If you were looking for a blowout, you almost got one. Then, suddenly, you didn't. The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship was a wild ride that felt like three different games shoved into one four-quarter window. On January 20, 2025, the Ohio State Buckeyes officially climbed back to the mountaintop, taking down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a 34-23 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
It was Ryan Day’s first title. Honestly, it felt like a decade of frustration for the Buckeyes evaporated in just under three and a half hours.
Who Won the College Football Championship 2025 and How it Went Down
The game started in the most "Notre Dame" way possible. They took the opening kickoff and just... sat on the ball. Riley Leonard orchestrated a massive 18-play drive that ate up nearly ten minutes of the first quarter. When he plunged into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown, the Buckeyes hadn't even touched the pigskin.
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Then the Buckeyes woke up.
Ohio State rattled off 31 unanswered points. Think about that. They turned a 7-0 deficit into a 31-7 lead by the middle of the third quarter. Will Howard, the Kansas State transfer who many fans were skeptical about early in the season, looked like a surgeon. He finished the night 17-of-21 for 231 yards. Not gaudy numbers, but incredibly efficient.
The Quinshon Judkins Show
While Howard was steady, Quinshon Judkins was the hammer. He scored three touchdowns. One was a 9-yard rush, one was a 6-yard catch, and the final one was a 1-yard plunge that followed a demoralizing 70-yard burst early in the second half.
The Irish defense, which had been stout all year, simply couldn't handle the Buckeyes' balance. You try to take away Jeremiah Smith—the freshman phenom who still managed 88 yards and a score—and Judkins just gashes you for 100 yards on the ground.
That Late Notre Dame Surge (The Part No One Expected)
At 31-7, half the stadium was probably looking for the exits to beat the Atlanta traffic. But Marcus Freeman’s squad didn't quit. They found something in the fourth quarter.
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- Jaden Greathouse caught two touchdowns in the final frame.
- The Irish converted two-point conversions on both scores.
- Suddenly, it was 31-23.
Notre Dame actually forced a fumble from Emeka Egbuka and had a chance to really make it weird, but their kicker missed a 27-yard field goal. That was sort of the "air out of the balloon" moment for the Irish faithful.
The Dagger
With about two minutes left, Ohio State faced a 3rd and 11. If they punt, Notre Dame gets the ball back with a chance to tie. Instead, Will Howard dropped a 56-yard rainbow right into the bread basket of Jeremiah Smith along the sideline. It was the play of the game. It led to a Jayden Fielding field goal that iced the whole thing.
Key Stats That Actually Mattered
Most people look at the final score, but the underlying numbers tell the story of why Ohio State won.
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- Third Down Efficiency: Ohio State went 9-of-12. That’s absurd. They kept the chains moving and kept Riley Leonard off the field.
- Rushing Yards: The Buckeyes outgained the Irish 214 to 53 on the ground. You aren't winning a championship in January if you can't run the ball or stop the run.
- The Punts: Ohio State punted exactly once. Total.
Why This Championship Was Different
This was the first year of the 12-team playoff. There was a lot of talk about "playoff fatigue" and whether the regular season would still matter. Ohio State proved it did. They actually lost two games in the regular season (to Oregon and Michigan), entering the playoff as the No. 8 seed.
They became the first team in history to win four playoff games to take the title. They beat Tennessee, Oregon (in a Rose Bowl revenge match), Texas, and finally Notre Dame. It was a gauntlet.
Actionable Insights for Next Season
If you're already looking ahead to the 2025-2026 season based on what we saw in this championship, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The Transfer Portal is King: Ohio State doesn't win this without Will Howard and Quinshon Judkins, both of whom came from other schools. The days of "growing your own" exclusively are over.
- Depth Wins: In a 12-team playoff, teams are playing 16 or 17 games. You saw Notre Dame start to wear down in the second quarter while the Buckeyes’ rotation kept them fresh.
- Freshman Impact: Jeremiah Smith proved that if you're good enough, you're old enough. Expect more teams to start true freshmen in high-leverage spots.
Ohio State finishes the season at 14-2, bringing their ninth national title home to Columbus. It wasn't the "perfect" season of years past, but in the new era of college football, it was exactly what a champion looks like.
If you're tracking the future of these players, keep an eye on the NFL Draft boards. Scouts were specifically raving about JT Tuimoloau's performance against the Irish offensive line, which likely solidified his spot as a top-tier pick. For Notre Dame, the loss hurts, but 14 wins is a school record they can actually build on.