Ohio State finished as the No. 1 team after defeating Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship

By beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 on a frigid Atlanta night, Ohio State has the right to tell everyone in the country they have the best football team. This was a team that needed a swift kick in the rear end by arch rival Michigan to light the fire inside them we all knew was there all along.

Ohio State wins College Football Playoff championship, beating Notre Dame 34-23.

Ohio State defeated Notre Dame on Monday night to capture the national championship. Here's what we learned from College Football Playoff final.

The Ohio State University Buckeyes are national champions after defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night. It was the first college football championship game played under the new 12-team format implemented this season.

Ohio State used run defense to top Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship. These stats show how the Buckeyes pulled it off.

When the Ohio State football team walked off the field on Nov. 30, having lost a fourth straight game to Michigan, none of this seemed possible. In that moment, it didn’t seem possible the Buckeyes would even make it to Atlanta.