The 12-team College Football Playoff has been fun to watch. It was fun listening to people try to work themselves into a lather over the teams that finished 13th and 14th. There have been a few blowouts, but also a few classic games that have left an indelible impact on the first hours of 2025. Here’s what I’m happiest about:

Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has lost at home against the likes of Marshall, Northern Illinois and Stanford. He's only been a head coach for three years and, largely due to Notre Dame's status as an independent,

Notre Dame and Ohio State entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 7 and No. 8 seeded teams. Neither won a conference; heck, Notre Dame isn't in a conference to win. Ohio State's loss to Michigan on November 30th knocked them out of the Big Ten title game.