Ohio State needed four ferocious victories to vanquish a soul-crushing loss to Michigan and win the College Football Playoff championship.

In the history of the college football, no team has faced a tougher path to the championship. OSU fell to No. 8 in the CFP bracket after losing to Michigan but outscored its four postseason opponents – No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon, No. 5 Texas and No. 7 Notre Dame – by a combined score of 145-75.

Ohio State last won a national title when Urban Meyer was still its head coach. The Buckeyes took home the trophy in the first year of the four-team CFP by beating Oregon 42-20. Meyer led a team that featured running back Ezekiel Elliot, receiver Michael Thomas and quarterback Cardale Jones.