Joe McGuire, the son of ex-Collingwood president and media personality Eddie, is a national champion.
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McGuire didn’t have to do much in the end, only called on once late in the fourth quarter after Ohio State’s high-powered offence stalled for the first time.
But he is the latest Australian punter to claim a national title nonetheless, with the Buckeyes defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in the championship game on Tuesday.
McGuire, who punted six times for an average of 42 yards in Ohio State’s win over Texas that booked their spot in the title game, follows Georgia’s Brett Thorson as the most recent Australian to win college football’s biggest prize.
While it was a dream result for the McGuire family, it was heartbreak for another Australian on the other side of the field.
James Rendell, the son of late Fitzroy champion turned recruiter Matt, punted for Notre Dame.
He wasn’t called on much either, punting twice for 97 yards.
For Ohio State, the victory capped off what was the toughest path to the championship game ever seen, having beaten No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 8 Indiana on their the way to ultimate glory.
Ohio State won the toss and deferred, with Notre Dame getting first use of the ball at their own 25-yard line.
The Buckeyes had a chance to force an early three-and-out but the Fighting Irish converted on 4th-and-1 before going on to open the scoring with a Riley Leonard rushing touchdown.
It capped off a 18-play, 75-yard opening drive which used up nearly 10 minutes of the play clock and featured nine rushes for 34 yards from the Notre Dame quarterback.
In response, the Fighting Irish had their own opportunity to get a quick three-and-out but electric freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith made the crucial catch on 3rd-and-5.
A few bruising runs from TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins then helped set up Ohio State in the red zone and it didn’t take long for the Buckeyes to convert, bringing Smith in motion for the fake end around before reversing and finding himself wide open for the touchdown to level the game at 7-7 early in the second.
While neither Australian featured in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game, Rendell was called on for his first punt of the game as Notre Dame’s second drive stalled deep in their own territory.
Rendell’s punt went for 46 yards to the Ohio State 34, with the Buckeyes called for holding and backed up an extra 10 yards in a positive result for the Fighting Irish.
But any hope of Notre Dame defence holding up quickly faded when the Buckeyes had back-to-back chunk completions to open their drive, with Judkins later punching it in for the go-ahead touchdown.
A quick three-and-out for Notre Dame forced Rendell to send the ball away again, with the Australian once more doing his best to flip the field on a 51-yard punt and turn momentum back in the Fighting Irish’s favour.
But Notre Dame wasn’t able to do much to stop the Buckeyes from marching down the field and delivering the knockout punch right before halftime as Will Howard scrambled and threw across his body to an open Judkins in the end-zone.
That touchdown, Judkin’s third of the night, put Ohio State ahead 28-7 at halftime and left Notre Dame desperate, so much so that they attempted a trick punt on their first drive of the third quarter.
But unlike most trick punts, this one was incredibly predictable and thus easier to defend for Ohio State, who were prepared for it as Steve Angeli’s pass to Jordan Faison fell incomplete.
The turnover on downs put the Buckeyes in prime field position to extend their lead, but they ended up having to settle for the field goal after Howard overthrew a wide-open Carnell Tate.
At that point, it looked like a matter of Ohio State by how many as Notre Dame faced a 3rd-and-19 with three minutes left in the third quarter which, if they did not convert, would’ve been lights out.
Instead, a pass interference call kept the drive alive and a few plays later Leonard connected with Jaden Greathouse for a 34-yard touchdown to make it a two-score game.
Still, Notre Dame’s feeble defence had previously prevented the Fighting Irish from building any momentum earlier in the game.
But momentum had well and truly turned in Notre Dame’s favour after Drayk Bowen punched the ball out of Emeka Egbuka’s hands, seeing the Fighting Irish take over at their own 21-yard line.
Notre Dame failed to convert on that opportunity, missing a field goal attempt, but with 6:34 on the clock Iowa State was then forced to bring out McGuire for his first punt of the game.
It was a solid 51-yard effort from the Australian and forced the Fighting Irish to begin at their own 20-yard line, but a catch-and-run of 33 yards from Mitchell Evans had Notre Dame deep in OSU territory.
Greathouse then got open for his second touchdown of the game before the successful two-point attempt kept the Fighting Irish within grasp of the unlikeliest of wins.
But having kept him quiet for most of the night outside of his earlier touchdown, Smith called game with a 57-yard catch to ice the result and the championship for Ohio State.