Ohio State players enter national championship with confidence rooted in faith

College football players and coaches have spoken openly and on the biggest platforms this season about their faith, and on Monday, two teams that have led that conversation will face off in the national championship. 

Ohio State is the favorite heading into the title game, but for many players it’s their faith, not stats and analytics, that’s the driving factor behind their confidence on the field.  

In a series of interviews with Sports Spectrum this season, several Buckeyes players spoke about turning to their faith and how doing so has impacted their performance on the field. 

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“I would say for the past couple years we’ve kinda been – there’s kinda been a number of players on the football team who have restored their faith in Jesus Christ. And that was something that was big for me my freshman year,” star receiver Emeka Egbuka told the outlet in November. 

Egbuka, a graduate student, recalled in his interview the turning point for him. He was invited to attend a mass by his fellow teammates and said it was the first time he had felt a true connection to his faith. 

“Ever since then, my life has been changed. A complete 180, and I have a similar testimony to a lot of players on the team. We’ve been praying for a type of revival like this on our team, and we decided to share with everybody what God has been doing on our football team.” 

Egbuka said he opted against going into the NFL Draft last season because he felt a calling that was “bigger” than football. 

Emeka Egbuka, #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes, runs the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon.  (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

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“I felt the Lord was leading me back to Ohio State for another year. I felt the Lord asking me a question, testing my heart: ‘If you do come back for this next year, you’re going to have this massive platform, you’re going to have tons of following, you are going to have these accolades –  this name to live up to, and you can do one of two things with that moment. You can either use it to glorify me or to glorify yourself,’ so I saw it as somewhat of a challenge and something that I had to do.” 

Star running back TreVeyon Henderson told the outlet in a separate interview that despite his standout rookie season, which included success and NIL deals, he had turned to his faith following an injury. 

“He saved my life from going down that road of destruction. He saved me. He put me on this path of everlasting life . . . you see so many people go down that large path of destruction, but I’m so thankful that Jesus, He rescued me from that path and put me on His path.” 

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) scores a touchdown on a 75-yard touchdown catch and run against the Texas Longhorns in the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on January, 10, 2025. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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And just last month, tight end Gee Scott Jr. said that this season has been highlighted by massive change spiritually. 

“I would just say there’s been a mass herd of people who are making the public declaration to yield their life to Christ, which I commend so much, because, especially at this age and in 2024, the world that we live in right now, there’s so many things that you could allude or surrender your life to, there’s so many things that you can give your life to.” 

Just this week, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard praised both teams for speaking so openly about their faith, and he believes that it’s a big reason as to why they are the two teams battling it out for college football’s biggest prize. 

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