The Ohio State Buckeyes clinched a spot in the national title game against Notre Dame with a 28-14 win over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.

After the game, OSU head coach Ryan Day revealed his pregame message to the Buckeyes that prepared them for a shot to play for a national championship.

“We talked before the game about how do you leave a legacy, you know, to become your own legend and there’s some guys on this team today that I believe will become legends in Ohio State history,” Day told reporters. “We also talked about how we want to keep this team together. It’s a great team. 

“They’ve been through a lot. They’re resilient and they’re great people. They do everything the right way and so now they get 10 more days together and an opportunity to tell their story if they go win one more, and so that’s really exciting.”

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day

© Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Ohio State will face Notre Dame, which defeated Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night, on Jan. 20 to crown the champion of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

With two historic programs taking center stage, everyone wants a piece of the action.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the average purchase price for a ticket is over $2,600 – a new record.

“The CFP National Championship is set! #7 Notre Dame vs. #8 Ohio State According to @tickpick, this is the most expensive National Championship on record with an average purchase price of $2,637. Current get-in: $2,208 – the cheapest across major ticket marketplaces,” Yates said in the tweet.

Ohio State enters the national title game as a heavy 9.5-point favorite, which would be the second-largest spread in a College Football Playoff national title game after Georgia’s 13.5 against TCU in 2023. The Bulldogs won 65-7.