The feud that college football never knew it needed will, seemingly, spill into a third season.
Two years after Lou Holtz proclaimed that Notre Dame would defeat Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes inside Notre Dame Stadium, and thus two years since the Irish failed to have 11 men on the field on a defensive goal-line stand -- twice -- in the waning seconds of OSU's win, causing Day to taunt Holtz postgame on ESPN, Holtz has resumed the verbal sparring.
Appearing Wednesday on Dan Dakich's "Don't @ Me" show, Holtz and the former Indiana Hoosiers basketball player and coach broached a wide variety of college football topics.
But the conversation took a pointed turn when Holtz implied the Buckeyes were fortunate to beat Texas, retold the Woody Hayes going for two against Michigan story and then concluded the segment with the revelation that Day has, apparently, not opted into Holtz's Pen Pals Club.
"I don't think Ohio State's a great football team," said Holtz, the last Notre Dame coach to win a national championship, in 1988. "I know their schedule is very, very good. But when you're at home, and you're outgained by well over 100 yards, you just can't look at it and say, 'OK, we're great. We won the game.'
"Everybody looking in, there 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, I was surprised that they lost (Jim) Knowles their defensive coordinator, I thought there would be a big drop-off on their defense, but Ohio State's defense played outstanding football. So, we'll have to see how good Michigan is. We'll have to see how good other teams are. I don't know about Oklahoma, we'll find that out this weekend when they play Michigan. I think Michigan could be a very, very good football team and Lord knows, Michigan better not beat Ohio State again."
The Wolverines have beaten Ohio State four-straight times, nearly ending Ohio State's College Football Playoff title-run a year ago before it began. Ultimately, however, Day's Buckeyes toppled Holtz's beloved Irish of Notre Dame and coach Marcus Freeman in the CFP Championship. It was Ohio State's third-straight season with a win against Notre Dame.
Holtz cautioned against Day losing again to Michigan, and he also shared that while he did send Day a congratulatory letter for the 2024 title, Day has not acknowledged the missive.
"I'm from Ohio, I coached there under Woody Hayes, we won the national championship, we scored late in the game, the winner's gonna go play for the national championship," said Holtz, the College Football Hall of Famer. "Woody went for two, we made it and won the game, 50-14 and they said to Woody, 'Why did you go for two?' He said, 'They wouldn't let me go for three.' You know, you have to be part of that rivalry waiting to get a pair of gold pants that signifies you beat Michigan that year.
"I tell you what, Ryan Day can be Ryan Day and do whatever he wants. I did write him a congratulatory letter, but I never heard back from. I'm sure he can write, but in any event, he not answer the letter, but that's his alternative."
While the Big Ten has claimed college football's past two championships at the FBS level, Holtz hasn't bought-in to the conference being college football's standard-bearer this year.
"He's got a good football team and he's obviously a good coach," Holtz said. "He's a good recruiter, he's a good coach, he can handle a staff, etc. You look at his won-loss record, it's really tremendous.
"But, let's not get overwhelmed because the BIg Ten doesn't have that many great football teams in it this year, but we'll find out."