Notre Dame’s Loss to Ohio State: Key Lessons for the Future

The Irish aren't quite at the top of the mountain yet, but they got really, really close

Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate their 34-23 win over Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Irish learned where they need to improve to get a different result next time

Through the pain and misery of Notre Dame's championship game loss at the hands of bitter rival Ohio State, some valuable lessons can be learned to help the Irish the next time they are in this position. In this regard, the Buckeyes proved to be a terrific measuring stick.

One lesson learned is that while Notre Dame was able to win three playoff games and make it to the title game, its injury situation that affected depth certainly made the task of beating the Buckeyes much more challenging.

Would a healthier Irish team have knocked off Ohio State? Maybe not, but the massive injury list certainly didn't help the cause.

Riley Leonard showing respect to Ohio State after a hard fought battle 🤝 pic.twitter.com/lum3zYUtTS

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 21, 2025

Star power still matters more than some Irish fans want to admit

Depending on what ranking system you choose to use, Ohio State had 14 five-star players playing in this game while Notre Dame had just one. It's hard for me to look at the way this game played out and not think raw talent disparity was an issue for Notre Dame.

Notre Dame grinded, fought, and clawed their way to this title game, and did so successfully. But once in it, it felt like Ohio State's talent and depth were eventually too much to overcome. The way the Irish were built was strong enough to get to the title game, but not win it.

I'm proud of the way Notre Dame identifies three-star recruits with traits and develops them to play like four or five-star players, but that isn't going to be good enough to reach the top of the mountain The Irish must recruit more ready-made stars to pair up with the lower rated developmental players to get over the hump. I feel like this is undeniable.

The good news is, with the credibility gained from Notre Dame's deep playoff run, it should be a bit easier to attract some top-end talent to the program moving forward.

Star ratings are not the end all be all in college football, but they still matter a great deal and the Buckeyes just proved that theory at Notre Dame's painful expense.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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