This has prompted questions about which team played best against Ohio State. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum noted that while the Fighting Irish had the closest game in terms of the final score, he believes the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns (13-3) had a genuine chance to defeat the Buckeyes.

Ohio State’s run to its first national championship in a decade enabled the Buckeyes to dominate the Associated Press’ all-College Football Playoff team

Ohio State comes in ahead of the best the SEC has to offer and Big Ten rival Penn State to lead the way in the USA TODAY Sports way-too-early Top 25 for the 2025 season. The No. 1 Buckeyes have to replace quarterback Will Howard but will be able to surround the new starter with an elite collection of skill talent headlined by star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.