Whereas, on January 20, 2025, The Ohio State University Buckeyes won the first-ever, 12-team College Football Playoff National Championship with a 34 to 23 victory over the 7-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish;

Whereas head coach Ryan Day led the Buckeyes to a national championship win in his sixth year as head coach, bringing the total of national collegiate football championships won by The Ohio State University to 9;

Whereas the Ohio State Buckeyes were led by an exemplary group of seniors, many of whom deferred the opportunity to enter the National Football League draft and returned to the school for 1 final season;

Whereas quarterback Will Howard completed 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns, earning the title of Offensive Most Valuable Player;

Whereas linebacker Cody Simon recorded 8 tackles, earning the title of Defensive Most Valuable Player;

Whereas the Ohio State Buckeyes finished the 2024 season with 14 wins and 2 losses;

Whereas the Ohio State Buckeyes faced the most challenging path to a championship in the history of college football, playing 4 top 10-ranked teams in their path to the championship game;

Whereas defensive end Jack Sawyer ensured the team reached the national title game with a sack and fumble return touchdown in the College Football Playoff semifinal;

Whereas safety Caleb Downs was unanimously selected for the 2024 All-American Team, just the 39th player to receive such an honor in the history of the football program of The Ohio State University;

Whereas center Seth McLaughlin won the Rimington Trophy as the country’s most outstanding center and was recognized as a consensus All-American;

Whereas wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was recognized as the most outstanding wide receiver and the most outstanding freshman player in the Big Ten Conference;

Whereas 7 Ohio State Buckeyes were selected for the All-Big Ten First Team;

Whereas The Ohio State University president, Walter Ted Carter, Jr., the senior vice president and athletics director, Ross Bjork, and the football head coach, Ryan Day, have stewarded a tradition of athletic and academic excellence at the institution;

Whereas The Ohio State University, founded in 1870, is one of the nation’s top land-grant and sea-grant institutions, with more than 67,000 students, 15 colleges, and over 200 academic centers and institutes; and

Whereas The Ohio State University marching band, cheerleaders, students, faculty, alumni, and fans worldwide have supported the football team through a season filled with adversity and triumph: Now, therefore, be it