Ryan Day needed the national championship not to save his job, but to remind everybody why he was Urban Meyer's successor.

The Ohio State Buckeyes made history as the first No. 8 seed to win a national title, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the College Football Playoff National Championship. This victory gave the Buckeyes their ninth national title and their first since 2014.

The Fighting Irish found a way to get Ohio State into a third and 12 situation, but a deep ball to Jeremiah Smith crushed the comeback effort. Ohio State kicked a late field goal and won the game 34-23.

The early betting favorite to win next year’s national championship: Ohio State. The question nobody really can answer at this time: What sort of sport will the Buckeyes or anyone else return to when they kick it off again seven months from now.