Last year, legendary Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Lou Holtz criticized the Ohio State Buckeyes for their toughness ahead of the regular season matchup between the two storied programs, prompting a pointed response from Ohio State coach Ryan Day when the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame in South Bend.
With the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish set to face off again – this time in the College Football Playoff national championship game – Lou Holtz is once again picking Notre Dame to win.
Holtz, who led Notre Dame to its most recent national title back in 1988, spoke to Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch ahead of this year’s showdown between the two legendary programs.
While Holtz did not give quite the same scathing criticism of Ohio State that he did last year, he did not hold back his true thoughts on the Buckeyes and the upcoming showdown.
“When you look at it, Ohio State is the best team,” Holtz told The Columbus Dispatch. “They have an explosive offense and their defensive coordinator (Jim Knowles) has done a tremendous job. They’re something like a nine-point favorite. However, in a one-game, winner-take-all, anything can happen. I like Notre Dame’s culture. They’re very physical, but they have to keep it close by forcing Ohio State’s offense off the field.”
Holtz thinks that Ohio State is a team that’s used to winning games by a wide margin and does not necessarily thrive in close games. He thinks that will work in Notre Dame’s favor.
“That puts pressure on Ohio State, which is used to winning and winning big,” Holtz told the Dispatch. “Ohio State is the better team, but I think Notre Dame finds a way to prevail. It’s going to take a big effort.”
We’ll have to see whether Holtz’s prediction holds true or if Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will get the last laugh yet again.
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