ATLANTA — Ohio State is looking to make new memories in Atlanta.
Because the last time it played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Buckeyes suffered an agonizing defeat.
Despite holding multiple two-touchdown leads against the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State found a way to lose in the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinal.
Georgia made just enough plays to hold a 42-41 lead with :08 seconds remaining. But as the clock, literally struck midnight, Noah Ruggles' 50-yard field goal landed in Marietta.
The Bulldogs would go on to bludgeon TCU in the national championship game, giving Kirby Smart his second in as many years.
As for Ohio State, it’s still searching for its first under head coach Ryan Day.
“Georgia was a very talented team and they played the game the right way,” wide receiver Emeka Egbuka said. “I think the main thing that I learned is just not leaving anything up to chance, not leaving anything up to one play, and doing all you can to execute in every facet of the game.
“Just to ensure that it won’t come down to a missed field goal, it won’t come down to a converted fourth down or something like that. You gotta leave no doubt.”
Georgia fans know those plays well. The incredible fourth-down conversion by Brock Bowers. Smart sniffing out an Ohio State fake punt with a brilliant time-out. Arian Smith’s game-flipping touchdown.
And then of course Ruggles' missed kick.
But for all those little plays that seemed to go Georgia’s way, this Ohio State team knows the game didn’t come down to a single play.
It’s hard to complain about a result after all when you give up 42 points.
“Yeah, what I remember is we didn’t do a good enough job on defense,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “So we need to do better this time.”
Ohio State won’t be facing the defending national champion this time around, instead facing a battle-tested Notre Dame team.
Like that 2022 Ohio State, the Buckeyes are motivated by an embarrassing home loss to Michigan. But instead of being viewed as an underdog playing in Georgia’s backyard, the Buckeyes are seen as an overwhelming favorite against the team that ended Georgia’s season.
The Buckeyes are currently 8.5-point favorites against the Fighting Irish. Of course, Ohio State was favored against Notre Dame in 2023 and needed a touchdown with one second remaining to pull out a 17-14 win.
Ohio State has plenty of past experiences it can look back on for motivation. The last time it played in a national championship game, the Buckeyes were boat-raced by Alabama, losing 52-24.
Add in the Michigan defeats and the brutally close loss to Georgia and you have a team that has more than enough scars for one final battle.
“We need to focus on what really matters in the execution and find a way to win the game in the fourth quarter, that’s it,” Day said. “This is a team that continues to come at you, so we know it’s gonna take four quarters. It went all the way down to the last play, last time we played, and we have to be prepared for that, but that’s it.”
It has been over a decade since Ohio State won a national championship. Given how close the Buckeyes have come to winning one in recent years, it feels like a lifetime ago.
Ohio State players and coaches didn’t dwell too much into the specifics of that Georgia loss. There was no mention of the Javon Bullard hit on Marvin Harrison Jr. that knocked the star receiver out of the game.
Instead, the Buckeyes have their eyes clearly focused on the task in front of them. Unconcerned about the ghosts of past defeats and relishing the opportunity to wash away those previous instances of heartbreak.
“Yeah, a painful loss, obviously, two years ago,” defensive lineman Jack Sawyer said. “But I just remember the stadium’s awesome. The stadium’s awesome. And we’re excited to get back in there and have a chance to redeem ourselves in that stadium.
“So God’s got a great way of bringing you back to the place you failed at before. So we’re taking this as a great opportunity, and we’re looking forward to it.”
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