Week 1 of the 2025 college football season features a loaded slate, including LSU at Clemson, Notre Dame at Miami and Alabama at Florida State, among others. LSU-Clemson could be a top-five matchup, as could the biggest headliner: Manning and Texas visiting Ohio State in a matchup of the 2024 national champion and our early 2025 favorite.

Let's take a look back at Sports Illustrated's best images and coverage from the Buckeyes' championship night.

"First, Ohio State (No. 1 on [Mark] Schlabach's list) is obviously in despite a challenging 2025 schedule (No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Penn State at home, No. 13 Illinois and No. 21 Michigan on the road) and the requisite loss to the Wolverines," Connelly noted. "The Buckeyes will go 2-1 against the other headliners and advance at 10-2."

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.

Jesse Temple: Ohio State has been a juggernaut during a three-game winning streak in the Playoff, embarrassing Tennessee and Oregon. Notre Dame has won 13 straight games and put together a fantastic season. But Ohio State’s balance and overall talent should emerge. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 14.

There's a consensus entering Monday night's national championship game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes.

The college football season just finished up its longest year ever, and the Ohio State football team decided to mess around and win the new 12-team College Football Playoff by beating Notre Dame

With the portal window closed, NFL Draft decisions finalized and DC Jim Knowles on his way to State College it's time to reset the roster.

Ohio State took down Notre Dame to win the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and claim the school’s first national championship since 2014, but now it’s time to get an early look ahead to the 2025 college football season and what teams are in contention right now.