Denny Hamlin hilariously calls himself out amid Ohio State CFP Championship celebration

Denny Hamlin was all aboard the Ohio State bandwagon during the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff run.

Turns out, Hamlin made a smart choice rolling with the Buckeyes. Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, 34-23, in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship game, capturing its first title since 2014. Now, Hamlin can finally call himself a champion — well, a fan of team who won a championship. Hamlin wasted no time making that known on social media straight from his seat at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Finally a champ. pic.twitter.com/kvmJDaHlrZ

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) January 21, 2025

“Finally a champ,” Hamlin wrote on X.

Hamlin has been holding onto the bandwagon for a few weeks now. Thanks to his “Actions Detrimental” producer Travis Rockhold, his love for Ohio State blossomed during this playoff run. When you don’t have anyone to root for, sometimes it’s fun to just root for whoever your buddies are rooting for. Hamlin and the “Actions Detrimental” crew were there for the semifinal win over Texas, and they sure weren’t missing this one against the Fighting Irish.

Ohio State snapped their National Championship-less streak; Will Hamlin finally get his hands on a NASCAR Cup Series Championship trophy in 2025? Well, his bid for the only thing that’s eluded him throughout his Hall of Fame career begins Sunday, Feb. 16, in the 67th running of the Daytona 500. Perhaps being one of 77,660 in attendance for Ohio State’s National Championship victory will provide some extra inspiration for Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin in attendance for Ohio State’s National Championship victory over Notre Dame

As for the Buckeyes, they capped off the hardest-ever path to a National Championship in a big way. Entering the inaugural 12-team playoff as the No. 8 seed, Ohio State made easy work of Tennessee and previously unbeaten Oregon, outlasted Texas and took down Notre Dame.

Ohio State’s talent-laden roster was the difference, as quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins and true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith all made key plays in the win over Notre Dame. The latter came down with a 56-yard reception late in the fourth quarter to thwart the Fighting Irish’s comeback attempt.

Head coach Ryan Day took a lot of heat after a fourth consecutive loss to Michigan in November, but his team faced that adversity head-on and now, they’re National Champions.

“The story gets to get told now, and it’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations,” Day told ESPN‘s Holly Rowe after the game. “There was a lot of people that counted us out and we just kept swinging and kept fighting. It’s the reason why you get into coaching is to see guys overcome things, learn life lessons and then reach their dreams. This is what happened tonight.”