ATLANTA — It looks like Ryan Day may end up proving one of his biggest critics wrong firsthand.
Lou Holtz, the last coach to lead Notre Dame to a national championship, is scheduled to attend Monday night's game between Ohio State and the Irish at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
However, sources said there are no plans to speak at Notre Dame Cathedral ahead of kickoff.
Holtz, 88, reignited the X feud last week when he responded to a tweet questioning whether he would take part in the showdown.
“If Notre Dame doesn't win, it's because we want to keep Ryan Day's job,” Holtz said. “Initially, we were going to go into the game with a lot of energy, but now we're going to drag ourselves out.” I wrote it.
Holtz also picked Notre Dame, which trailed by 8.5 points, and won the game outright.
“Ohio State has the talent, but Notre Dame has the heart, culture and defense to win this game,” he wrote on the social media site. “Be patient, run the football and trust the process. Notre Dame narrowly won by three points. Remember, we are Notre Dame and they are not. !
The rivalry between Holtz and Day dates back to last season before Ohio State's win over Notre Dame on Sept. 23, 2023. Holtz criticized Day's body of work and the Buckeyes' lack of physicality.
“Look at Coach Day, I coached under Woody Hayes at Ohio State,” Holtz said during an appearance on ESPN. “We won a national championship when I was there, and I'm proud of that. But we lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice. And everyone [that] They will beat him because they are physically better than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take the same approach. ”
After Ohio State won, Day left for Holtz.
“I want to know where Lou Holtz is now,” Day said in a local interview with NBC. “I can't believe what he said about our team. This is a tough team. We're proud to be from Ohio. It's always been Ohio vs. the world, and it will always be Ohio. It's going to be against the world. But I'll tell you, I love these kids. We have a tough team.”
At media day for the National Championship Game, Day was asked if the two had reconciled, but he said the two had not spoken since their argument. Perhaps they will meet on Monday night.
Holtz recently celebrated his 88th birthday with a big party at Lake Nona Lodge in Orlando, Florida.
The 150 guests included many former players whom Holtz coached for 11 years at Notre Dame. Some of them were members of his Heroes Foundation, which helps former student-athletes facing financial, physical or mental hardship. We also provide scholarship assistance to eligible youth.
Holtz is happy to be coaching his alma mater under coach Marcus Freeman, who led the Irish to the national championship game with 13 straight wins after a surprising upset over Northern Illinois in Week 2.
“when [Freeman] “I got the job and within the first week, he flew out here and spent the entire day with me,” Holtz told 247Sports.com in May 2023. I'll help him in any way I can.
“He doesn't need any help. He's going in the right direction. But I want Notre Dame to always be successful, especially understanding what Notre Dame is about. With people.”
