WATCH: Quinshon Judkins Gives Ohio State The Lead In The National Championship

The Ohio State Buckeyes take the lead over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the National Championship off a Quinshon Judkins rushing touchdown.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes took the lead over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the National Championship off a hard-fought run from Quinshon Judkins.

Ohio State's offense kicked off their first possession with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off with a touchdown from freshman Jeremiah Smith. The defense would get a stop on the ensuing drive, which led to another productive drive from the Buckeyes.

QUINSHON JUDKINS WITH A GROWN MAN TOUCHDOWN 😮‍💨

STIFF ARM 💪 pic.twitter.com/KGqtbCPRZ2

— ESPN (@espn) January 21, 2025

Judkins has been a key factor in Ohio State's high-power offense this season, as the former Ole Miss running back came into Monday night's matchup with 960 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 183 carries during the 2024-25 season. His efforts this season were complimented by longtime Buckeyes' running back, TreVeyon Henderson, who also reached the 900-yard rushing mark this year.

The Buckeyes' one-two punch in Judkins and Henderson have been receiving tons of hype for the 2025 NFL Draft. Both tailbacks are projected to be late day one, early day two picks due to their outstanding efforts this season. Outside of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Judkins and Henderson have been in the mix for the second rusher to be taken in the draft.

In addition to a solid ground game for the Buckeyes, quarterback Will Howard was dominant in his first two drives of the contest. He completed all nine of his pass attempts for 82 yards. He received helped from Smith, as the standout freshman finished with two catches for 15 yards and one touchdown throughout the first two drives.