Don’t count out the old dogs yet. And this Notre Dame legend, who’s spent decades in the game, is once again making headlines. This time, it’s for his bold prediction about the national championship. With his track record, you’d think he’d automatically root for his alma mater, but this legendary coach doesn’t do anything halfway—he’s got the receipts to back it up.

At 88, the Hall of Famer isn’t just throwing around opinions for fun. His pick? Notre Dame to take it all by defeating Ohio State. “I will speak from my heart and from what I feel in my heart is right and proper,” Lou Holtz said in a recent video on The Lou Holtz Show. “Everybody goes to say, oh! He’ll automatically pick Notre Dame. But if I do, it’s because I believe Notre Dame is the best football team and will win the national championship.” Holtz is clear: this isn’t about blind loyalty; it’s about what he sees on the field.

Holtz’s prediction might seem obvious—after all, he’s the last coach to lead Notre Dame to a national title back in 1988. But his reasoning goes deeper. He admires Ohio State’s explosive offense and praises defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, noting they’re heavy favorites. Still, Holtz believes Notre Dame’s physicality and culture could tip the scales. “In a one-game, winner-take-all, anything can happen,” he said. “They’re very physical, but they have to keep it close by forcing Ohio State’s offense off the field.”

For Notre Dame, the championship offers more than just a trophy—it’s a chance for head coach Marcus Freeman to make history. If the Irish win, Freeman will join an elite group as the sixth coach in program history to secure a national title. Thirty-six years after Holtz’s legendary 1988 team, Freeman has a shot at bringing Notre Dame back to glory.

Holtz’s confidence in Freeman is clear. “You can see the toughness and resilience in this team,” he said. “Freeman’s building something special, and it’s only a matter of time.” The 39-year-old coach has already made waves, but winning it all would cement his legacy in South Bend.

Still, Holtz’s boldness isn’t just about lifting up his old team. What makes his prediction even spicier is Holtz’s connection to Ohio State. Raised in Ohio, he’s a Buckeye at heart and even coached there early in his career. Yet, despite his ties, Holtz isn’t holding back his critique of Ohio State under head coach Ryan Day. Looks like a subtle dig at Day’s program, reigniting questions about Ohio State’s toughness.

The Lou Holtz-day feud is fueling the fire of the national championship

Ryan Day, for his part, seems focused on the game, but you can’t ignore the lingering tension between the two. The beef between Day and Holtz, which began with the latter’s viral comments in 2023, now feels like a subplot in this epic showdown.

His comments during a 2023 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show stirred the pot. Holtz claimed Ohio State’s few losses under Day happened because they lacked physicality, boldly predicting Notre Dame would beat them for that very reason. When Notre Dame fell to Ohio State in a nail-biter that year, Day clapped back, but the tension between them has lingered ever since.

Fast forward to now, with Notre Dame and Ohio State set to clash again in the national championship, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. During recent media availability, Day was asked if he’d patched things up with Holtz. His response? A curt “No. No.” That one-word answer speaks volumes, adding fuel to the already fiery narrative surrounding this game.

So, what’s the play here? Will Holtz’s prediction come true, or will Day’s Buckeyes prove him wrong again? One thing’s for sure—this game isn’t just about football. It’s a battle of legacies, philosophies, and, let’s be honest, egos. As the championship game approaches, all eyes are on Notre Dame and Ohio State. And Holtz, ever the showman, has made his call!