The Ohio State Buckeyes opened the season at home against the preseason AP Top 25 No. 1 team in the country, Texas. The Buckeye's didn't dominate the game, but they came out with the win in a game that featured two inexperienced quarterbacks.
Both defenses stepped up and played strong games, and Ohio State came out victorious, 14-7. However, former longtime Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz wasn't impressed by the Buckeyes.
Holtz has fueled a divide between himself and Ohio State over the last few years, and that continued on Wednesday.
Lou Holtz Doesn't Believe in Ohio State
Holtz coached college football for nearly 45 years, and spent ten of those at Notre Dame. The Notre Dame legend also spent a year as an assistant coach at Ohio State. However, Holtz has made it clear over the last few years, he's not a Buckeye's fan.
"I don't think Ohio State's a great football team. I know their schedule is very, very good, but when you're at home and you're out-gained by well over 100 yards, you just can't look at it and say, 'OK, we're great. We won the game,'" Holtz said. "Everybody looking in, they are 1-0, and that's the objective they had going into that game. But they're not a great football team. I would not be overwhelmed about facing Ohio State."
Although Ohio State beat Texas, the Buckeyes were out-gained in both rushing and passing yards, and 130 total yards. Ohio State also only possessed the ball for just over four minutes longer than Texas.
However, the Buckeyes started a freshman quarterback, played rather conservative, and took down the No.1 team in the country. Holtz did go on to credit the Buckeye's defensive performance, but he also took another shot at Ohio State.
Lou Holtz is at is again:
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) September 3, 2025
“I don’t think Ohio State’s a great football team. When you’re at home and you’re outgained by 100 yards, you just can’t say you’re great. I would not be overwhelmed by facing Ohio State.”
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"Ohio State's defense played outstanding football," Holtz said. "I think Michigan could be a very, very good football team, and Lord knows, Michigan better not beat Ohio State again."
This is the third time in the last three years Holtz has made headlines with comments about the Buckeyes. In 2023, Holtz threw shade at Ohio State's physicality and toughness while on the Pat McAfee show. Then, before the National Championship game last year, he wrote on X, "If Notre Dame doesn't win, it's because we want to preserve Ryan Day's job."
The Notre Dame legend has made his fair share of statements about Ohio State recently, and it continued this week. However, Holtz did end his segment on Tuesday crediting Day, but that also came with some shade.
"He's got a good football team and he's obviously a good coach. He's a good recruiter, he's a good coach, he can handle his staff, etc. You look at his win/loss record, it's really tremendous," Holtz said. "But let's not get overwhelmed, because the Big Ten doesn't have that many great football teams in it this year."