ATLANTA — “Just catch it,” Jeremiah Smith thought to himself. 

The Ohio State freshman receiver knew the ball was coming his way. Notre Dame was in man coverage. 

“Man-on-man, I don’t lose,” Smith said later. 

He didn’t lose here, either.

He won big, coasting past his defender, Christian Gray, like he was standing still and hauling in the bomb from quarterback Will Howard.

Fifty-six yards later, the national championship was all but over, Ohio State headed to a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 

Before the play, there was suddenly doubt. A 24-point Ohio State lead was down to eight.

It was third-and-11, 2:38 remained. A stop, and the Irish had a chance.

The Buckeyes could’ve played it safe and forced Notre Dame to use its final timeout. 

Coach Ryan Day decided to go for it, to go for the championship. Leave no doubt. Coach to win, instead of not to lose. 

Day expressed his mindset going into the crucial moment of the game, emphasizing the importance of seizing the opportunity presented by the national championship. He conveyed his decision to adopt an aggressive approach and shared his determination to maintain this strategy throughout the game, encouraging both the defensive and offensive players to embrace this mindset. Day made it a point to communicate this plan to the team beforehand and ensure that he followed through with it during the game.

The 6-foot-3 Smith was tackled at the 10-yard line.

Shortly after Day’s decision to be aggressive, Jayden Fielding successfully converted a 33-yard field goal, which increased the team’s lead to 11 points and ultimately secured the school’s first championship victory in ten years. The team’s collective effort and commitment to maintaining an aggressive playing style played a pivotal role in their success.

Smith was such a big part of the title.

He set Ohio State freshman records with 76 receptions, 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches.

He also set a Big Ten record for most receiving yards by a freshman, and in four playoff games, he scored five touchdowns.

With everything on the line, in the final minute of the college football season, he came up big. 

“It’s a blessing,” said Smith, who had five catches for 88 yards and a score Monday night. “We had too many blessings this year.” 

He was at the top of the list.