If Notre Dame's lead-off drive was the equivalent of landing the first punch of the College Football Playoff Championship Game, Ohio State connected on the next three and finished with 21 points, a near-perfect blowout for the Buckeyes. They completely reversed the trajectory of the game in the first half. 7 leads.
Quarterback Will Howard completed 14 of 15 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and Ohio State scored a touchdown on every possession in the first 30 minutes, leading to Quinn. Shon Judkins added a point on a rushing attack.
Howard set a College Football Playoff record by scoring in 12 consecutive starts, making the Buckeyes the first team since Alabama in 2013 to score on their first three possessions. Fittingly, it was also a matchup against the Fighting Irish, who were the last to play at this stage. .
After Notre Dame went on an 18-play, 75-yard drive for nearly 10 minutes to end the game, Ohio State responded with an 11-play drive that ended with Howard hitting a wide-open Jeremiah Smith for 8 yards. Ta. Touchdown.
Then, after two three-and-outs by the Fighting Irish, the Buckeyes orchestrated 10- and 12-play drives, both of which ended in touchdowns, to build a commanding lead.
On Ohio State's second drive, Judkins caught his second touchdown pass after Howard ran 9 yards into the end zone.
Notre Dame managed just three total yards on second, third and fourth possessions in the first half.
Things didn't get much better in the second half, as the Buckeyes gained 75 yards in five plays and scored just 2:14 into the third quarter, taking a 28-7 lead.
In the end, the Buckeyes won 34-23 and won their first national championship in 10 years.
