Coach Ryan Day shushed the critics, running back Quinshon Judkins scored three touchdowns, and the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes held off a furious second-half rally to beat No. 7 seed Notre Dame, 34-23,

The Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish 34-23 to win the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, their first national championship since the 2014 season

Notre Dame wasn't able to dial up pressure with any regularity on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and the results showed. Howard was able to step into throws and completed all but four pass attempts on the night, averaging 11 yards per attempt and throwing for two scores en-route to taking away game MVP honors.