Jeremiah Smith's touchdown catch vs. Notre Dame was copied from a play Alabama used to beat Ohio State in another national title game.

In 2025, Alabama has a defense with a multitude of returning starters, each looking to take a next step in a scheme heading into year two while adding supplemental pieces like former Colorado linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, former Utah cornerback Cameron Calhoun and former Florida defensive lineman Kelby Collins to fill out the two-deep.

Ohio State had one heck of a run to its ninth college football national championship this year. The Buckeyes finished the regular season with a 10-2 record before crushing their opponents in the College Football Playoff.

There’s a new quarterback king in the Ohio State football history books, following the program’s ninth national championship victory on Monday. Will Howard, the senior transfer from Kansas State, solidified his OSU legacy by throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns.