Notre Dame DC defends Ohio State HC Ryan Day against recent criticism

Al Golden has defended coach Ryan Day from criticism ahead of the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish taking on the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes tonight. The College Football Playoff National Championship takes place tonight at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

During a press conference on Sunday, Golden recalled when Day interviewed for a job with the Temple Owls. The former Temple coach praised Day for his work ethic and ability to overcome adversity.

"So Ryan comes on his interview, and basically everything that he owned was in a duffle bag. So people had said, you know, that he had it easy and all. That's all nonsense. He worked his a** off. He rose above some hardships. Some tragedy," Golden said (12:54 onwards).

Golden continued reflecting on Day's career and how he became a successful coach for Ohio State.

"Worked his way, you know, from Temple to BC (Boston College), back to Temple, and then into the NFL, and it wasn't going great at one point. I think they got let go, and then he ends up at Ohio State, and the rest is history, and so I couldn't be more happy for anybody because of his work ethic and what he's become," Golden said (13:17 onwards).

"So all the critics, you know, at the end of the day, what is he? He's a great coach. He's a tremendous father. He's a great husband, and he's a leader of men, so I'm happy for him. I really am."

Despite his admiration for Day, Golden added that they both want to win the championship, and his job is to ensure Notre Dame plays their best on Monday.

"It wasn't perfect": Al Golden shares what Notre Dame learned from win against Penn State to prepare for the championship game

Notre Dame (14-1) is coming off a 27-24 win over the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (13-3) on Jan. 9 in the Orange Bowl. The team struggled early but was able to defeat their opponent following a field goal from kicker Mitch Jeter with seconds left in the game.

Golden discussed the win during the press conference and what the team learned to prepare for Ohio State (13-2).

"We have to do what we need to do to win the game, you know, and what we learned last week is it wasn't perfect. It wasn't perfect, but when you scratch and claw, and you hang in there, and you give yourself a chance to win, sometimes great things happen," Golden said (16:48 onwards).

He also said that the team isn't expecting a perfect performance and will adjust their game plan depending on Ohio State's strategy for the matchup.

DraftKings has Notre Dame as +310 underdogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship.