If making headlines is a career, Lou Holtz would be a billionaire. The 88-year-old football legend has a knack for stirring up drama every now and then. This time, he’s set the college football world on fire. His ongoing feud with Ohio State‘s Ryan Day has not only reignited old tensions but now has Notre Dame facing the full brunt of Buckeye fans’ anger. So, what did Holtz say this time to keep the fire burning? Buckle up because this rivalry just hit a new level.

Lou Holtz has always had a way with words, but lately, those words have put Notre Dame right in the line of fire. Last year, Holtz took a swing at Ohio State’s toughness, calling out Ryan Day’s squad for not being physical enough to hang with the big dogs. Ohio State fans didn’t take that too kindly. As one fan put it, “I don’t like what Lou Holtz said about us last year. Said we weren’t a good team. Now here’s what a lot of people don’t know—Lou Holtz used to coach for the Buckeyes. He was the assistant coach with the Buckeyes in the ’60s.” That’s a big deal when it comes to rivalry talk.

Things only got spicier after Holtz decided to poke fun at Day in a social media post. Instead of giving a simple answer about attending Notre Dame’s championship game, he threw in a jab about wanting to ‘preserve Ryan Day’s job‘ if the Irish lose. The internet went wild, and fans couldn’t get enough of the drama. “Just the Lou Holtz drama. You know, coming in last year calling us weak stuck with us. But this team’s a little different,” said an Ohio State fan, expressing how this beef has lingered for a while. Now, the Irish are catching all the flak from Buckeye Nation, who feel like Holtz’s trash talk is just an excuse to bash Notre Dame. Safe to say, Holtz’s words have put the Irish in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

As this drama unfolds, Notre Dame’s head coach, Marcus Freeman, is stuck in the middle of it. Fans have to watch as Holtz’s fiery comments continue to stir up trouble. But Notre Dame supporters are sticking up for their team, with some defending Holtz’s right to speak his mind. “I don’t have anything against the Irish. I just have respect for and love for the Buckeyes,” said a neutral fan, showing how complicated this rivalry has become. For Freeman and his team, though, this situation is anything but simple. It’s a mess-and it looks like it’s only going to get messier as more people jump into the drama.

Ryan Day’s controversy with the 88-YO legend

The back-and-forth between Ryan Day and Lou Holtz started back in September 2023, when Holtz publicly questioned Ohio State’s toughness. Holtz didn’t hold back, saying, “He has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice – and everybody who beats them does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take that same approach.” Day wasn’t about to let that slide. After Ohio State squeezed out a win over Notre Dame, he fired back with his usual Ohio pride, saying, “I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now. What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world.”

Since then, things haven’t cooled down between these two. Day made it clear that he hadn’t talked things over with Holtz, telling reporters, “No, I haven’t spoken to him.” Meanwhile, Holtz has kept the heat on, with another jab at Day on Twitter, suggesting that Notre Dame’s win would be about saving Day’s job. “If Notre Dame doesn’t win, it’s because we want to preserve Ryan Day’s job. I was originally going to be at the game in spirit, but now I’ll be dragging my body along as well.” Yeah, classic Lou Holtz—always saying what’s on his mind and making headlines.

Fans aren’t convinced this feud is going anywhere anytime soon. One Ohio State fan summed it up, saying, “There’s no chance these guys are ever going to sit down and talk it out.” With both sides dug in and Holtz’s history of being outspoken, it looks like this rivalry will continue to fuel the fire for a while. So, don’t expect these two to bury the hatchet anytime soon.