Ohio State claims CFP title with lopsided win over Oregon
Ohio State wasn't supposed to be here.
After being the controversial team that was allowed a bid for the national title, the Buckeyes completed their championship journey, defeating Oregon 42-20 to win the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship.
But it's much more than that. Ohio State ran a third-string quarterback out on the field for its three biggest games of the year. That means nothing anymore.
They said Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones was good against Wisconsin, but the Badgers weren't Alabama.
Then he beat Alabama, but the Crimson Tide weren't Oregon.
On Monday, he orchestrated the offense to the tune of 242 yards, one touchdown and one pick on 16-of-23 passing. He shut down the Ducks and made it about him, his team.
But it didn't always go his way, which is a testament to the defense's role in the win.
Ohio State was borderline atrocious when it came to taking care of the ball. The Buckeyes turned it over a season-high four times by way of three fumbles and an interception.
But somehow, the Ducks were only able to score 10 points off of the four turnovers after putting up 34 points on five Florida State turnovers in the Rose Bowl.
So when the defense steps up, so does the offense. The Oregon defense rushed Jones under center, so he handed off to the offensive player of the game, running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The sophomore stole the show with a record-setting 246 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries. This was his third consecutive game with more than 220 rushing yards, all coming in Ohio State's biggest games of the season.
For head coach Urban Meyer, he took a team with a 6-7 record the year before he arrived to a national title in just three years. He now has two BCS Championships and one CFP National Championship victory under his belt.
Across the gridiron, it was a different story for Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who saw his going away party spoiled.
Mariota's two-touchdown, 333-yard performance doesn't seem so awful, but it wasn't enough as he was kept off-balance the entire night.
His throws were off, his timing disrupted and it showed as he was only able to muster 20 points - the least the Ducks have scored since a 42-16 loss to Arizona on Nov. 23, 2013.
Wide receiver Byron Marshall led the charge for the Ducks, although he wasn't able to do much either. He scored a touchdown on 169 yards and seven receptions.
It was the championship game everyone envisioned, but the result few expected. The Ohio State University hoisted the championship trophy, showing that it doesn't take a No. 1 seed or a Heisman winner to win a national title.
It's about making it happen, even when it shouldn't have.