Out of its lowest moment of the season came clarity for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Raw emotions. Honesty. Hard conversations that were long overdue. It all came spilling out in a players-only meeting on the Tuesday after Ohio State's devastating loss to Michigan in the final weekend of the regular season.

QB Will Howard said Ohio State's "truth-telling" loss to Michigan in November has continued to fuel the Buckeyes throughout the College Football Playoff.

ATLANTA -- "Think traditionally, but without traditional thinking." Those were the words of Ross Bjork, the still-new Ohio State athletic director during the Saturday morning media day ahead of Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship game.

Ohio State and Notre Dame battle Monday in Atlanta in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. The 7-seed Fighting Irish and 8-seed Buckeyes had to play three rounds of playoffs to reach the finale.

The winner claims the national championship in the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff and longest college football season ever. Ohio State is trying for its sixth title, and first since its 2014 team won the inaugural CFP. Notre Dame is going for its 12th title, and first since 1988.