The Ohio State Buckeyes are closing in on a national title, and only the Notre Dame Fighting Irish stand in the way. In the lead up to the National Championship

The Ohio State football team arrived in Atlanta on Friday, and it didn’t take long for us to hear from head coach Ryan Day and some of the team. Not only did Day provide some comments directly off the plane on the tarmac — which seems like an odd place to hold a press conference — but he came back on Saturday with some media availability as well.

There's no question that Ohio State's fourth consecutive loss to Michigan back on Nov. 30 sent shockwaves through Columbus. The Buckeyes, who had entered the matchup as a three-touchdown favorite, looked completely rattled against a Wolverine defense that held them to a season low 10 points.

The Fighting Irish advanced to the game by beating No. 6 Penn State 27-24 in the Capital One Orange Bowl. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman had extra motivation before the CFP semifinal, becoming " angry " after Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin poked fun at the now 39-year-old coach's youth.

Ryan Day got 100% on the significance of the Michigan loss ahead of the Buckeyes' clash with Notre Dame in the National Championship.

Weeks after facing immense pressure following another Ohio State loss to Michigan, Day is a win away from the college football mountaintop.

On the eve of the national championship game, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman held their final joint press conference.

Lou Holtz became the target of Ohio State coach Ryan Day's post-game rant after the Buckeyes beat the Irish 17-14 on Sept. 23, 2023.