Other than that, the former national championship-winning coach and ESPN commentator, made no apologies for what he said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday that fired up Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day.
In fact, Holtz doubled down on what he said them during an appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.”
Holtz questioned Ohio State’s toughness going into Saturday’s game against Notre Dame — the Buckeyes won 17-14 — and he said on Tuesday that he still felt the Fighting Irish were the better football team.
“I’m sorry that Coach Day was offended by it,” Holtz said. “I hope he goes on and 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, the opposition is not Ohio State. The opposition is the clock.”
Day tore into Holtz’s critiques during his postgame interview on the field with NBC and again with reporters during his press conference.
The 86-year-old didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact Day went after him with such fervor after the Ohio State win and said that Day could “go after me all he wants.”
“That’s his choice. I can understand why he did,” Holtz said. “He doesn’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. He’s a tremendous coach. He’s a great offensive mind.
“He hired an outstanding defensive coordinator from Oklahoma State who is doing a tremendous job.
“Ohio State is a good football team, but I don’t think they’re a great football team.”
The Buckeyes pulled off the gutsy win led by quarterback Kyle McCord, who charged his team down the field on the final drive of the game before running back Chip Trayanum capped things off with a one-yard touchdown run with one second left on the clock.
Holtz was a bit shocked at how much controversy his words had stirred up, and he expressed surprise at the reach of McAfee’s show.
The man who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988 did sound a little contrite about the position he put the Fighting Irish and head coach Marcus Freeman in, however.
“I called Coach Freeman and apologized,” Holtz said. “Because I put him in a bad position. Maybe. I don’t feel bad about saying it, because I believed it.”
