The ongoing saga between Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz just won’t go away. What started as a war of words before the Buckeyes’ 2023 matchup against the Irish has continued into the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship. Once again, Holtz has taken aim at Ohio State, and once again, it might end up working in the Buckeyes’ favor.

The drama began last season when Holtz publicly questioned Ohio State’s toughness, suggesting that the Buckeyes had a problem handling physical teams and predicting that Notre Dame’s grit would lead them to victory. Of course, Ohio State responded by beating the Irish 17-14 in South Bend, with Day firing back in his postgame interview, famously asking, “I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now.” The comment became an instant classic in Buckeye circles, cementing the moment as another example of why you don’t poke the bear.

Fast forward to this week, and Holtz is once again stirring the pot. In an interview with The Toledo Blade, the 88-year-old coach insisted he holds no ill will toward Day, saying, “Nothing is further from the truth on that. He’s the one who exploded.” But despite downplaying the feud, Holtz didn’t hesitate to take another swipe at the Buckeyes. Shortly after the interview, he posted a five-minute video on social media, in which he not only picked Notre Dame to win but implied that Ohio State had essentially bought their way into the championship game through NIL deals.

Ohio State has the talent, but Notre Dame has the heart, the culture, and the defense to win this game.

Stay patient, run the football, and trust the process.

Notre Dame wins a close one—by 3.

Remember, we’re Notre Dame and they ain’t! pic.twitter.com/uDKng78jNe

— Lou Holtz (@CoachLouHoltz88) January 15, 2025

In the video, Holtz claimed that Notre Dame would win not because they have the best football team, but because they have the best culture. According to Holtz, “Culture will beat talent each and every time.” While that might sound nice in theory, it’s a pretty bold statement to make when Notre Dame hasn’t been a serious national title contender in decades—essentially since Holtz himself was their coach. Meanwhile, Ohio State has remained a powerhouse, competing for national championships on a regular basis. If culture was enough to win titles, wouldn’t Notre Dame have won more than one championship since the late 1980s?

Holtz did manage to sprinkle in some compliments for the Buckeyes, calling them “the best football team in the country” and praising Ryan Day’s coaching staff. But then he quickly undercut his praise by bringing up Ohio State’s NIL numbers, suggesting that financial resources played a big role in their success. Sure, Ohio State has one of the biggest NIL budgets in the nation, but so do plenty of other top-tier programs—including, let’s not forget, Notre Dame. If the Irish aren’t competing at the same level, maybe it’s not just about money.

Holtz went on to say that Notre Dame’s key to victory would be controlling the clock with their running game. He believes keeping Ohio State’s offense off the field is the only way for the Irish to win. While that might sound good in theory, it’s easier said than done. The Buckeyes’ defense has been dominant in the playoffs, and if Notre Dame can’t move the chains consistently, this game could get out of hand quickly.

At the end of the day, this is just more of the same from Holtz. He doubted Ohio State before, and the Buckeyes made him eat his words. As a Buckeye fan, I say let him keep talking—because every time he does, it seems to end with Ohio State proving him wrong.

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. https://t.co/VF6WOuNzhB

— Lou Holtz (@CoachLouHoltz88) January 15, 2025