Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz offers critical stance of Ohio State Buckeyes following statement Win in Week 1
Lou Holtz has gone from legendary college coach to a legendary troll in retirement and the Ohio State Buckeyes always seem to be caught in his crosshairs.
Two years back, Holtz took a shot at the Buckeyes for not being "tough" ahead of their season opener at Notre Dame, where he once coached. The comments teed up Ohio State head coach Ryan Day for a viral rant where he exclaimed that he'd "like to know where Lou Holtz is right now," following a 17-14 win over the Fighting Irish.
Now, Holtz is at it again. In the aftermath of the Buckeyes gripping 14-7 win over No. 1 Texas, the two-time national champion joined former basketball coach Dan Dakich of Outkick and questioned just how good the Scarlett and Gray really are.
"I don't think Ohio State's a great football team," Holtz said to open up the conversation. "I know their schedules very, very good, but when you're at home and you're out gained by well over 100 yards, you just can't look at it and say 'okay we're great.' ...
"They are 1-0 and that's the objective they had going into that game, but they're not a great football team. I would not be overwhelmed about facing Ohio State."
Holtz went on to add that he was surprised at how well the defense played in the aftermath of losing defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Day hired former Patriots defensive coordinator and Lions head man Matt Patricia to fill that void this offseason. It proved to be an effective addition during the win over Texas, that saw the Buckeyes stop the Longhorns four times on fourth down.
On one hand, it is only one week and there is still a lot to learn about Ohio State and the rest of the college football landscape in 2025. That said, it seems ill-advised to discredit the defending champion Buckeyes after a hard-fought win over one of the top teams in the sport.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day gives the “O” sign before the game against Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.Most around college football view the win as a statement by the program to open up the season, particularly after losing so many players to the NFL this offseason.
For what it's worth, Holtz also shared that he wrote a congratulatory letter to Day after his team won the championship last January, but then followed it up with another dig at the Buckeyes head man, for not writing him back. "I'm sure he can write," Holtz said.
Day most certainly can write, but who can really blame him for ignore any correspondents with the Hall of Fame coach, who can't seem to stop taking shots at Day's program every time someone puts a microphone on his face.