College Football: Sun Devils almost burn Texas, Ducks roasted by Buckeyes

After the second of the College Football Playoff (CFP), the glass slipper broke for two Cinderella bids that earned a bye in the first round. Two outstanding running backs in the nation were not enough to get their teams to win as hard as they tried. Notre Dame also won with relative ease against Georgia without Carson Beck. Plus, a game considered to be taking place too early in the tournament became a one-sided rout.

Before we look ahead to this week’s games and beyond, let’s take one final look back at the quarterfinals of the CFP.

Recap of last week’s game of the week: Ohio State vs. Oregon

Talk about a landslide victory. Nobody could have imagined how dominant the Buckeyes were against Oregon at the Rose Bowl. Ohio State jumped all over Oregon, thanks to Jeremiah Smith.

Jeremiah Smith should be draftable, lol. Incredible contested catch over two Oregon defenders! Silly stuff from the freshman WR! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/BgudbkGuWv

— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) January 2, 2025

The freshman receiver, who earned several awards this year, showed out against the Oregon defense. He had seven receptions for 187 yards and two scores, making one highlight catch after another. The Buckeyes offense is loaded with talent, and Smith was at the tip of the iceberg.

Will Howard orchestrated an explosive and balanced offense. Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 179 rushing yards and two scores. 

Once Oregon fell into a 34-0 hole, it allowed the Ohio State defense to pin their ears back and only focus on stopping Dillon Gabriel and the passing attack. Not as it would have mattered anyway. Ohio State stifled the Oregon rushing game so much that they had -23 yards in the contest.

One of the players who stood on defense was Cody Simon, who was everywhere on the field, with 11 tackles and two sacks. Right now, the Buckeyes look like the best team left in the CFP, and it would be no surprise if they won the championship. They made that much of a statement with their decisive win versus their conference rival. 

Recap of the College Football Playoff upset pick: Arizona State vs. Texas 

Arizona State versus Texas was the best game of the quarterfinals. Texas got ahead of Arizona State, and it appeared that the Longhorns would make short work of the upstart Sun Devils following a Silas Bolden 75-yard punt return touchdown to give Texas a 14-3 lead.

Trailing by 16 in the fourth quarter, Arizona State made a furious comeback behind some Cam Skattebo heroics, including a 42-yard touchdown pass to Malik McClain and a 62-yard reception.

Cam Skattebo is so fun to watch

pic.twitter.com/v3IbJrkPTI

— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 1, 2025

Penalties were a largefactor in keeping Arizona State in the game, as Texas committed ten penalties for 62 yards. 

In the overtime period, Arizona State was one 4th down stop away from making the semifinals until Quinn Ewers connected with Matthew Golden on 4th & 13 to tie the game at 31 apiece. Arizona State would ultimately fall short of the upset to lose 39-31, but delivered a thrilling game along with Texas.

Skattebo was almost named MVP of the Peach Bowl despite the losing effort where he totaled 242 yards from scrimmage. 

Semifinal Game of the Week: Penn State versus Notre Dame

In a sense, these college football teams are mirror images of one another. There are so many similarities from a narrative perspective that it will make for a great matchup.

First, Notre Dame and Penn State have terrific defenses, especially in the front seven. They’re also led by two coaches, James Franklin and Marcus Freeman, who have faced skepticism this season.

Franklin, after losing to Ohio State because of questionable calls in the red zone; and Freeman, after losing at home to Northern Illinois at South Bend. Notre Dame and Penn State have been terrific lately in the trenches, stopping Georgia, and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.

Quarterbacks Drew Allar and Riley Leonard are underrated nationally and are as important to their team’s success as their respective supporting casts.

Notre Dame will have their hands full in limiting Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. However, the matchup to focus on is Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts against Penn State All-American Tyler Warren. The rangy ballhawk has 13 interceptions over the last two seasons. Expect a low-scoring affair that will come down to the last possession.

Who is the biggest underdog left in the Final four of the CFP?

When you look at all the teams left in the playoffs, Texas feels like they aren’t as complete as the others. Lately, they have played closer games to their competition, as they did against Arizona State. You can make the case that the Longhorns have more offensive playmakers than Notre Dame, and they may be equal to Penn State, but not more than a loaded Ohio State unit.

As far as an underdog, Texas also needs to get back to the running game with Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue. It will be difficult against Ohio State; and after what they did to Oregon, it gives you some hesitation that they will find success against the Buckeyes.

If Texas does manage to get a lead on Ohio State, will they be able to close the game and come out on top? When you factor in everything, it feels like Texas is slightly undermanned. 

What is the ideal matchup in the final? Penn State vs. Ohio State

A CFP final between Penn State and Ohio State would give us a rematch between Big 10 Conference rivals. When the two college football teams met earlier this season, it was a tremendous last-second finish. And, Penn State could have won at home if not for some aforementioned red zone issues. That game also served as a turning point for the Buckeyes’ secondary, namely Davison Igbinosun.

Coach Franklin has struggled against Ohio State, with a 1-10 record against the Buckeyes. A rematch between both teams provides the opportunity for redemption. And, the same can be said for Ryan Day.

Day has been under a lot of pressure to succeed in Columbus. His recent loss versus Michigan re-opened some old wounds amongst the fans. However, all can be forgiven if Ohio State plays against Penn State for the championship. It allows Day to get past the shadow of Urban Meyer and build his own legacy at Ohio State.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar will return for another year, but Will Howard can ride a title victory in his NFL career. The winner of this hypothetical matchup could also shift the power balance in the Big 10.