Ryan Day torches Lou Holtz after Ohio State’s dramatic walk-off TD to beat Notre Dame

One play. After nearly a full rock fight (or, as Kirk Herbstreit accurately diagnosed it on ESPN’s College Gameday, a “Lunch Pail Game”), Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes had just one play remaining following an incomplete pass at the goal line.

In that situation, there’s only one call if your goal is to prove your roster’s mettle under adversity: Run it up the gut. You get stuffed? Fine. Wasn’t meant to be. You plow through the line and hit pay dirt? Instant credibility.

Luckily for Day, Ohio State’s Chip Trayanum plowed through what was actually just 10 Notre Dame defenders upon review. After an extended pause, the referees determined that Trayanum’s knee was down just after the nose of the football tapped the goal line. It was a touchdown, and it was one hell of a silencer — to both the packed house in South Bend and Coach Lou Holtz, who questioned Day’s ability to compete under pressure earlier in the week.

Ohio State tops Notre Dame, Ryan Day rubs it in Lou Holtz’s face

Some coaches might be humble after narrowly escaping a defensive showcase with a three-point win. Not Day.

After several seasons treading water in Urban Meyer’s wake, he decided on Saturday night that he was sick of hearing about how he couldn’t win the big one. Sick of hearing about his QB’s high-profile failures, with so many elite weapons surrounding them. Sick of people telling him it wasn’t Ohio against the world.

Well, guess what, Coach Holtz? It is. It always has been.

Saturday night drama doesn’t get more magnificent than a goal-line call that changes two teams’ College Football Playoff fates in one fell swoop.

Credit to Day and his fortitude. Kyle McCord did just enough. Sam Hartman couldn’t quite. And Day got the final punch in.