The first spherical of the primary 12-team College Football Playoff is within the books.
Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State emerged victorious from the weekend, incomes tickets to the quarterfinals. Unlike final weekend’s video games, the following 4 video games will probably be bowl video games held at impartial venues on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Since we nonetheless have a while to preview the 4 quarterfinal video games, FOX Sports school soccer analyst RJ Young shared the three largest issues we realized from the primary spherical.
1. Playoff groups get destroyed on a regular basis.
While there gave the impression to be numerous consternation over the outcomes of the primary spherical matches, Young is eager to do not forget that what occurred over the weekend is nothing new within the CFP period.
“LSU beat Oklahoma 63-28 in 2019. Oregon beat Florida State 59-20 in 2014. Clemson beat Ohio State 31-0 in 2016,” Young stated. “This is not the primary time we have seen groups with nice data get defeated within the playoffs. It’s simply the primary time we have seen it with home-field benefit.”
According to Young, 14 of the 30 video games within the four-team model of the CFP had been decided by at the least 20 factors. Twenty of them had been gained by at the least two factors.
Additionally, of the 12 groups within the playoff area this season, six of them misplaced a recreation by a number of factors earlier this yr. Two of the highest 4 groups ignored of the CFP bracket additionally misplaced a recreation by at the least two factors this season.
2. Ohio State is the one first-round winner who seems like he may win all of it.
Of the 4 winners from the weekend’s matches, Young believes considered one of them shone brighter than the others.
“The Buckeyes scored 42 factors towards a staff that hadn’t allowed greater than 30 all yr and held that offense to 10 factors after they scored at the least 14 in each different recreation they performed,” Young stated . “This wasn’t a fluke, it was a promise, a promise he intends to maintain when he performs Oregon within the Rose Bowl.”
Although all 4 groups gained their video games by at the least two factors, Ohio State’s 42-17 win over Tennessee gave the impression to be essentially the most decisive. Clemson held on and had a fourth alternative and a aim to chop Texas’ result in one rating within the fourth quarter of its 38-24 loss. Indiana was at its finest within the loss to Notre Dame, dropping 27-17.
Penn State’s 38-10 win over SMU was the most important margin of victory over the weekend. However, SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings gave Penn State an early 14-0 lead with the 2 pick-sixes he threw. SMU really had extra first downs than Penn State (21-18), whereas the Nittany Lions solely outgained the Mustangs by 72 yards.
Ohio State, in the meantime, dominated from begin to end towards Tennessee. The Buckeyes scored a landing on every of their first three drives, dictating the play to take a 21-0 lead. They had been near scoring a landing on their fourth drive as nicely, coming right down to Tennessee’s 20-yard line earlier than a go thrown by Will Howard ultimately zone was bounced badly, resulting in an interception by Volunteers defender Will Brooks. .
Tennessee made the sport slightly attention-grabbing earlier than halftime, slicing Ohio State’s deficit to 21-10. But the Buckeyes rattled off 21 straight factors, scoring on their first three possessions of the second half. Tennessee did not discover the top zone once more till its offense confronted backups with underneath two minutes remaining, which is why Young stated Ohio State primarily held the Volunteers to 10 factors.
Ohio State outrebounded Tennessee 472-256. Will Howard threw for over 300 yards and freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith had over 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins rushed for touchdowns, additional proving that Ohio State can throw and run on nearly anybody within the nation. Tennessee’s protection nonetheless ranks seventh in yards and scores after Saturday’s loss.
Ohio State will face top-seeded Oregon within the Rose Bowl. The two groups met earlier within the yr in Eugene, with Oregon profitable by a single level as Howard memorably slipped on the buzzer to forestall Ohio State from making an attempt a game-winning area aim.
3. If you did not have house area benefit, you had been smoked.
All 4 first spherical matches adopted an identical plot: house groups gained wire-to-wire by a number of scores over their away opponent. Young is not notably stunned by this.
“College soccer presents the very best home-field benefit in sports activities,” Young stated. “That’s why not one of the first-round video games had been one-score video games and the common margin of victory was greater than 19 factors.”
Each house staff has been favored by at the least seven factors and is 24-4 total at house this season. If you add the house data of the highest two seeds, the highest six groups are a mixed 37-4 at house in 2024.
Ohio State, specifically, has been robust in Columbus lately. Its solely two losses at The Shoe since 2022 have been to Michigan, and it has misplaced simply 4 video games at house for the reason that begin of the 2016 season.
Meanwhile, the 4 street groups went 2-6 total towards groups ranked within the closing CFP ballot this season, with a type of wins being Clemson’s win over SMU within the ACC title recreation.
Suffice it to say, it is not a stunning improvement that we acquired our first spherical outcomes.
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