The Ohio State Buckeyes have won the 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association College Football Playoff. On Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, the Buckeyes defeated the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the national championship game. A total of 77,660 were in attendance.
Inside look at the win
The Buckeyes scored 31 of the first 38 points in the game to take a 31-7 lead. The Fighting Irish attempted to bounce back in the second half as they scored 16 of the last 19 points, but it was too little, too late.
Ohio State was led by running back Quinshon Judkins of Pike Road, Alabama, who had 121 total yards. Judkins had 11 rushes for 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also had two additional catches for 21 receiving yards and another major score. Judkins’s first touchdown on Monday was a nine-yard run with six minutes and 15 seconds left in the first half to give the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead. Judkins then had a six-yard touchdown catch from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard of Downingtown, Pennsylvania with 27 seconds left in the first half to put Ohio State up 21-7. Ohio State then went up 28-7 at two minutes and 14 seconds into the second half on a one yard touchdown run by Judkins.
The three straight Judkins touchdowns in the game were the difference, and it was somewhat surprising it was Howard, and not Judkins, who was named the offensive most valuable player. Howard completed 17 of 21 passes for 231 passing yards and two touchdown passes, along with 16 rushes for 57 rushing yards. Howard’s other touchdown pass was for eight passing yards to Jeremiah Smith of Miami Gardens, Florida and put the Buckeyes on the scoreboard for the first time at the 50 second mark of the second quarter. Meanwhile, the defensive most valuable player was linebacker Cody Simon of Jersey City, New Jersey, who had eight tackles.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
