Lou Holtz said Ohio State was “a good football team” but not “a great football team.” He also argued that the Buckeyes were not physical enough to beat elite opponents and pointed to their struggles on short- yardage plays and in big games.

What he said

  • He said Notre Dame was the better team in that matchup.
  • He said he did not feel bad about the remark because he believed it.
  • He later apologized to Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman for possibly putting the Irish in a bad position, while still standing by his Ohio State critique.

Why it blew up

Ryan Day pushed back hard after the game, saying critics should “put the film on” and arguing the toughness narrative was false. That made Holtz’s comments part of a bigger Ohio State feud rather than just a one-off quote.

If you want, I can also give you the exact quote Holtz used or a quick timeline of the OSU-Lou Holtz feud.