Ohio State has now done it both ways.
In 2024, the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and won the national title. In 2025, they beat Michigan and lost in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Which would you rather have?
I feel like it has called the bluff of all the insane people who said they'd rather beat Michigan than win the national title.
— David Ubben (@davidubben) January 1, 2026
No, you wouldn't.
MORE: Arch Manning makes football history not done in 30 years in NFL or FBS
To folks in Columbus, there's nothing like The Game.
A four-game losing streak to the Wolverines was the kind of thing that put a damper on all that came before and after it each season.
But in this era of the CFP, the Michigan game doesn't have to be the season-defining outcome. For some Buckeyes, it surely still is, but not for all.
In the Playoff, there's the chance to end the season with a few wins and a trophy raised.
There's something magical in its own right about ending the season with a victory. Most seasons, in most sports, end with a loss, a journey into the offseason off the back of a defeat.
But a national champion doesn't lose in the end. They win. They are captured in time as eternally having won that final game.
Ohio State fans have now experienced both sides of the coin. They likely won't all agree on how they feel.
But now they know what both combinations feel like.
MORE: Ohio State continues nightmare for CFP teams after first-round bye