketed to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, the Volunteers pulled the deficit to 21-10 by halftime. Then Ohio State spent the second half extending its lead. Quarterback Will Howard ’24 MSpC and freshman phenom receiver Jeremiah Smith connected on a 22-yard touchdown. Quinshon Judkins took a goal-line carry to pay dirt, while his backfield partner, TreVeyon Henderson ’24, scampered for a 24-yard score.

All those highlights added up to a commanding performance that suggested the Michigan loss, rather than assuring Ohio State’s demise, had sparked a revival within the Buckeye locker room. They were on to Pasadena.

The temperature was 25 degrees at game time, but the Horseshoe heated up with scarlet and gray energy. “Credit to Buckeye Nation for showing up and being loud,” quarterback Will Howard said.

A photo taken from the field inside Ohio Stadium on a dark night shows the stands full of red-clad people who appear as dots and people running on the field with giants flags that spell out OHIO. Fireworks shoot into the black sky.

At halftime, TBDBITL performed “Pirates of the ’Shoe,” complete with sword fights and sea shanties. But member Zarek Ahmed ’21, a senior studying nursing, didn’t always need his tenor drums to crank up the sweet sound of support for the Buckeyes.

A young white man wearing a band uniform cups his hands around his mouth as he shouts. Dozens of band members and Brutus Buckeye can be seen behind him

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith catches his second touchdown pass of the game, stretching Ohio State’s lead to 28-10 midway through the third quarter. The 6-foot-3 true freshman ended the game with six receptions for 103 yards, and he ended the season with an impressive list of awards. They included being named the Big Ten’s Wide Receiver of the Year and Freshman of the Year. 

When the Florida native was recruited to Ohio State, he was a five-star prospect and the No. 1 recruit in the country. His star performance this season proved the hype right.

A young Black man wearing a football uniform looks back over his shoulder as he runs forward. His hands are cupped and ready to catch teh football and his helmet is coated in Buckeye stickers, which were each awarded for a fabulous play in a game this season
A young white man wearing hsi uniform but no helmet stands in the middle of a huddle of fellow players emotionally saying something. His eyebrows are furrowed and his short hair and beard are neatly trimmed

Senior defensive end Jack Sawyer ’24 fires up teammates before the 8 p.m. kickoff. “You could tell from the jump, they had a look in their eye. They weren’t going to lose this game,” Coach Ryan Day said.

An Ohio State running back carries the football as five members of the other team give chase. The Buckeye is a young Black man with muscular arms and the type of powerful stride that appears effortless

TreVeyon Henderson ’24 leaves the Volunteers chasing in vain on his second touchdown run. The senior running back ran for 80 yards on 10 carries and caught four passes for 54 yards. Sawyer and Henderson both earned their bachelor’s degrees six days before this game, having majored in Education: Sport Industry.

Two uniformed football players, one white, one black, both attractive young men, clench a rose each between their teeth and flash finger peace signs for the photographer

Everything came up roses as Howard, left, and tight end Gee Scott Jr. ’23 celebrate the win that set up a trip to the Rose Bowl. This was Scott’s fifth year with the team; he is working on his second degree, in communications.

“We’re going to celebrate this for about 24 hours, and it’s on to Oregon.”

Coach Day

 

 

QUARTERFINAL | THE ROSE BOWL
OHIO STATE 41
OREGON 21
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California

At the Rose Bowl, Ohio State proved their emphatic victory over Tennessee was no fluke.

The only team besides Michigan to defeat Ohio State in the regular season was Oregon, who eked out a 32-31 win over the Buckeyes at home in Eugene. The Ducks entered the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten champs, the CFP’s No. 1 seed and the only undefeated team in major college football. They left in shambles.

Ohio State got off to another flying start and, throughout most of the game, held Oregon’s Heisman-finalist quarterback Dillon Gabriel in check. Defensive ends Jack Sawyer ’24 and senior JT Tuimoloau and senior linebacker Cody Simon ’23 each logged two sacks apiece. Gabriel led Oregon to touchdowns on either side of halftime to cut the score to 34-15, but late in the third quarter, Henderson put the game away with an 8-yard TD on a pitch to the left. After two straight blowouts, the Buckeyes were once again poised to win it all.

It was no surprise that Brutus Buckeye looked right at home at the Rose Bowl, where Ohio State was making its 17th appearance in the “Granddaddy of Them All” bowl game and improved its record there to 10-7.

Ohio State's Brutus Buckeye mascot points at the camera from the football field on a bright, blue-skies kind of day. Fans fill the stands behind him.

Junior safety Caleb Downs, strolling in the team locker room before the game’s opening kickoff, was the 39th player in Ohio State history to be unanimously named All-American by five voting organizations.

Inside a nice locker room, a Buckeye player, a young Black man wearing headphones that cover his ears and a warm-weather version of the the team's uniform, strides toward the camera but looks off to the side. He seems very focused on getting focused.

Senior captain Cody Simon—who has a degree in finance and is working on his second from Ohio State—was named defensive MVP for his game-high 11 tackles, including three for losses and two sacks. Here he finishes one of the team’s eight sacks of quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

A Buckeye football player tackles the quarterback of the other team from behind.
A Buckeye football player, a young Black man with braids peaking out from his helmet, points toward the field right after he runs across the goal line to score a touchdown. The opposing player also slowing down behind him, looks dejected.
After the bowl game, a young Black player stands amid the crowd of players, media and other on the field and tips his baseball cap down to show the words: 2025 ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS. The bill of the cap covers all of his face except his lips.

Offensive lineman Tegra Tshabola, a junior studying communication, savors the moment of triumph on the Rose Bowl field after the Buckeyes gained revenge for their regular-season loss. The 20-point win was Ohio State’s largest margin of victory ever over a No. 1 team.

 

 

SEMIFINAL | THE COTTON BOWL
OHIO STATE 28
TEXAS 14
Friday, January 10, 2025
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Next up was Texas in the Cotton Bowl, played in the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium—essentially a home game for the Austin-based Longhorns. Adding to the intrigue, former Buckeye quarterback Quinn Ewers, who transferred after his freshman year, was starting for Texas.

The semifinal was much more tightly contested than Ohio State’s previous two games. The Longhorns limited Smith to just one catch for 3 yards, and the score remained close until the end. But the Buckeyes manifested big plays when it mattered.

The deciding one will live on in Buckeye lore forever. On fourth and goal, Sawyer knocked the ball loose from his former roommate Ewers, picked up the fumble and returned it 83 yards to the end zone as an ecstatic Day raced down the sideline cheering him on. If the game wasn’t over in that electric moment, it certainly was when junior safety Caleb Downs, a prized transfer from Alabama, intercepted Ewers to seal the victory. The Buckeyes were one win away.

Brutus Buckeye's face is the only one that can be seen as he stands in a huddle of the football team. Everyone else is wearing their helmet and looking down. There are at least 30 players surrounding him

Ready, ready! In every warmup, players, coaches and Brutus huddle in the end zone for Quick Cals, a game day tradition led by strength coach Mickey Marotti ’88 MA to energize players and fans.

A young black man wearing his football helmet happily calls to the photographer. The photo is a close-up of his face, though his eyes can't be seen well because of lights reflecting in the protective see-through screen covering the top half of his face.
A Buckeye player runs with the football tucked into his right elbow. Three Texas players trail him, and they're not close as they chase him. The Buckeye is a black man with black tape under his eyes and his mouth guard hanging by a short strap from his helmet. He's focused on the end zone.
A pair of Buckeyes are on the field with their helmets on during a pause in play. The one closer to the camera can be seen better. He is a black man with shoulder length braids that are extra fun. The ones closer to the camera are blond, while those on his other side are black.
A white football player is red in the face as he runs for all he's worth up the football field. He's a defenseman who picked up the football and will score on this run. One of Texas' offensive players chases and another Buckeye player is running behind him.
After scoring in the photo shown above, the same football player carries his coach, who jumped into his arms in delight. They hug. The player is a muscular 6'4''; the coach is an average-size man who stands 5'10''.

As the game concludes, Day leaps into the arms of Sawyer, a Central Ohio native and the first commitment of the 2021 recruiting class. “He just became a legend at Ohio State,” Day said.

Quarterback Will Howard grins as he pulls over his head a blinged-out necklace with a giant "Top 10" charm that sparkles. He has has on his dirty uniform from the game but has put on a ballcap that says cotton bowl champs 2025

Howard wears a Top-10 chain awarded by ESPN “SportsCenter” after passing for 289 yards and a touchdown to earn the game’s offensive MVP honors.

 

 

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
OHIO STATE 28
NOTRE DAME 14
Monday, January 20, 2025
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Ohio State’s redemption arc concluded in Atlanta with a battle against Notre Dame. The Irish had a dream start, devouring the first 10 minutes of clock on a touchdown drive that saw quarterback Riley Leonard rush the ball nine times, then vomit from exhaustion. That strategy proved unsustainable.

The Buckeyes roared ahead to a 24-point lead, powered by three Judkins touchdowns, but the Irish narrowed the margin to 31-23 with four minutes left. Would the Buckeyes fold? Decisively, no. On third and 11, Howard launched the ball to Smith, who brought down a thrilling 57-yard completion to seal the win.

Soon came a Gatorade bath for Day and the lifting of a trophy that once seemed out of reach. “Now the stories of these guys will be told,” Day said, “because they’ve cemented themselves in Ohio State history.” Their coach, too, had secured his place among the legends. Together, they’d delivered one of the greatest Buckeye seasons ever, as time and change will surely show.

Taken from below as 2 football players launch into the air, this photo shows two young black men who seem to be casually flying around in midair. The sky above them is black, interrupted only by stadium lights

“Being a Columbus kid, having the opportunity to bring a championship back to Columbus is super special,” said senior linebacker Sonny Styles, left. He’s celebrating with senior defensive end JT Tuimoloau.

A whole bunch of Ohio State players tackle a Notre Dame player

Simon, preseason recipient of the program’s coveted Block “O” jersey, leads a swarm of Buckeyes on defense. He was named defensive player of the game because of his team-high eight tackles.

A sprinting Ohio State player looks back over his shoulder, preparing to catch a football thrown so far and so high, it's not even seen in the photo. The Buckeye is a young black man, his trailing opponent seems at least 10 yards behind him. On the sidelines behind them, the Ohio State team watches with anticipation, wide open mouths or dawning smiles

This about-to-happen, victory-sealing reception by Smith was one of his five, totaling 88 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame. “He’s the dude, man,” Howard said of the “go-to” receiver, just 19 years old.

University President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. celebrates with Day, who 18 days later received a new seven-year contract, lasting through the 2031 season. His 70-10 career record is the highest winning percentage (.875) of any active coach.

On a busy field after the game, football coach Ryan Day hugs the university's president, who can only be seen from behind. He wears a varsity athletics-style coat that says The Ohio State University.

Scott, left, hugs Emeka Egbuka ’23, a team leader and talented wide receiver working on his second degree. Egbuka returned for the season even though he could have been a first round draft pick in 2024. He now holds Ohio State records for most receiving yards and receptions.

Two young Black men get ready to hug after their win. Both have long hair--the one whose back is to the camera has a bounty of braids halfway down his back pulled into a low ponytail. The player facing the camera looks overcome with emotion.

No program had ever posted wins over five different Top 5 opponents in a season—until now. “It can be argued that this was the best run in the history of college football,” Day said. Smith, holding The Columbus Dispatch, would agree.

A young player holds up a traditional newspaper page that says Champs. He also wears a champs t-shirt over his football uniform, but his facial expression is mostly shadowed by his ballcap.
Ryan Day, coaches and players crowd together as they jointly hoist the golden championship trophy. They all wear champion-declaring ballcaps and have gigantic grins in this photo taken from overhead.
Portrait of author Chris DeVille
Author
Chris DeVille

Chris DeVille is a Worthington-based writer and the managing editor of Stereogum. He enjoys running, studying the Bible, managing too many fantasy football teams, and hanging out with his wife and three kids.

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