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ATLANTA — It sounds like Ryan Day may get to prove one of his biggest critics wrong in person.
Lou Holtz, the last coach to lead Notre Dame to a national championship, is expected to be in attendance Monday night when Ohio State takes on the Irish at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
There are, however, no plans for him to address Notre Dame ahead of kickoff, a source said.
Holtz, 88, reignited their feud last week on X when he responded to a tweet wondering if he would attend the showdown.
“If Notre Dame doesn’t win, it’s because we want to preserve Ryan Day’s job. I was originally going to be at the game in spirit, but now I’ll be dragging my body along as well,” Holtz wrote.
Holtz also picked Notre Dame, an 8.5-point underdog, to win the game outright.
“Ohio State has the talent, but Notre Dame has the heart, the culture, and the defense to win this game,” he wrote on the social media site. “Stay patient, run the football, and trust the process. Notre Dame wins a close one — by 3. Remember, we’re Notre Dame and they ain’t!”
Holtz and Day’s rivalry goes back to last season, prior to an Ohio State victory over Notre Dame on Sept. 23, 2023. Holtz was critical of Day’s body of work and the lack of physicality of the Buckeyes.
“You look at Coach Day — and I coached at Ohio State under Woody Hayes,” Holtz said during an appearance on ESPN. “We won the national championship when I was there. I’m proud of that. However, he has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice. And everybody [that] beats him, does so because they are more physical than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take that same approach.”
After Ohio State’s win, Day went off on Holtz.
“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” Day said in an on-field interview with NBC. “What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world, and it will continue to be Ohio against the world. But I’’ll tell you what: I love these kids. We’ve got a tough team.”
On media day for the national championship game, Day was asked if the two had patched things up, but said the two haven’t talked since they exchanged verbal barbs. Maybe they will meet up Monday night.
Holtz recently celebrated his 88th birthday with a big party down at Lake Nona Lodge in Orlando, Fla.
Among the 150 guests were many former players from Holtz’s 11 years coaching at Notre Dame. Several of them were part of his Heroes Foundation, which assists former student-athletes facing financial, physical, or mental hardships. It also provides scholarship aid to deserving youth.
Holtz is pleased with the direction of his old school under coach Marcus Freeman, who led the Irish to the national championship game by winning 13 straight contests after a stunning upset against Northern Illinois in Week 2.
“When [Freeman] got the job, within the first week, he flew down here and spent the whole day with me,” Holtz told 247Sports.com in May of 2023. “We talked all about Notre Dame. I’m willing to help him in any way possible.
“He doesn’t need any help. He’s going in the right direction. But I want Notre Dame to always be successful, particularly with somebody who understands what Notre Dame is all about.”
