ND's loss to Alabama was objectively as respectable, if not more, than OSU's. And ND split a series with Clemson, despite the lopsided second loss. Even going back to ND's 2018 playoff loss, ND lost to eventual champ Clemson by fewer points than Alabama did in the championship game. Fans hand wring a lot about blowouts, but in the larger national consciousness it fades to more "just a loss" for the most part. In my opinion.