Lou Holtz responds to Ryan Day rant following Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day made it very clear Saturday night he did not appreciate what Lou Holtz had to say about his football team. Now, the former Notre Dame head coach has responded to Day’s postgame rant on NBC.

Holtz was on Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich on Tuesday and explained what he thought of Day’s strong reaction.

“That’s his choice,” Holtz said. “I can understand why he did. He doesn’t want to talk about Michigan, 0-2. He doesn’t want to talk about the big game coming up against Penn State and against Michigan again. He’s a great coach. He’s done a tremendous job. He’s a great offensive mind. He hired an outstanding defensive coordinator from Oklahoma State. I think he’s doing a tremendous job. Ohio State’s a good football team. I don’t think they’re a great football team. He can go after me all he wants.”

On The Pat McAfee Show on the Friday prior to the game, Holtz said Notre Dame would beat Ohio State because it is a more physical team. He also implied the Buckeyes were at least somewhat soft.

A few days after the game during his Tuesday appearance on Don’t @ Me, Holtz also added that he thinks Notre Dame is still the better team, even though the Fighting Irish lost Saturday.

“I honestly felt that Notre Dame was the better football team and more physical,” Holtz said. “I’m sorry that coach Day was offended by it. I hope he goes on, has a wonderful year. I don’t think they’ll be a great football team. I really don’t. I felt Notre Dame won the football game. All we had to do was fall on the ball. The last two minutes, the opposition is not Ohio State, the opposition is the clock.”

Ohio State won 17-14 on Saturday thanks to a last-second touchdown run from Chip Trayanum. The Buckeyes had started with the drive with 1:26 left and the ball at their 35.

They went down the field in 15 plays in 1:25, including two third-down conversions and one fourth-down conversation.

It made sense that Day would be amped up after a game like that but Holtz’s words the previous day clearly rang in his mind.

“Toughness. Toughness, that’s it,” Day said on the field to NBC. “Physicality across the board, finish it off, having guts. I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now. What he said about our team, I cannot believe.”