Most expected two blowouts in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. The routs, however, were anticipated in the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl. Instead, the Rose Bowl between (8) Ohio State and (1) Oregon turned into one of the biggest mismatches of the entire CFP.
The new system is tilted toward teams that grow and improve over the course of a season. Without it, the best team in college football might be sitting at home. The Buckeyes took a 34-0 lead against the Ducks and never looked back this year’s first CFP rematch.
For a moment, it seemed Texas would similarly take control of the Peach Bowl after jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Instead, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo achieved immortality with a historic performance to force double overtime. Skattebo and the Sun Devils eventually ran out of gas, and the Longhorns took control in the second extra period for a 39-31 win. Boise State, meanwhile, missed a 38-yard field goal with 9:20 remaining that would have cut the lead to seven points. Penn State needed every bit of its physicality to pull out a 31-14 decision that was far closer than the final score indicated.
After the season, some will complain about the CFP format. How could the 1-seed face Ohio State in the second round? The reality is that no system can insulate itself from the best team in college football playing poorly for multiple weeks. Following a thrilling Peach Bowl and competitive Fiesta Bowl, complaints about the quality of games should quiet down.
The smart play was always to trust the process. Here are a few other overreactions after three quarterfinal matchups came to a close.
Ohio State will cruise to the natty
I picked Ohio State as my champion in the preseason, picked them midseason and picked them entering the playoff. The Buckeyes have the best roster in college football by a country mile, one that athletic director Ross Bjork bragged cost them more than $20 million to keep together. Despite an absolutely befuddling loss to Michigan, Ohio State was always the best team in the country. So far in the CFP, they’ve proven it.
In games against 1-seed Oregon and 9-seed Tennessee, Ohio State has cruised to the tune of a combined 83-38. They jumped up 34-0 on the Ducks and 21-0 against the Vols. Those are two of the top defenses in college football, but star freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith obliterated them to the tune of 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Senior defensive end Jack Sawyer has also lived up to his billing as a top-five national recruit, posting 3.5 sacks in the last eight quarters.
Texas is up next in the Cotton Bowl followed by a potential national championship game against the best of Georgia, Notre Dame or Penn State. But really, Ohio State shouldn’t care who comes out of the other side. They absolutely shouldn’t be scared of Texas, which has struggled in every matchup against even halfway decent competition.
Ohio State will not only win the national championship, but won’t play a game closer than double-digits along the way. We’ll talk about this postseason run as among the most dominant of the 21st Century across all sports. The Buckeyes are better than everyone left on the board at both offense and defense.
The Big Ten has passed the SEC
SEC champion Georgia has yet to play after the Sugar Bowl was delayed, but the rest of the conference contenders have dramatically underperformed this postseason.
Tennessee fans showed up big and traveled to Ohio Stadium, but they were treated to a 42-17 filleting at the hands of the Buckeyes. The score actually made it look closer than it was. Favorites in the College Football Playoff are 6-1 against the spread. The only exception is Texas, which has underwhelmed in two games against the lowest-ranked teams remaining on the board. In addition to the double-overtime game against Arizona State, the Longhorns needed a fourth quarter breakaway to survive an upset against No. 16 Clemson.
While non-CFP bowls deserve a small asterisk, the teams that hoped to make the field as at-large selections certainly haven’t bathed themselves in glory. First team out Alabama lost a stunner against 7-5 Michigan in the ReliaQuest bowl. South Carolina was stifled by Illinois. Texas A&M lost a stinker against USC. Ole Miss’s trolling coach Lane Kiffin has a chance to salvage bowl season a little bit against a depleted Duke team, but that very well could be the highlight.
The best team in college football by far (Ohio State) plays in the Big Ten. The undefeated No. 1 team did too. Penn State has unquestionably played at a higher level than SEC runner-up Texas to this point. And by the way, we’re fresh off a national championship game that featured two Big Ten teams in the final (Michigan vs. Washington).
If Georgia can’t perform against Notre Dame — without its starting quarterback — it’s time to stick a fork in the SEC’s run of dominance. The Big Ten is here.
Skattebo deserved to be a Heisman finalist over Gabriel
In a rare move, Skattebo was named the Peach Bowl Offensive MVP as a member of the losing team. He earned the honor after rushing for 143 yards and two touchdowns, catching eight passes for 99 yards and even throwing a 42-yard touchdown on fourth down to spur a furious fourth quarter comeback.
Skattebo finished his 2024 season with 1,711 yards rushing, 605 yards receiving and 25 total touchdowns. The Sacramento State transfer finished No. 5 in the Heisman Trophy voting, but just missed out on a trip to New York as the award has started capping finalists at four. His unbelievable performance against arguably the best defense in college football only underscores how ridiculous it was to leave him out.
On the same day, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a reasonable statline with 299 yards and two touchdowns. However, only 54 yards came before the Ducks faced a massive 34-0 deficit against the Buckeyes. It took 16 attempts just to get those yards. Ohio State’s defense is arguably better than Texas, but not by a wide margin. And certainly, Gabriel’s weapons are much better than Skattebo’s at ASU.
Skattebo deserved a trip to New York City for his efforts. The good news is that his monster performance should at least earn him some serious fans in the NFL. Not a bad way to finish for a kid from Sacramento with only two FCS offers.
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