After the Buckeyes were crowned college football national champions on Monday night, a crowd of jubilant Ohio State fans forced their way into the university's stadium in frigid temperatures to celebrate.
After Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame, hundreds of excited fans and students gathered around campus and stormed through the gates despite temperatures reaching -5°F in Columbus. The celebration continued inside “The Shoe.''
Video posted by Columbus dispatch shows a gleeful crowd of fans waving Ohio flags on the snow-covered ground outside the gates just before entering.
The video then cuts to an elated crowd running down the stadium concourse and onto the field.
A large crowd of Buckeyes fans arrived on the field around midnight Tuesday, and many could be seen taking photos and videos to remember the joyful event.
Ohio State freshman Thomas Shumnaski told the outlet that he never imagined fans would flood the stadium or field when he went out to celebrate, calling the experience “surreal.” is.
Senior Natalie Freihammer said it was shocking and she was “surprised” that law enforcement didn't do more to stop the public from boarding “The Shoe.”
“It's crazy,” she said. “I was surprised that the police were so cooperative.”
Officers inside the stadium “appeared to be enjoying the atmosphere,” the Columbus Dispatch reported. reported.
The newspaper reported that less than 30 minutes after fans arrived at Ohio Stadium, the crowd began to thin.
The celebration began after Buckeyes fans nearly watched the national championship slip through their fingers.
Ohio State held a commanding 24-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but a late comeback by the Fighting Irish at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia cut the lead to eight. It shrunk to a point.
Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, knowing the title was on the line, made a bold play call on third base and 11 with 2:38 left in the game, leading his team to victory.
Instead of playing the clock and letting the defense stop the Irish, he put the ball in the hands of quarterback Will Howard.
Facing pressure in the pocket, Howard threw a bomb down the field to freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain. The Buckeyes kicked the winning field goal in the final minutes to secure the victory. .
“I just thought, 'You only get one national championship, you only get one chance a year. Let's just gamble and be aggressive.' And that's what we did.” Day said after the game.
“I told the defense and offense that we were going to stay aggressive throughout the game. I told the team that before the game, and I had to make sure we did that. [with] that. ”
With the win, the eighth-seeded Buckeyes clinched the ninth national championship in program history and the team's first since 2014.
Ohio State was also the first team to win a national championship in the new 12-team playoffs.
