■ Dave Hackenberg: Meyer’s magic

It is often best not to declare the best. Use caution. History changes too quickly, especially in sports. Remember, less than three weeks ago Nick Saban was still standing alone atop the mountain. But can there be any question today that Urban Meyer is the best coach in college football. Caution to the wind. And here is why. READ MORE

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■ Ohio embraces its Buckeyes for life when they capture titles

In 1968, Ohio State’s boys of fall became forever bonded by history, their national championship season pressing pause on the passage of time. In 2002, the Buckeyes came upon the same phenomenon and acquired the most potent icebreaker in Ohio. In 2014 ... For as long as football is played at Ohio State, the 2014 season will be remembered as one of its greatest — and just maybe still the most unlikely. The Buckeyes’ 42-20 win over Oregon in the first College Football Playoff championship game Monday night outside Dallas was the fabled final act of a twisting 15-act play that captivated a state and assured their place in its lore.  READ MORE

■ Game-by-game: Ohio State's magical season

By the end, it was not so much that Ohio State was the best team in the land that suspended wonder. It was that these unconquerable Buckeyes were the best by a Texas country mile. Their 42-20 national title-clinching win over Oregon on Monday night outside Dallas provided a storybook final chapter to one of the strangest, most unlikely seasons in college football history. Counted out time and again, Ohio State (14-1) stubbornly captured its eighth national championship and recast its place in the sport. Here’s a week-by-week look back at the road to a title by Blade sports writer David Briggs: READ MORE

First Published January 18, 2015, 5:10 a.m.