The Fighting Irish advanced to the game by beating No. 6 Penn State, 27-24, in the Capital One Orange Bowl. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman had extra motivation before the semifinal, becoming " angry " after Nittany Lions coach James Franklin poked fun at the now 39-year-old coach's youth.

Here's a look back at the Ryan Day-Lou Holtz feud and why the Ohio State football coach called out the Notre Dame legend in an interview in 2023

The Ohio State Buckeyes are closing in on a national title, and only the Notre Dame Fighting Irish stand in the way. In the lead up to the National Championship

On Monday night, Ohio State took down Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the College Football Playoff National Championship. The Irish were able to take an early 7-0 lead before the Buckeyes went on a 31-0 run of their own, taking full control of the game.

Ohio State is fresh off its first national title in a decade. Head coach Ryan Day got off the hot seat and led the Buckeyes to four straight wins in the College Football Playoff, including a National Championship Game win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been on top of the college football world for the last week-plus after beating Notre Dame to win the first 12-team College Football Playoff. Head coach Ryan Day was able to shed all doubt about his ability to lead the Buckeyes to the promised land.