Ohio State Football

The Scarlet and Gray will have just a little bit more gray on their uniforms than usual when they take the field for Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game.

Ohio State revealed its uniform for the upcoming showdown against Notre Dame on Thursday, and the white jerseys notably feature the gray sleeves that are known as "Heritage Stripes" within the program.

It is a change from the three CFP games the Buckeyes won to reach this point, as they wore all-scarlet alternates in the win over Tennessee, traditional road uniforms in the win over Oregon and traditional home uniforms in the win over Texas.

But these "Heritage Stripe" uniforms are nothing new for Ohio State when it comes to the CFP.

As Phil Hecken of Uni Watch noted, the Buckeyes have worn versions of this uniform for other CFP games, including in victories over Alabama and Oregon on the way to the national championship in January 2015.

They also wore them in a blowout victory over Clemson in the semifinals in January 2021.

If Ohio State can take care of business Monday against the Fighting Irish, it will mark yet another program-defining win in these jerseys. It would also mark the ninth national championship for the Buckeyes and the culmination of a season-long journey that started when many notable players decided to return for their senior seasons back in January 2024.

Ohio State's closest margin of victory in this playoff has been 14 points, although Notre Dame's stout defense and strong running game figure to pose quite a challenge on Monday.

But the Buckeyes surely plan on celebrating after the game. And now they know what jerseys they will be wearing if they do so.

One of the subplots of Monday's College Football Playoff national championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame is the apparent rivalry between current Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and former Fighting Irish head coach Lou Holtz.

Well, it appears as if Holtz will be in attendance in Atlanta.

He took to social media and responded to a clip of The Pat McAfee Show discussing whether he will be there and said: "If Notre Dame doesn't win, it's because we want to preserve Ryan Day's job. I was originally going to be at the game in spirit, but now I'll be dragging my body along as well."

Day turned heads last season when he called out Holtz for questioning Ohio State's toughness after the Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame:

It was a rather shocking postgame interview from Day, and his comment saying "I'd like to know where Lou Holtz is right now" became a template for plenty of online jokes and memes.

In fact, it was such a memorable development that Day was asked about Holtz leading into Monday's game. When asked whether he had reached out to the former Notre Dame coach and spoken since his postgame interview, he simply told reporters, "No."

It is in the Buckeyes' best interest if Day doesn't get distracted by the outside noise of the Holtz situation or try to prove his team's toughness once again with the play-calling just because the 88-year-old is in attendance.

His team is one win away from the national championship and redemption from what would have otherwise been a disappointing season that included a loss to rival Michigan and a failure to reach the Big Ten Championship Game.

Ohio State has looked unstoppable at times in the CFP with Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, among others, flying around and making plays in an offense that has appeared far more creative than the one that played in a phone booth for extended stretches against the Wolverines.

If the Buckeyes can avoid being dragged into a sloppy, slow-paced, physical game like that, they'll have a great chance to win their ninth national championship in program history.

And perhaps then Day can focus on Holtz again with more postgame comments.

As Ohio State gears up for Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game against Notre Dame, it will be doing so without one of its most famous players.

Per Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing, a team spokesperson confirmed to Ohio State's student newspaper, The Lantern, that walk-on redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Caden Davis is no longer an active athlete for the Buckeyes. The spokesperson didn't offer a specific reason for Davis' departure from the team.

Davis originally joined Ohio State as a preferred walk-on in 2022, so he never saw the field during his time on the roster. However, he became a social media star with more than 276,000 followers on TikTok and more than 106,000 followers on Instagram thanks to his videos giving a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be an Ohio State football player.

However, Davis faced criticism after posting a video featuring footage from the Buckeyes' trip to Texas for the CFP semifinal Cotton Bowl against the Longhorns. Fans pointed out that his video included footage from Ohio State's appearance in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 2023 season and questioned whether he was actually with the team in Texas. Buckeyes offensive lineman George Fitzpatrick even commented on a since-deleted post, "You don't play here."

It's unclear if the questionable video played a factor in Davis' departure from Ohio State, but Buckeyes fans will now have to look elsewhere if they want a behind-the-scenes look at Monday night's game against the Fighting Irish.

It's not often a true freshman is so transcendent that he has NFL draft analysts suggesting he would be the top pick at 19 years old if he was eligible, but that is the reality with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

And he is reportedly taking steps to protect the earnings that would come with such a future.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported Tuesday that Smith's family took out a permanent total disability insurance (PTD) policy ahead of the College Football Playoff. The policy protects his future earnings from a career-ending injury and was taken out through Leverage Disability and Life Insurance, which was started in 2018 by former Kansas basketball player Eric Chenowith.

Leverage Disability and Life Insurance is also the company that signed Alabama's Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. to record-setting policies worth $20 million each.

Dodd reported Smith's premiums cost $7,500-$8,000 per million of coverage. By comparison, a $20 million policy would equal $150,000 in premiums.

Smith will be eligible for the 2027 NFL draft after his junior season in 2026. The policy reportedly lasts until Aug. 1, 2027, or when he signs his first NFL contract, whichever comes first.

It also protects him from non-football injuries.

That Smith was able to land such a policy as a true freshman is a testament to his talent.

The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024, per 247Sports' composite rankings, wasted no time announcing his presence to the college football world with 71 catches for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns. Only San Jose State's Nick Nash and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter have more touchdown receptions this season.

And, unlike them, Smith has a chance to add to his numbers in Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game.

He has helped propel the Buckeyes to the sport's biggest stage with some of his best performances in the biggest moments. The freshman tallied six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee in the first round before eliminating top-seeded Oregon with seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.

To Texas' credit, it held him to just one catch for three yards in the semifinals. The Longhorns made it such a priority to prevent Smith from beating them with bracket coverage, it had the wide receiver commenting on it on social media:

Next up is Notre Dame, where Smith will have a chance to lead his team to a national championship in his first season of college football. If he does, it will further bolster his early NFL draft stock years in advance.

The NCAA reportedly has decided on the officiating crew for next Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game between Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Per Brett McMurphy of Action Network, SEC officials will work the game on Jan. 20. It will be the same crew that officiated the Fiesta Bowl between Penn State and Boise State.

There were a whopping 23 penalties called in the Fiesta Bowl, which the Nittany Lions won 31-14. Fans will certainly be hoping that the game flow won't be interrupted by constant flags in the national title matchup.

Ben Austro of FootballZebras.com pointed out that officiating crews from the ACC and Big 12 worked the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff. Also, the Buckeyes' involvement in the national championship ruled out the possibility of a Big Ten crew working the game, so that left the SEC as the only Power conference available to send officials to the matchup.

Ohio State made a difficult path to the national championship look easy. Ranked eighth in the CFP bracket, the Buckeyes ran through No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon and No. 5 Texas, winning every game by double digits and eclipsing the 40-point mark twice.

Notre Dame is ranked No. 7 and had a similarly tough road, defeating No. 10 Indiana, No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Penn State. The Fighting Irish used strong defensive performances to outlast their opponents, and they will need to be at their best if the hope to stifle the Buckeyes' high-powered offense.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day addressed the limited involvement of star freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in the Buckeyes' 28-14 College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Texas, attributing it to "more about execution" rather than strategy.

"It's a little bit more about execution than it is anything else," Day told reporters via Zoom, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson. "We weren't able to sustain a few of those drives and connect on a couple other plays. [Smith is] obviously a huge part of our offense, so there's different ways that teams will adjust based on what he's done and what he's capable of. We'll identify what those are in this game and then go from there."

Smith, who had been a dominant force in Ohio State's first two playoff games, was limited to just one catch for three yards against Texas. This performance was a stark contrast to his earlier outings, in which he tallied 103 yards, six receptions and two touchdowns against Tennessee and followed it with 187 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions against Oregon.

Smith's lack of involvement wasn't an isolated issue for the Buckeyes offense. "Self-inflicted wounds" and penalties were primary factors behind the unit's struggles to execute at a high level.

"There's nobody that came back on offense and was pleased with the fact that we had those penalties," Day said, per Adelson. "The issues are there. We certainly have the right and opportunity to persevere through those penalties, but certainly sets us way behind the sticks, and we cannot have that in this game. Efficiency is going to be something that we've got to do a much better job of if we're going to win it."

Ohio State committed nine penalties compared to Texas' five, an issue the Buckeyes will need to address before the National Championship game against Notre Dame.

"But to me, the story of this past game was the self-inflicted wounds that set us back and allowed us to be in the game in the fourth quarter, when we could have done a better job executing and made it a little bit of a bigger spread down the stretch. That's going to be the focus this week. We've got to play our best game against Notre Dame."

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith wasn't much of a factor in Friday's 28-14 win over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal partly because of how much attention he commanded from the defense.

Smith shared his reaction on social media to a still image showing the Longhorns with three players bracketing him in coverage.

There was a lot of discussion during the game about why Smith wasn't being targeted more frequently. He finished with a season-low one catch for three yards after racking up 290 yards and four touchdowns in the first two playoff games.

The simplest answer is the obvious one, as evidenced by the photo. Texas' coaching staff saw what Smith did to Tennessee and Oregon, then enacted a game plan to ensure he wouldn't be the one to beat them.

It was a sound strategy in theory and one that almost paid off in execution. The Longhorns had a chance to tie the score at 21 late in the fourth quarter, but Jack Sawyer's 87-yard fumble return touchdown after a strip sack of Quinn Ewers put the game away.

Smith commanding so much attention opened the field for Carnell Tate to have one of his best games of the season. The sophomore receiver finished with a game-high 87 yards on seven catches.

It was just the second time all season that Tate finished with more than 70 yards in a game.

Ohio State also created big plays in other ways. The biggest moment of the game was arguably near the end of the first half after a Jaydon Blue touchdown catch for Texas tied the score at seven.

Rather than go into halftime all square, the Buckeyes ran a beautiful screen play to TreVeyon Henderson that he took 75 yards to the house on their first play after getting the ball back to take a 14-7 advantage at the break.

One of the big keys to Ohio State's success in the playoffs has been a constant barrage of big plays. While those were fewer and far between on Friday night with Smith largely taken out of the game, the Buckeyes still found their moments to attack.

It paid off with a dramatic victory over Texas and now sets up a showdown with Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer almost had no idea what was going on during his 83-yard fumble return touchdown late in the fourth quarter that sealed a 28-14 win over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Sawyer said "I almost blacked out" as he was running up the sidelines with nothing but green grass in front him.

Texas was threatening to tie the score at 21 after getting down to the Ohio State one-yard line. The Longhorns got pushed back seven yards on a toss play to Quintrevion Wisner on second down.

After an incomplete pass on third down, Texas had one more play to get in the end zone. Sawyer quickly got around the right tackle and knocked the ball out of Quinn Ewers' hand, scooped it up and took it to the house.

The play effectively ended what had been a back-and-forth battle between arguably the two best teams still remaining in the playoff. Ohio State led by seven points on three different occasions in the game, but Texas came back to tie the score the first two times.

It looked like the Buckeyes were going to roll in this game like they had in the previous two rounds of the playoff out of the gate. They went 64 yards on their opening drive, capped off by Quinshon Judkins' touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

Texas' defense settled in after that, forcing four punts on Ohio State's next four drives. Every time the Longhorns scored, though, the Buckeyes almost immediately came back to take the lead.

The last three possessions of the game, excluding Ohio State's final drive when it was running out the clock, ended with a touchdown for the Buckeyes, Sawyer's touchdown and Caleb Downs intercepting Ewers.

Sawyer's heroic moment will send Ohio State to the College Football Playoff Championship Game. The Buckeyes will take on Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day praised defensive end Jack Sawyer after his turnover and subsequent touchdown helped the Buckeyes secure a 28-14 win over Texas in Friday night's College Football Playoff semifinal.

"I can't say enough about Jack Sawyer," Day said following the victory. "He's a guy who loves being a Buckeye, he loves his teammates. He's done everything we've asked him to do. He's a captain. He's everything that we could possibly ask for in a captain. To make a play like that in that moment. We talked about before the game, you wanna leave a legacy behind? You become a legend. He just became a legend at Ohio State."

With Ohio State holding a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter and Texas threatening to score a game-tying touchdown, Sawyer sacked Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers and knocked the ball loose. He scooped up the fumble and returned it 83 yards for a score.

Ewers was intercepted by defensive back Caleb Downs on Texas' ensuing possession, cementing the victory.

Sawyer finished with three tackles and a pass defensed to go along with his forced fumble and eventual touchdown.

The senior pass-rusher has been a key piece of the Buckeyes' defensive front throughout the year. In 14 appearances entering Saturday's clash, he racked up 53 tackles, eight tackles for loss, eight sacks, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

Sawyer will look to continue his impressive playoff run in the national championship game against a Notre Dame team that owns the sixth-best scoring offense in the country.