88-year-old former coach Lou Holtz takes a dig at Ryan Day's job while revealing if he'll attend CFB championship game

Lou Holtz coached Notre Dame from 1986-96. Ahead of the Fighting Irish's College Football Playoff national title matchup with Ryan Day and Ohio State, it seems Holtz' rivalry with the Buckeyes isn't yet through. The 88-year-old had some words directed at Day before the big clash.

"If Notre Dame doesn't win, it's because we want to preserve Ryan Day's job," Holtz wrote Wednesday on X. "I was originally going to be at the game in spirit, but now I'll be dragging my body along as well."

Lou Holtz went 100-30-2 while in charge at Notre Dame. Four of his Fighting Irish teams were ranked No. 1 in the nation by the Associated Press. In 1988, he guided the program to a perfect 12-0 record and the national championship.

Holtz had a lot to say about how his former program sizes up against one of the best rosters. College football analyst RJ Young relayed those messages.

"Vintage, first-time caller, long-time listener, 'I don't think that Ohio State's culture matches Notre Dame's culture!' He said that," Young said Wednesday on The Number One College Football Show (Comments start at 1:47).

"I think that all Notre Dame has to do is run the football!' He said that. 'I don't think Ohio State is used to being in a close game!' He said that. He knew Jeremiyah Love's name. He did not know Riley Leonard's name."

Lou Holtz's way to antagonize Ohio State impresses RJ Young

Before Ohio State's road matchup with Notre Dame in 2023, Lou Holtz was critical of the Buckeyes' toughness. During his podcast, RJ Young was all love for it.

"The way he did it is one of the great ways in which you can antagonize an Ohio State fan," Young said. "One, just yell 'Michigan!' apparently, right? Two, tell them that their football team is soft. ... The point is that Ryan Day felt so compelled after getting the win against Notre Dame that he needed to let everybody know what he really thought about what Lou Holtz had to say about him and about his squad."

As Young alluded to, right after a hard-fought 17-13 win, decided by a late, dramatic rushing score, Day fired back at Holtz in his post-game on-field television interview.

Young has an idea for the Fighting Irish to get under Ohio State's skin, one that includes Holtz, who will likely be in Atlanta for the big game.

"Have Lou Holtz come out for the coin flip," Young said. "Have Lou Holtz come out there, flip the coin, and then tell the captains at Ohio State, 'You're soft, you're soft, you're soft, your whole squad soft, your parents soft, the fanbase behind you, they're all soft.' ... I think that might do something."

With the way the Buckeyes have looked, something will have to spook them to knock them off their game.