RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
As the quarterfinals of the primary 12-team College Football Playoff concluded, there was an total theme: It was plenty of enjoyable!
Penn State kicked off the quarterfinals with a powerful 31-14 win over Boise State wherein they held Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty to a season-low 104 dashing yards on 30 carries, a mean of simply 3.5 yards per carry. Jeanty completed 27 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ FBS single-season dashing yards because of a superb defensive efficiency by the Nittany Lions.
New Year’s Day started with a double-overtime thriller between Texas and Arizona State wherein Quinn Ewers related with Matthew Golden for a memorable 28-yard landing throw on fourth-and-13 to pressure a second additional time. Then, it was Andrew Mukubah who threw a game-winning interception to safe the win for the Longhorns.
The nightcap featured a dominant efficiency from Ohio State freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith, who torched Oregon’s protection with seven receptions for a season-high 187 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns of 45 and 43 yard. The Buckeyes ended the Ducks’ good season after dropping to Oregon, 32-31, within the common season.
Then, within the ultimate recreation of the quarterfinals, Riley Leonard and Notre Dame put collectively a memorable efficiency to defeat Georgia, 23-10, within the Sugar Bowl. The victory got here within the wake of a lethal terrorist assault in New Orleans early Wednesday, when the sport was scheduled to happen. This led to the primary postponement of a Sugar Bowl in its historical past.
With that mentioned, this is a take a look at my greatest outcomes from the CFP quarterfinals.
1. Ohio State is one of the best group left within the College Football Playoff, and it is not shut.
Did you already know Purdue hasn’t gained a single recreation towards an FBS opponent in 2024? Did you already know Ohio State led Purdue by 21 factors at halftime of its 45-0 rout of the Boilermakers?
Did you already know Oregon hasn’t misplaced a single recreation in 2024? Did you already know Ohio State led Oregon by 26 factors at halftime and ensured the Ducks misplaced their first recreation of the season, 41-24, within the Rose Bowl.
Well, now you already know.
You know how one can measure the turnaround for the Buckeyes, from merely desirous to win to desperately needing to win. And that is what you should bear in mind.
You can neglect about Buckeye phenom Jeremiah Smith breaking Cris Carter’s freshman file for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, or turning into Thanos together with his hand clutched within the Infinity Gauntlet holding all 5 gems .
Remember he warned you, Oregon.
Forget that Will Howard forgot that point was towards him at Autzen Stadium or that he grew to become the third Ohio State quarterback in 4 years to lose to Michigan. Forget these calling for his benching.
Remember, he torched Tennessee and Oregon, throwing for over 300 yards in every recreation and totaling 5 touchdowns and only one interception in the course of the postseason.
Forget the requires Ryan Day to be fired. Forget that he took one of the best group he may muster into the combat 4 straight years and didn’t get previous this level.
Remember, he and his group defeated the Vols and devastated the final undefeated group within the sport in a victory that pressured us all to react with only one query: Who’s left who can cease the Buckeyes?
Ohio State doesn’t have a Heisman finalist. The Buckeyes shouldn’t have a Broyles Award finalist. They have not gained a Big Ten title and are not undefeated.
This group is 2 wins away from the most important prize in faculty soccer.
Like Odysseus, after the Greeks gained the Trojan War, the Buckeyes have but to return residence. The ships that did not crash, burned. The solely solution to return to their queen, to their household, to drive away suitors and looters, posers and consultants, in the one that you love metropolis, is to take the crown. Ohio State is a group of males who cannot go residence with out successful all of it, figuring out that the one means is to win. And that is sufficient.
2. We are two wins away from an All-Big Ten nationwide championship recreation between Ohio State and Penn State.
While it might be enjoyable, I’ve my reservations as a result of Penn State hasn’t overwhelmed anybody but. After dropping to each Ohio State and Oregon in the course of the common season, and falling once more to the Ducks within the Big Ten title recreation, Penn State earned the award for taking part in two groups that had been members of the Group of 5 in 2023 and performed one at residence.
Since Oregon beat each Ohio State and Penn State, the No. 1 seed wasn’t well worth the bracket it was printed on. Now, James Franklin’s group will face a top-five group for simply the third time this season. And sure, Franklin will as soon as once more be requested if his group can beat a group suited to win the nationwide title, not one which has by no means achieved such a feat, like SMU or Boise State.
Many consider Penn State’s solely path to the semifinals was the one it took. Now is the time to mirror on that and present the world what you are made from on the Orange Bowl.
Are you as powerful as you say you’re?
3. Texas higher combat.
The Longhorns have forgotten how one can run soccer, and that reminiscence loss almost price them an opportunity to play within the CFP semifinals. Against Arizona State, they rushed for simply 53 yards after dashing for 292 towards Clemson. But the Sun Devils apparently discovered from the movie overview of Texas’ solely losses this season — every to Georgia — the place Steve Sarkisian’s sleight of hand rushed for simply 29 and 31 yards, respectively.
If not for Quinn Ewers’ heroics within the recreation’s ultimate minutes and two additional time durations, Texas would have squandered its double-digit lead towards a group that many outdoors of Phoenix had been decided to beat.
Against Ohio State, who’s enjoying one of the best soccer of any group this postseason, the Longhorns should play at a stage they have not reached in additional than a month. And even this will not be sufficient.
Meanwhile, the Longhorns are the SEC’s solely hope of successful a nationwide title because of Georgia’s loss to Notre Dame within the Sugar Bowl.
4. The sowing of the CFP should change.
With Georgia’s loss to Notre Dame within the Sugar Bowl, all 4 seeds (Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State) fell within the quarterfinals of the primary 12-team CFP. That additionally signifies that just one SEC group, Texas, made it to the CFP semifinals, and it is not even the highest-seeded group within the convention.
Changes might be made to keep away from this consequence sooner or later. But, goodness, it was enjoyable.
5. We can do it once more this yr, and the game is best for it.
RJ Young is a nationwide faculty soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports and host of “The Number One College Football Show” podcast. Follow him to @RJ_Young.
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