Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, January 13, 2015

Remember when Cardale Jones was Ohio State's third-string quarterback? Amazing.

[ MORE: Buy your Ohio State national championship gear! ]

[btn-post-package]

No. 4 Ohio State took down No. 2 Oregon, 42-20, in Monday night's inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game at AT&T Stadium.

The victory marked Ohio State's eighth national crown, and its first since 2002. It also made Urban Meyer 3-0 in national title games.

See my best of the title game.

Best run: Yes, Ezekiel Elliott had a powerful 33-yard run for a TD in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7. But let?s go with Cardale Jones run for a yard to gain a big first down in the third quarter on a 4th-and-1. His initial plunge into the line netted nothing. But Jones quickly bounced outside and sprung to his right, gaining the first down. Great instincts.

Best pass: Trailing 21-10 in the third quarter, Oregon flashed its trademark big-play ability when Marcus Mariota hit Byron Marshall for a 70-yard touchdown pass. That cut Ohio State?s lead to 21-17.

Best catch: Is there any doubt? It has to be Jalin Marshall's circus catch in the first quarter. I'm still not sure how Marshall got his hands on the ball, managed to pull it in, and retain possession. It was an absolute beauty, and it was one of the key plays on Ohio State's 97-yard scoring drive to tie the score at 7.

Best call: To feed RB Ezekiel Elliott. Again and again. The Oregon defense had no answer for the sophomore, who ran an eye-popping 36 times for a championship game record 246 yards (both career highs) and four touchdowns. The Buckeyes finished with 61 carries for 296 yards. Football is won in the trenches. And Ohio State dominated on both sides of the ball.

Best turnover: Ohio State had four of them, amazingly, but Oregon could only generate 10 points off them. Let?s go with the Buckeyes? one-and-only turnover, which came on the last play of the game with Eli Apple picking off Marcus Mariota to set off the celebration.

Best picture: Ohio State fan Jacob Jarvis on the field at AT&T Stadium as confetti dropped from the rafters following the Buckeyes? eighth national championship, and first since 2002. Jarvis, 14, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood and primarily affects boys across all races and cultures.

Best sign: Nothing wrong with a little SEC trolling, right? This sign was excellent. Well done, Ohio State fan!

Best tweet: Once again, the third-string quarterback quiets the critics and leads Ohio State to yet another huge win.

Best outtake: You think the Buckeyes love their coach? You better believe it!

Biggest celebrity: Cleveland Cavaliers star and Ohio State backer LeBron James attended Monday night's game, and he was on the field to celebrate with the victorious Buckeyes.