Title earned, edge at QB: 5 things we learned from the Ohio State's win over Notre Dame
ATLANTA — Here are five things we learned from No. 8 Ohio State’s 34-23 win over No. 7 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff final on Monday night:
Ohio State Buckeyes earned the title
This group navigated an unprecedented stretch to win a national championship.
It took four postseason wins for them to lift the trophy, including toppling three of the selection committee’s five highest-ranked teams.
Their résumé is not spotless. The Buckeyes lost twice during the regular season, including an ugly loss to archrival Michigan. Other champions have run the table during unbeaten seasons, including two this decade.
But no one has ever faced a more difficult path to the top of the sport.
When the four-team playoff or Bowl Championship Series crowned champions over the past quarter-century, the formats required contenders to win only one or two games during the postseason.
Buy Ohio State books, posters, gear from CFP title win
This structure added two more for Ohio State, which needed to manage the wear and tear of a longer season and have the resolve to move through each round.
“Our team has come together so well over the last month and a half,” coach Ryan Day said.
All four of the Buckeyes’ wins during the playoff run were by double-digits. They trailed for only six minutes during the postseason.
The Buckeyes were battled-tested. When also including the regular season, they beat six of the top eight teams, surviving a gauntlet. They are the most deserving champion in the sport’s history.
Ohio State's Ryan Day got over the hump
Day can lay claim to being one of the best coaches in the country.
Not only does his .875 winning percentage remain the highest in the Football Bowl Subdivision, but he also has hardware to take home.
Along with Kirby Smart of Georgia and Dabo Swinney of Clemson, he is one of only three active coaches to win a national championship and the first to guide a team through the expanded playoff format.
Since inheriting the program from Urban Meyer six years ago, Day has faced skepticism over his ability to lead the Buckeyes to a title.
Up until this season, he had won only one playoff game. Most of his success was confined to the regular season. A stable tenure lacked a landmark accomplishment.
But this postseason run brings a reputation makeover, allowing Day to move into an exclusive coaching club.
It also puts him in secure historical company. He is Ohio State’s fifth national championship-winning coach and well positioned to become the first since Woody Hayes to win multiple.
There was an edge for Ohio State at quarterback
Both Ohio State and Notre Dame were in the market for a transfer quarterback last offseason.
But the Irish were on an earlier timeline and moved to land Riley Leonard from Duke, picking him over Will Howard, who was leaving Kansas State for his final year of eligibility.
The decision resulted in Howard remaining available when the Buckeyes mined the portal, allowing them to bring him in to replace Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse.
It benefited Ohio State in the final
Howard’s strength as a passer was evident against the Irish as he completed 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns.
He set a championship game record for consecutive completions, connecting on his first 13 passes. Had safety Xavier Watts not broken up a pass to running back TreVeyon Henderson late in the second quarter, he would have been perfect in the first half.
Howard’s passing, distributing to a talented cast of playmakers, mattered more than Leonard’s running that became less effective following the Irish’s first drive.
The middle eight advantage flipped for Ohio State
Notre Dame has thrived during the middle eight, which includes last four minutes of the second quarter and first four minutes of the third.
The Irish outscored Penn State 10-0 during this stretch in the semifinals, setting the stage for a comeback win.
Among the 134 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Irish had the widest scoring margin during the middle eight, as noted in a story by The Wall Street Journal.
But it was the Buckeyes who had the advantage on Monday, outscoring them 14-0 during the stretch, adding to a 28-7 lead that became insurmountable.
Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly were aware of the Irish’s knack for winning the middle eight.
They controlled the tempo on a touchdown drive late in the second quarter, reaching the end zone with only 27 seconds left until halftime.
It effectively allowed them to steal a possession as they had deferred to the second half and used the opening series to again march down the field, Quinshon Judkins’ 70-yard run setting up another touchdown.
Michigan no longer defines a season for Ohio State
The stakes of the rivalry had largely been all or nothing for more than a century.
A loss to Michigan in late November was bound to keep the Buckeyes from winning the national championship.
Especially in the poll era, they needed to prevail in The Game to finish atop the Big Ten standings and have a shot at being voted No. 1 by the sportswriters or coaches.
But the expansion of the playoff has changed the tenor of the rivalry.
A setback will cost the Buckeyes bragging rights, as it did this year when they were upset as three-touchdown favorites. But it will not always be a fatal blow.
As long as 12 teams qualify for the playoff, Ohio State will be able to withstand losses during the regular season, even ones at the hands of its bitter rival.
For the first time, it has won the national title in a season in which it did not defeat Michigan.
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This story was updated to add a video.