Saturday’s top-10 battle between Ohio State and Notre Dame lived up to the billing. The Buckeyes came away with a 17-14 win, scoring the winning touchdown with a second left.
After the game was over, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day had some pointed comments, but not for any of Notre Dame’s current players or coaches, but Lou Holtz.
Day started his postgame interview by blasting the Notre Dame legend, who doubted that Ohio State had the toughness to win.
“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is now,” Day said of the 86-year-old Holtz, who was Notre Dame’s coach from 1986-1996. What he said about our team, what he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. And it’s always been Ohio against the world. It’ll continue to be Ohio against the world.”
"I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE LOU HOLTZ IS NOW. WHAT HE SAID ABOUT OUR TEAM, WHAT HE SAID ABOUT OUR TEAM, I CANNOT BELIEVE. THIS IS A TOUGH TEAM RIGHT HERE. WE'RE PROUD TO BE FROM OHIO. AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD. IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD." pic.twitter.com/6xUN3R2WOb
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 24, 2023
For anyone unsure, Day’s comments didn’t exactly come out of thin air, nor was he overexaggerating a minor slight of the team. Holtz was asked to give his thoughts on Saturday’s game, speaking on The Pat McAfee Show. As would be expected, Holtz, who would almost never pick against his former team in his days as an analyst, said that the Fighting Irish would beat the Buckeyes. He then brought up Day’s track record in big games.
“You look at coach Day, and I coached at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. We won the national championship when I was there. I’m proud of that. However, he has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice. And everybody that beats them does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State. And I think that Notre Dame will take that same approach.”
Here’s what Lou Holtz said on @PatMcAfeeShow that Ryan Day angrily referred to after Ohio St. beat Notre Dame: pic.twitter.com/r1Ju4pwl00
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2023
So, we can definitely see where Day was coming from here and it’s not as though Holtz didn’t bring Day’s comments onto himself. Still, it’s a little strange that after seeing his team pull off a last-second win on the road against a top-10 team, Day’s immediate focus was on an 86-year-old man.
But, whatever works.
[Adam Schefter, Photo Credit: NBC]
