Quick scoop: Lou Holtz said Ohio State was “good, not great” and specifically argued that Notre Dame was the better team. He also said the Buckeyes hadn’t been physical enough in big games, which sparked Ryan Day’s public response.

What he said

Holtz’s core message was that Ohio State was not a great football team , even after strong performances.

He pointed to Ohio State’s physicality and past losses, saying the Buckeyes had struggled in marquee matchups and that Notre Dame would take a more physical approach.

Why it blew up

Ryan Day pushed back hard after the remarks, saying the criticism wasn’t true and that Ohio State needed to “put the film on” to answer it on the field.

Holtz later said he understood why Day was upset, but he still stood by what he said and added that he did not feel bad about it because he believed it.

Short version

If you want the one-line takeaway: Holtz said Ohio State was not a great team, Notre Dame was better, and the Buckeyes weren’t physical enough in the biggest games.