The Ohio State Buckeyes last won a college football national championship in Urban Meyer’s third season in Columbus in 2014. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish last raised the national championship trophy in triumph under Lou Holtz in 1988.
On Monday, January 20, the Buckeyes and Irish will battle against each other for the national title. However, when playing Ohio State, history has been unkind to Notre Dame.
The Buckeyes have a 6-2-0 record against the Irish, having won six consecutive meetings dating back to the mid-90s.
1995: Eddie George runs wild
The No. 7 Buckeyes, led by running by Eddie George, beat the Irish by three touchdowns 45-26. George ran for 207 yards and 3 TDs and went and rushed for over 1.900 yards and 25 scores on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy.
In addition, quarterback Bobby Hoying threw for 272 yards and 4 touchdowns, one of those to Terry Glenn on 4 catches for 128 yards.
The Buckeyes’ defense was not to be outdone. They forced three turnovers and three defenders, including Luke Fickell (head coach at Wisconsin) racked up double-digit tackles.
1996: Lou Holtz’s swan song
In a battle of Top 5 teams, Notre Dame came out on the losing end to the Buckeyes once again in the final season of the Lou Holtz tenure in South Bend.
The Buckeyes held the Fighting Irish to 280 yards of total offense and the Buckeyes Pepe Pearson rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns as Ohio State posted a 29-16 victory.
2006: Another top 5 battle
In a 34-20 Fiesta Bowl win, the Buckeyes racked up 617 yards of total offense, forced three Notre Dame turnovers and held the Irish to just 62 net yards rushing.
It was Notre Dame’s first season under head coach Charlie Weiss.
Notre Dame signal-caller Brady Quinn passed for 286 yards but zero TDs. Fighting Irish running back Darius Walker scored three rushing touchdowns.
The Buckeyes were led by the following stellar performances:
- QB Troy Smith, 342 yards passing, 2 TDs
- · RB Antonio Pittman, 136 yards, 1 TD
- · WR/KR Ted Ginn, Jr., 8 rec., 167 yards, 1 TD, 1 rush TD
- · WR Santonio Holmes, 5 rec, 124 yards, 1 TD
2016: The Irish could not stop Zeke the “Freak”
The Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish made a return trip to the Valley of the Sun and the Fiesta Bowl in a showdown of Top 10 teams. But Notre Dame had no answer on how to stop Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot, who torched the Irish for 149 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 44-28 win.
2022: Notre Dame falters down the stretch
Ohio State hosted Notre Dame at “The Shoe” to kick off the 2022 season. The Fighting Irish took an early 10-7 lead at halftime, but the Buckeyes came roaring back to secure a 21-10 victory while holding Notre Dame scoreless in the second half.
Buckeyes’ quarterback C.J. Stroud threw 2 touchdown passes in the season-opening win.
2023: A top ten battle too close for comfort
The No. 6 Buckeyes took a paper-thin 3-0 lead over the Irish into halftime. That 3-point lead proved to be the difference in the game. Down 14-10 late in the fourth quarter, Ohio State running back Deamonte Trayanum scored from 1 yard out to give the Buckeyes a hard-fought 17-14 victory.
When Ohio State and Notre Dame kickoff in Atlanta on Monday night, the Buckeyes will be favored to beat the Fighting Irish once again and win their first national championship in a decade.