Why Ohio State's Championship Is Good for Notre Dame

Urban Meyer raised the inaugural College Football Playoff trophy on Monday night, capping off one of the more improbable title runs in college football history. 

Still the apple of many Notre Dame fans' eye, the former Irish assistant who spurned an offer to coach in South Bend rode his third-string quarterback to his third national title, his first in Columbus.

After dominating Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, Meyer's Buckeyes—a controversial selection as the No. 4 seed—upset top-seeded Alabama in the first round of the playoff before dominating Oregon 42-20, emphatically confirming their place atop the college football world.

That victory put Meyer at the top of his profession, out-dueling Nick Saban in the Sugar Bowl to take that crown away from Alabama's head coach. And Meyer returning the Buckeyes to the summit also confirms that after a decade of SEC dominance, the tides have turned in college football.

Believe it or not, that's good news for Notre Dame.

No, having to battle Meyer for top players in the Midwest doesn't make Brian Kelly's job any easier. And with Michigan landing Jim Harbaugh, Kelly's job just got harder in two key battleground states.

But even with Meyer and Harbaugh, two undeniable stars, Notre Dame's place in an shifting college football landscape looks much better after a shocking bowl season.

The Irish can thank themselves for springing an upset over LSU in the Music City Bowl, but more importantly they can thank Meyer for doing some myth-killing the past few weeks.

The demise of SEC dominance this bowl season will be the biggest story of this offseason.

Alabama, Auburn and LSU all lost. So did Mississippi State and Ole Miss, with the Rebels embarrassingly shellacked by TCU. Those losses overshadowed the wins the conference managed. The story of a conference slipping from its perch overshadows any victory over East Carolina or Minnesota.

Kelly said beating LSU helps break down some of the perceived barriers that have grown when trying to recruit the Southeast.

"It certainly allows us to continue to recruit down in this area without having to apologize for who we are," he said after Music City Bowl win.

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

That sentiment will likely be echoed in living rooms all across America, with Ohio State's victory proving that good football isn't the territorial right of the Southeastern Conference.

Florida State winning a championship was the first step. With a trophy case in Columbus now sporting the ultimate prize for the next 12 months, the college football world is flattening out at the perfect time for an Irish team with high hopes in 2015.

When healthy, Notre Dame showed it could play with Florida State, falling a penalty flag shy of beating the defending champs in Tallahassee. Now Kelly will need to take a few lessons from Meyer and the Buckeyes if the Irish want to take the next step forward.

A power running game is the first step. The Irish showcased that ability against LSU but would be blind if they didn't notice Ezekiel Elliott flattening the Ducks on his way to 246 rushing yards.

And for all the ranting and raving of Irish fans demanding Kelly pick up the pace with his offense to move at the speed of Oregon, the Buckeyes' 37 minutes of ball possession surpassed the 36 minutes the Irish held the football against the Tigers.

In 2012, Kelly concocted a formula that helped the Irish run the table during the regular season. While they came up short against Alabama, the past two seasons have proved the SEC is mortal after all.

Meyer showed it was possible. And while it doesn't look like things in Columbus will slow down any time soon, Ohio State's victory still makes things better for Notre Dame.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.