After Ohio State’s commanding victory over Notre Dame in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship, social media erupted in a wave of playful mockery directed at Lou Holtz. Holtz, the legendary former Notre Dame coach, had been a focal point for fan humor throughout the season. His comments before the game, in which he heavily favored Notre Dame over Ohio State, turned into fodder for countless memes, jokes, and viral posts.
It all began when Holtz, in a series of high-profile interviews and analysis segments, confidently declared that Notre Dame would be the team to defeat Ohio State in the National Championship. His bold assertions were peppered with classic Holtz rhetoric, his unwavering belief in the Fighting Irish’s ability to conquer all challengers. “Ohio State is a good team, but not as good as Notre Dame,” he said, with his signature blend of optimism and certainty.
As the game unfolded and Ohio State dominated, Holtz’s pregame predictions began to look increasingly disconnected from reality. With each touchdown scored by the Buckeyes and each missed opportunity by Notre Dame, fans began to take to social media, reminding Holtz of his now-infamous statements. The jokes grew louder and sharper. “Lou Holtz thought Ohio State was good? Who needs analysis when you’ve got a crystal ball?” one tweet read, while another proclaimed, “Lou Holtz could’ve coached better with a blindfold on.”
These jokes weren’t just about the gap in predictions, however. They also played on Holtz’s age and his long tenure at Notre Dame, with some poking fun at the idea of a coach who hadn’t been directly involved with the team for years still offering predictions with such confidence. “Lou Holtz predicting a Notre Dame win in 2025 is like me predicting the weather in 2050,” one humorous meme showed, accompanied by a picture of an elderly Holtz with a crystal ball in hand.
While the jokes were meant to be lighthearted, there was an underlying, somewhat controversial aspect to the mocking. Holtz had earned his place in football history as one of the most respected coaches of his time, with a national title and a career that spanned decades. For some, this collective internet mockery seemed disrespectful. Critics argued that while it was fair to poke fun at his missteps, there was a line between playful ribbing and undermining a respected figure’s legacy. After all, Holtz had dedicated a significant part of his life to Notre Dame football and helped shape the program into what it was.
Despite the criticisms, the trend continued to gain momentum. The jokes weren’t just confined to casual fans but were even amplified by prominent sports media personalities, who gleefully joined the chorus of those laughing at Holtz’s expense. By halftime, Holtz was trending on Twitter, and the memes had taken on a life of their own. Even after the game ended with Ohio State winning decisively, the online world couldn’t help but continue to revel in the irony of Holtz’s predictions.
As the dust settled from the championship game, it became clear that Lou Holtz had unwittingly become the comedic scapegoat of the season. While his once-predicted victory for Notre Dame never materialized, his status as a football legend remained unchallenged. However, the joke would undoubtedly stick for a long time, lingering in the annals of internet humor as one of the most notable instances of a great coach getting humorously caught on the wrong side of history. For fans, it was just another reason to poke fun at the unpredictability of college football—and another reminder that sometimes, even the best intentions can lead to the most unexpected of outcomes.
