Ohio State held off a trip to Notre Dame to celebrate its first national title win in 11 years.
It turned into an incredible 34-23 Buckeyes victory over the Fighting Irish at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.
The Irish stopped Ohio State on the first two plays of its next drive and used their timeouts to pile on the pressure, but quarterback Will Howard hit wide receiver Jeremiah Smith 56 yards on third-and-11 to lock up the game and set up a field goal. game that started the celebration in earnest, capping a seven-week climb from the depths of a 20-point loss by underdog Michigan to the top of college football.
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Highlights of the action from the Ohio State Buckeyes' clash with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship final
Ohio State will bring its sixth national title and first since the 2014 season back to the Horseshoe in Columbus.
Howard, a Kansas State transfer success story, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will top a pass to Smith with everything on the line.
The receiver, who was hammered by Texas in the semifinals and then pretty quiet for most of this game, finally broke free for the kind of game he's been playing all year and finished with five catches for 88 yards.
Ohio State scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, then added a field goal on its fifth to race into the lead.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard runs with the ball during the College Football Playoff National Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 yards, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State's judicious use of an ever-growing field goal, broke off a 70-yard run to set up a score that made it 28-7, this game looked.
He didn't, and now Irish coach Marcus Freeman will have to answer some tough questions — one about a botched third-quarter punt that turned into a 31-7 field goal, the other about sending Mitch Jeter into the game. for a short field goal while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call if Jeter's kick hadn't ricocheted off the left upright.
The Buckeyes still outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and was never stopped. Ohio State was the better team.