Lou Holtz Does Not Walk Back What He Said About Ohio State On Dan Dakich's 'Don't @ Me'

Former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz held his ground pertaining to statements he made last Friday that Ohio State is not a tough football team. He doubled down on those statements during an appearance on Dan Dakich's "Don't @ Me" show at OutKick.com on Tuesday.

Never mind that Ohio State won at Notre Dame, 17-14, on Saturday. The No. 3 Buckeyes (4-0) also outgained now-No. 13 Notre Dame (4-1) with 366 yards to 351. Ohio State also averaged 4.6 yards a rush to 4.5 by the Irish - not a large difference but that is what the "tougher" teams tend to do.

"Notre Dame was a better football team," Holtz, 86, insisted on Dakich's show. "I felt Notre Dame won the football game. All we had to do was fall on the ball."

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Holtz, who won Notre Dame's last national title in 1988, said he thought Notre Dame passed too much on its last drive before punting to Ohio State. The Buckeyes took over with 1:26 to play for their game-winning touchdown drive. The Buckeyes went 65 yards in 15 plays for the victory.

"Notre Dame is a better football team than Ohio State, and let me tell you why," Holtz said Friday on the Pat McAfee show. "You look at coach Day, and he has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice. And everybody that beats him does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State. And I think Notre Dame will take that same approach. You take this message to Ohio State. You tell ’em they better bring their lunch because it’s going to be a full day’s work."

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After beating Notre Dame, Day was incensed in an interview on NBC.

"I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now," Day said. "What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. And it’s always been Ohio against the world. And it’ll continue to be Ohio against the world."

Former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz still thinks Notre Dame beat Ohio State on Saturday even though it lost 17-14. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

Dakich asked Holtz for his reaction to Day's statement.

"That's his choice, and I can understand why he did," Holtz said. "He doesn't want to talk about Michigan, you know, 0-2."

Day is actually 1-2 against Michigan, but he has lost the last two.

"He doesn't want to talk about the big game coming up against Penn State and against Michigan," Holtz said, continuing to needle.

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Ohio State is open Saturday before playing Maryland on Oct. 7 (Noon, FOX). The Buckeyes meet Penn State on Oct. 21 and Michigan on Nov. 25 (Noon, FOX).

"He's a great coach," Holtz said Tuesday. "He's done a tremendous job. He has a great offensive mind. Ohio State's a good team. I don't think they're a great team. He can go after me all he wants. I honestly felt that Notre Dame was better and more physical. And I'm sorry that coach Day was offended by it. I hope he goes on and has a wonderful year. I don't think they'll be a great team. I really don't."

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Holtz said he was surprised at the fallout from his comments.

"I hadn't done TV for a few years and had no idea it would be that widely received," he said. "I really had no idea Mr. McAfee's show was so widely watched. But I said it. That's it. I can't do anything about it. I can't erase it."

Holtz regretted making the statement. Then he said it again.

"I probably shouldn't have said it," he said. "I have great respect for coach Day. But they are not a real physical football team."