DEFINITELY HAPPENING: ‘Painful Loss’ to Georgia Still Lingers Two Years After Ohio State’s Last Game in Atlanta
DEFINITELY HAPPENING: ‘Painful Loss’ to Georgia Still Lingers Two Years After Ohio State’s Last Game in Atlanta
January 18, 2025 – Columbus, OH – Two years have passed since Ohio State’s heart-wrenching 2023 Peach Bowl defeat to Georgia in Atlanta, but the sting of that loss continues to haunt the Buckeyes as they prepare for the upcoming college football season. For many players, coaches, and fans, the bitter end to their national title hopes remains a driving force in their determination to achieve redemption.
The 2023 Peach Bowl, held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, was a wild and thrilling contest that saw Ohio State fall just short of an upset, losing 42-41 in one of the most dramatic finishes in college football playoff history. With a late-game field goal attempt by Ohio State’s Noah Ruggles sailing wide left, Georgia escaped with the victory and advanced to win the national championship.
For Ohio State, the loss represented more than just a missed opportunity—it was a brutal reminder of how close they were to clinching the title. With a defense that struggled to contain Georgia’s offense in the second half and a failed attempt at victory in the final seconds, the Buckeyes were left with the sour taste of what could have
Despite the passage of time, the emotional toll of that defeat is still palpable at Ohio State, where players and coaches alike continue to reflect on what went wrong in Atlanta. During a press conference earlier this week, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day admitted that the memory of that game still lingers in the minds of everyone associated with the program.
“That loss is something we think about every single day,” Day said. “It was a painful one. We were right there, and it’s hard to shake that feeling. We had a chance to make history, and for one reason or another, it slipped away. But it also drives us. That loss fuels everything we do as a team. It’s what keeps us focused and hungry.”
The Buckeyes’ roster has changed since that fateful day—key players like quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. are now in the NFL—but the ghosts of Atlanta still remain. Many returning players from that 2023 squad, including linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and defensive back Jordan Hancock, have expressed that the loss remains a painful part of their journey.
“It still feels fresh, even two years later,” Eichenberg said. “You don’t forget a game like that. We were so close, and we all know we could have done things differently. It eats at you, and it should. But it also pushes us to be better. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Ohio State fans, too, continue to feel the lingering effects of the loss. While many in the fanbase have moved on to new seasons and new expectations, there remains a collective longing for the championship that slipped through their fingers. The haunting memory of that missed field goal and the heartbreak in the final seconds has kept many supporters fixated on what could have been.
But as the 2025 season looms, there is a renewed sense of purpose in Columbus. The Buckeyes have used the memory of the Georgia loss as fuel for their offseason workouts, and the upcoming season is seen as an opportunity for redemption. Ohio State’s return to national championship contention seems all but inevitable, with the team ranked among the top in preseason polls and poised to make another run at the title.
“It’s all about learning from the past and using it to build the future,” Day said. “We can’t change what happened in Atlanta, but we can control how we respond. And believe me, we’re going to respond.”
For Ohio State, the painful loss in Atlanta may never fully fade, but as the 2025 season approaches, it’s clear that the Buckeyes are using it as the fuel to push themselves to even greater heights.
