Lou Holtz responds to Ryan Day: 'I honestly felt Notre Dame was the better football team'

COLUMBUS —By now, everyone knows what Ryan Day said after Ohio State pulled out a last-second 17-14 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night.

Day responded to a comment made by Lou Holtz, the former Notre Dame coach who won national titles with the Fighting Irish, who said that every team that beats the Buckeyes does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State.

Of course, Day responded in resounding fashion immediately after the game in an on-field interview and then again in his postgame press conference.

“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.”

He followed it up in the postgame press conference.

“I’m really upset and disrespected by what Lou Holtz said publicly about our team and Ohio State and Buckeye Nation, and we’re not gonna stand for that,” Day said. “Because that’s not even close to true.

“… I don’t know where he gets off saying those type of things. I don’t. I don’t. I mean, I have some other things I’d like to say, too, but I’m not gonna say that because I’m more respectful than he is.”

Well, it’s been three days, and Holtz declined to let it rest. He has decided to respond.

The Hall of Fame coach told Outkick’s Dan Dakich that he called Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman to apologize for giving Day and Ohio State motivation, but he didn’t take back anything he said about Ohio State. In fact, he doubled down on his comments made toward the Buckeyes.

“I called Coach Freeman yesterday and I apologized because I put him in a bad position,” Holtz told Dakich. “I don’t feel bad about saying it because I believe it. And Notre Dame was the better football team. Three times, Ohio State had a fourth and 1 and ran the ball and couldn’t make it. Other than the one long run, they averaged less than 2 yards per carry. … When I say something, I can’t control the outcome of the game. That’s unfair to coach Freeman.”

Holtz was asked by Dakich what he thought of Day’s comments, as well.

“That’s his choice,” Holtz said of Day. “I can understand why he did. He didn’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, and he’s done a tremendous job. He’s a great offensive mind. … Ohio State’s a good football team, but I don’t think they’re a great football team. He can go after me all he wants.”

Well, the ‘good, not great’ football team beat Notre Dame on the road on Saturday night a year after beating the Irish at home. Two straight years, the Buckeyes powered into the end zone late in the game with short-yard rushing to punctuate a win.

But Holtz yet again doubled down on his comments, insisting that Notre Dame was more physical and better.

“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, your opposition is not Ohio State, your opponent’s the clock.”

The scoreboard said the opposition was Ohio State. That same scoreboard said the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame on Saturday night, no matter what Holtz has to say about it.