Lou Holtz apologized to a well-known college football coach this week.
That coach was not Ohio State head coach Ryan Day.
Holtz and Day have exchanged words in a mini soap opera recently. Holtz, the former head coach at Notre Dame, started the spat Friday, when he told The Pat McAfee Show that Notre Dame had a better football team than Ohio State, and the Buckeyes weren’t physical enough to beat good teams.
After Ohio State beat Notre Dame, 17-14, on Saturday, Day called out Holtz, 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.”
So Holtz apologized this week — not to Day, but to Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. Holtz told Outkick’s Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich that he called the Fighting Irish coach to apologize for riling up Day.
“I put him in a bad position, maybe,” Holtz told Dakich, adding, “I wanted him to know that I felt bad.”
Holtz then doubled down on his original comments about the Buckeyes, saying he still believes Notre Dame is the superior team. But he said he understood why Day got mad.
“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 done a tremendous job. He’s a great offensive mind.
“I think he’s doing a tremendous job. Ohio State’s a good football team. I don’t think they’re a great football team. He can go after me all he wants.”
College football fans reacted to the latest chapter in the Holtz vs. Day saga.
Ohio State football media: Lou Holtz is a clueless old man and needs to go away.
Also Ohio State football media: Hey, look what Lou Holtz said now!
— Brian Powers (@realpowersbrian) September 27, 2023
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.