Some of history’s most memorable feuds pit unexpected adversaries against one another.

Look no further than Ryan Day and Lou Holtz.

Holtz, the legendary former Notre Dame football coach, is 42 years older than Day and hasn’t coached in college football since 2004, the same season when Day was 25 years old, two years removed from college and working as a graduate assistant at Boston College.

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Their lack of a shared history, however, didn’t prevent a beef from simmering between the two.

Following Ohio State’s 17-14 victory last season at Notre Dame in a matchup of top-10 teams, Day infamously called out Holtz for comments he perceived as disrespectful.

“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” Day said in his post-game interview with NBC.

What prompted Day’s comments? And how did a coach at one of the premier programs in the sport get immersed in a back-and-forth with a then-86-year-old man who hadn’t roamed a sideline in nearly 20 years?

Heading into Ohio State’s game against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday night, a rematch of last season’s Buckeyes win, here’s a closer look at the feud between Day and Holtz:

What did Lou Holtz say about Ryan Day?

Even by the standards of modern-day beefs, the feud between Holtz and Day began under bizarre circumstances.

The day before Ohio State and Notre Dame were set to square off at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 23, 2023, Holtz made an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, where Holtz was interviewed by show member Ty Schmit, who was wearing a Holtz mask and a Notre Dame hat while impersonating the former coach’s manner of speaking, including his lisp.

Holtz was asked if the 2023 iteration of the Fighting Irish reminded him of past Notre Dame teams that he coached, a group that included a 1988 squad that won the national championship. Holtz said that yes, they did, and added that the Irish were better than the Ohio State team they were preparing to play.

While providing an explanation for that belief, Holtz offered up a quote that added some spice to what was already a hotly anticipated game between two of the country’s best teams.

“Defensively, our defensive line is better,” Holtz said. “You look at Coach Day. I coached at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. We won the national championship when I was there. I’m proud of that. However, he has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Michigan twice. Everybody that beats him does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take that same approach.”

The comment immediately went viral, with college football fans across the country taking notice of Holtz’s words and debating whether they were an accurate critique of the Ohio State program under Day.

The question of whether they made their way back to the Buckeyes’ coach was quickly and definitively answered.

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Ryan Day-Lou Holtz feud

The matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame lived up to its immense hype, with the Buckeyes mounting a 15-play, 65-yard drive in the final two minutes, capped off by a 1-yard Chip Trayanum touchdown run with one second remaining to give his team a 17-14 victory.

When reflecting on the win in the immediate aftermath of it, Day talked about his team’s toughness in a post-game interview on the field with NBC before turning his attention to Holtz, starting with his now-iconic comment wondering where Holtz was at the time.

“What he said about our team, I cannot believe,” an impassioned Day said. “This is a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world and it’ll continue to be Ohio against the world. I’ll tell you what – I love those kids and we’ve got a tough team.”

A few days later, Holtz offered a pointed response during an interview with former college basketball coach and ESPN analyst Dan Dakich.

“That’s his choice,” Holtz said. “I can understand why he did. 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 done a tremendous job. He’s a great offensive mind. He hired a great defensive coordinator from Oklahoma State (Jim Knowles) who’s doing a tremendous job for him. Ohio State’s a good football team, but I don’t think they’re a great football team.”

Though he offered some praise for Day, he maintained his criticism of his Ohio State team.

“I honestly felt that Notre Dame was the better football team,” Holtz said. “They’re more physical. I’m sorry that Coach Day was offended by it. 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.”

Perhaps showing his age, Holtz said he had no idea his comments “would be that widely received,” adding that he didn’t know so many people watched McAfee’s show.

More than a year later, though, it appears as though whatever hard feelings there may have been have softened.

With the championship matchup set, Holtz praised Ohio State for its improved offense under first-year coordinator Chip Kelly and its defense, which he said is one of the best in the sport.

“This is a different Ohio State football team than we’ve seen in past years,” Holtz said in a recent episode of his podcast. “I’ve always said Ohio State’s not a real physical football team, but that’s not true with this football team.”