Sports: College Football Playoff Wrap Up

Ohio St. defeated Notre Dame 34-23 to win the first 12 team College Playoff and secure the National Championship. It was their first National Title since 2014 when OSU won the first 4 team college playoff. I guess Ohio St. can’t wait for the first 16 team college playoff. After Notre Dame had the most perfect opening drive where they scored a touchdown and ate up almost 10 minutes of the 1st quarter, the Buckeyes dominated the next 27 minutes of the game scoring 31 unanswered points. For the game, Ohio St. had a solid statistical edge, outgaining the Irish, 445 to 308, while holding Notre Dame to just 53 yards rushing. Despite all this, after trailing 31-7 midway through the 3rd quarter Notre Dame made a valiant comeback that they almost pulled off. After that great opening drive to start the game Notre Dame shot themselves in the foot to stop their next two possessions. In the 2nd possession penalties stopped that drive. On their next possession a faulty snap on 3rd down that hit the man in motion ended that drive and Notre Dame was lucky that they did not turn the ball over on that play. These miscues proved extremely costly as Ohio St. could not be stopped in the first half and scored touchdowns on all 3 of their possessions to take a 21-7 lead at halftime. Ohio St. made it 28-7 with another long touchdown drive to start the 2nd half. Notre Dame turned it over on downs in their own territory on the next possession that led to an Ohio St. field goal to stretch what seemed like an insurmountable lead of 31-7. Notre Dame put together a nice drive aided by a correctly called pass interference penalty to cut the lead to 31-15 with a successful 2 point conversion. Ohio St. was on the move again, but they turned the ball over when Notre Dame recovered a fumble on their own 21 yard line. The rejuvenated Notre Dame offense drove the ball down to the 9-yard line where they had first and goal. It was 4th and 9 after one run and two unsuccessful pass plays. Notre Dame elected to try a field goal, which I agreed with the decision. Unfortunately, the ball clanged off the left upright and Notre Dame came away with no points. If they had made the field goal it still would have been a 2 score game, but now 2 scores would have won the game. They needed 2 scores and two 2 point conversions just to tie the game. There would have been much more pressure on OSU had the field goal been made. As it was Notre Dame force Ohio St. to punt and quickly drove down the field and made 2 points again to make the score 31-23 with over 4 minutes to go in the game. It could have very well been 31-26 and the heat would have really been on OSU. Ohio St. came up with the big 56 yard 3rd down pass play to Jeremiah Smith to put the ball on the Notre Dame 10 yard line to set up the game clinching field goal. You have to give Notre Dame all the credit in the world. They battled back and came close to making the biggest comeback in Championship Game history. It was a great close to the College Football season.

Will the playoff system remain the same next year. I think it will for two reasons. All the seeded teams won in the first round and all the seeded teams lost in the 2nd round. I still like the fact that conference champions get a first round bye. It will be interesting to see what might happen if all the first round bye teams lose next year. Will that lead to expanding the field to 16 teams so there will be no byes. Frankly, even though I know this won’t happen, I would rather see just an 8 team field. The 5 conference champs and 3 at large berths. No matter what happens, one thing is for sure. A true College Playoff system is here to stay. I still can’t believe it took this long.