Ohio State has made history! The Buckeyes have claimed their ninth national championship, defeating Notre Dame 34–23 in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff National Championship. From an underdog No.

"First, Ohio State (No. 1 on [Mark] Schlabach's list) is obviously in despite a challenging 2025 schedule (No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Penn State at home, No. 13 Illinois and No. 21 Michigan on the road) and the requisite loss to the Wolverines," Connelly noted. "The Buckeyes will go 2-1 against the other headliners and advance at 10-2."

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been on top of the college football world for the last week-plus after beating Notre Dame to win the first 12-team College Football Playoff. Head coach Ryan Day was able to shed all doubt about his ability to lead the Buckeyes to the promised land.