Then, for the biggest play of the game, Notre Dame decided to leave Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on an island. It was third and 12 and the Fighting Irish would get the ball back with a stop with a chance to tie the game. Smith completely burned his defender and he was wide open for a huge gain, and he iced the game.

Notre Dame wasn't able to dial up pressure with any regularity on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and the results showed. Howard was able to step into throws and completed all but four pass attempts on the night, averaging 11 yards per attempt and throwing for two scores en-route to taking away game MVP honors.

The day has arrived and will be looked back on fondly by either Ohio State or Notre Dame fans forever. The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish meet Monday night in the

Instead of crying over another collapse, Ohio State can celebrate another national title after holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid Monday night to walk away with a nailbiter of a 34-23 victory over the Fighting Irish.

Instant thoughts after Notre Dame's comeback effort falls short against Ohio State in the national championship.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a national championship win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After losing to their bitter rival Michigan Wolverines for the fourth straight season, many counted the Buckeyes out.