While Notre Dame’s win against Georgia was the first win in a big bowl game in more than 30 years, Penn State is still searching for that level of win under James Franklin. The Nittany Lions had the so-called easy path to the semifinals and took advantage with a dominant win against SMU and a comfortable win against Boise State.

Since Notre Dame's season finale win in Los Angeles against USC on November 30, star running back Jeremiyah Love hasn't been quite right. He still dazzled with a 98-yard touchdown run in the first round of the College Football Playoff game against Indiana, while also battling a cold, but it was clear to see he was still not feeling quite right.

As a result, Ohio’s best sportsbooks now favor the Buckeyes to win the national championship. Oddsmakers were high on Ohio State after the regular season, giving OSU the third-best odds to win the title. No CFP team has been more impressive than the Buckeyes, and sportsbooks responded accordingly.