ATLANTA — Admittedly, this question might seem absurd.

Ohio State is just hours away from facing Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff championship game, capping off a season that has swung dramatically from the disappointment of losing to Michigan to the potential triumph of winning the program’s first championship since the four-team playoff system began ten years ago.

Since that rivalry loss, the Buckeyes have charged through three playoff games, putting that painful memory behind them with remarkable victories over Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas. Now, the question arises: If the loss to Michigan motivated this championship run, would the Buckeyes be willing to make that trade?

In simpler terms, would you exchange a defeat against the Wolverines for a championship ring?

“I don’t have an answer to that right now,” said senior offensive lineman Josh Fryar. “Maybe I’ll have some clarity after Monday night.”

Wide receiver Carnell Tate added, “Honestly, it’s not worth losing any game.”

A fourth straight defeat in this rivalry would linger with Ohio State until next November and could partially define their season, even if they manage to beat the Fighting Irish.

However, there is a notable difference between that ultimate setback — likely the lowest point of coach Ryan Day’s career given the way the Wolverines were performing at that time — and where Ohio State stands now as they prepare for Monday night.

“That’s the harsh truth about this game: no one really cares about what you’ve been through, and you need to win that last game to fulfill your mission,” Day stated. “For our guys, as impressive as some of these victories have been, it’s all about winning this final game. Our team has learned a lot about life in the past month. We’ve shared in both the highs and lows.”

Just two days after the loss, Day reminded the Buckeyes that the playoff was their chance for a fresh start — a rare opportunity to turn around a painful moment and pursue the national championship.

“It really helped us change our approach,” senior linebacker Cody Simon remarked. “We realized we needed to go on a winning streak if we wanted to achieve our goal. We came together and decided that this was our year to make it happen. But we knew we had to put in the work.”

The defeat against Michigan didn’t lead to any drastic overhauls in strategy for Ohio State. “It’s nothing magical or mysterious,” offensive assistant Justin Frye explained. “There were alignment issues, assignment complications, and communication failures. The focus was on correcting those to allow us to play more aggressively and confidently.”

Instead, players cited the playoff schedule as a crucial factor that helped the Buckeyes move on from their rivalry loss rather than dwell on it.

Their first playoff game against Tennessee was on December 21, which was three weeks and a day after the Michigan game. This was the earliest postseason game for the Buckeyes since they played in the 1982 Holiday Bowl against BYU on December 17. Since the 1994 season, Ohio State has only played five bowl games in December, with three of those occurring in the playoff semifinals.

“The quicker we can get back on the field, the faster we can create a new narrative,” said defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. “We could feel bad for a bit, then it was time to get back to work. Anytime you can return to work, it aids in moving past those setbacks.”

After dedicating two days to reviewing the Michigan game film, the Buckeyes had no choice but to redirect their focus to what lay ahead — by the time their matchup with Tennessee was confirmed the following Sunday, they had less than two weeks to gear up for a top SEC team.

“Initially we spent a few days reflecting and discussing when and who we were going to play,” said junior linebacker Sonny Styles. “But once we knew we were facing Tennessee, it was go time.”

This team is markedly different from the one that stumbled against the Wolverines. Ohio State dominated Tennessee, racing to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and outdoing the Volunteers by over 200 yards en route to a 42-17 victory. When they squared off against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes surged ahead, leading 34-0 late in the first half and avenging their earlier loss with a decisive 41-21 win. In the quarterfinals against Texas in the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State rallied after a tough match, sealing the game with a crucial defensive touchdown for a 28-14 win.

“The key message here is how we responded after hitting a low point,” said Styles. “Life can bring you down, and you have a choice: either you sulk, or you fight back. We chose to fight back.”