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Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Ohio State was always the best, but Buckeyes made sure to keep it interesting

ATLANTA — And now, 12 thoughts from the last night of the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

1. Way back on Dec. 4, a few days after Michigan’s fourth consecutive win against Ohio State, a reader asked me whether the Buckeyes fan base would forgive Ryan Day if he turned around and won the national championship. I assured him the narrative around Day would change completely if that happened.

“But let’s be real,” I said. “The Buckeyes are not going to win the national championship.