ATLANTA — The regular college football season suggested no dominant team stood out, but those claims were proven false in the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State has emerged as the undeniable top team, proving itself to be a powerhouse.

When the Buckeyes were at their best, no one, including Notre Dame, could keep pace with them.

Ohio State solidified their path to the national championship by overcoming the Irish with a score of 34-23 on Monday.

Despite trailing by a large margin going into the second half, Notre Dame rallied to make the game competitive. It was expected that the Irish would not go down easily, demonstrating their resilience, though they ultimately couldn’t match the talent of Ohio State.

Fans of the Buckeyes often proclaim their mission as “Ohio against the World.” Well, this playoff season showed the world what Ohio State is capable of. They triumphed over Tennessee, overwhelmed Oregon, survived a tough challenge from Texas, and now, prevailed over Notre Dame.

Crown the Buckeyes as the deserving champions of the inaugural 12-team playoff.

Based on their performance this evening, no team in the bracket would have been able to stop them—not even powerhouse teams like 2019 LSU or 2020 Alabama, or any of Kirby Smart’s championship squads. Although Notre Dame displayed determination and executed some key plays to reach this stage, they were simply outmatched by Ohio State.

Will Howard Shines for Ohio State Against Notre Dame

Ohio State’s offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, with Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson making significant runs. Notre Dame’s man-to-man coverage struggled to deal with the Buckeyes’ extraordinary wide receiver group.

Amidst all this, quarterback Will Howard consistently advanced the offense. He completed one pass, then two, then three—leading to a total of thirteen completions before finally missing a throw.

By halftime, Howard had thrown two touchdown passes but had only two incompletions to his name.

With protective blocking from his offensive line, Howard scanned the field effortlessly, dissecting the defense as if he were a captain navigating calm waters. He also executed several critical runs, validating Ohio State’s decision to bring Howard in from the transfer portal to complete their roster.

The Buckeyes converted seven third downs in a row before their kicker finally had to take a shot at a field goal in the third quarter.

Looking for a big play to seal the win, Howard delivered a stunning 57-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith, solidifying his legacy at Ohio State with this standout performance.

Ryan Day Confounds Doubters as Buckeyes Dominate Playoff

The Buckeyes physically and strategically outmatched the Irish.

This Ohio State squad has transformed into the powerhouse we all anticipated, backed by a roster filled with top talent and a whopping $20 million in NIL funds.

Even incredible teams can face challenges, and the Buckeyes faltered against Michigan in a shocking upset last November. This led to the College Football Playoff selection committee overreacting by placing Ohio State at eighth seed—a laughable ranking given their impressive record and talent.

Ohio State measures its success against Michigan, and there was a significant backlash against coach Ryan Day following his fourth consecutive loss to the Wolverines. Many Buckeye fans turned against him, and a flood of Tennessee supporters filled the stadium for OSU’s first playoff game, creating an orange hue throughout the Horseshoe.

However, Day has quieted his critics with a remarkable postseason run against four opponents ranked among the top seven final teams in the CFP. He’s now one of three active coaches with a national championship, matching the number of titles Urban Meyer earned during his seven years leading the Buckeyes.

What a turnaround, right? Instead of firing him, how about rewarding him with a raise?

And let’s raise a banner for a team that spent the regular season finding its footing before emerging as the powerhouse it was always meant to be.

Blake Toppmeyer is the YSL News Network’s national college football columnist. Follow him on X @btoppmeyer.