Game Of The Century: William Shakespeare And The Incredible 1935 Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Comeback

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are getting set to face off for just the ninth time in history in Monday night’s 2025 National Championship Game. Despite a limited history of head-to-head matchups, the two storied programs have played a number of memorable games over the decades.
But none can hold a candle to the first-ever game between the teams, the 1935 showdown in Ohio Stadium. It was one of the first “games of the century” and featured an incredible comeback, last-minute heroics, and drama written by William Shakespeare himself.

Take a trip back 90 years into the past to the first-ever matchup of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame.

There were definitely some significant parallels between a big game week in Columbus then and now.

The city basically came to a total halt around the game. Election Day was on the Tuesday after the game, but even politicians admitted that no one was thinking about them.

There were stories about how visiting fans were coming in droves, just like the Tennessee game.

All of the major sportswriters from around the country, including Damon Runyan and Grantland Rice came to watch the game, basically the equivalent of College Gameday coming to campus now.