Category: College Football Playoff

5 reasons Ohio State will beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl

Do you feel good about this one? #GoBucks

It’s been fun already but there’s still work to do. Ohio State has looked absolutely fantastic so far in the first-ever, 12-team College Football Playoff, good enough to take home the national title.

It won’t be easy though — winning a national championship never is. After dismantling Tennessee and No. 1 Oregon, the Buckeyes are now faced with playing Texas in its own backyard at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. As with any matchup, there are obstacles, unknowns, and breaks that may need to go OSU’s way in order to win and advance. If that happens, Ohio State will be playing for a national title in the next game.

We like to dissect each matchup the OSU team has during the football season and we’re doing the same here. We like where this Buckeye team is and think they’ll come out on top.

Here are five reasons we think Ohio State beats Texas on Friday night in Big D.

Momentum

This team is playing well, very well and it has everything to do with learning from what went wrong against Michigan and sticking with a new mindset. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and head coach Ryan Day are going to swing for the fences with playmakers on the outside, and that’s exactly what should be happening.

The result has been magical on the offensive end of the ball and look for that to continue. There’s a lot of confidence being exuded from quarterback Will Howard and the offensive playmakers and it’s going to be hard to stop if Kelly is dialing up plays that get all of that skill in open space and over the top.

The Defense

Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Bot Ohio State and Texas have great defenses, but Ohio State has the better of the two. When you go on the road — which is what this game is going to feel like — that travels well. The Longhorns have a solid offense but if you like one team’s chances of shutting the other one down more consistently, it’s Ohio State and its defense rather than what Texas can do.

Now, that doesn’t mean the game plan will unfold like we all think, but if OSU’s defense is playing like it has and Texas is doing what it has over the last part of the season, that’s a big advantage for OSU.

Jeremiah Smith

USA TODA SMG

Sometimes you just have to have the dude to win games and at this point, is there a football player that’s going to cause more issues than the freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith? He has been an absolute terror over the last two games and you can bet he’ll be a big part of the game plan in this one as well.

Even if Texas doubles him (they will), he’ll still have his moments, and when covered, it’ll open up things for Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and backs and tight ends coming open. He’s going to be a problem and it’ll continue to open up the offense.

Will Howard

USA TODAY SMG

Will Howard has been a different quarterback during the College Football Playoff. He has been really good this season as it is, but he has played at a different level against Tennessee and Oregon.

Give all the credit to Jeremiah Smith and the wide receivers for getting open, but someone has to deliver the ball in the right spots and on-time, and Howard is doing that and more. He’s thrown for over 300 yards in the first two contests of the playoff, and is playing with a ton of confidence and ability. If he plays like he has so far, you feel pretty good about him outdueling the Texas side.

Ohio against the world

Ohio State football releases game trailer for Rose Bowl game vs Oregon
(Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

This team is playing with a chip on its shoulder after how the season ended and look for that to continue. The team feels like its Ohio State against everyone else and that’s the mindset that has had the team playing fast and loose. There was something missing with this team, keeping it from hitting the level everyone thought it would, but that seems to be in play now.

The Buckeyes have been able to get out to quick starts and jump on very good and athletic teams because of bottling all of that up and coming out with their hair on fire. Look for that to continue against Texas. If it does, it’s lights out in Jerry’s World.

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Is Jeremiyah Love playing today? Injury updates for Notre Dame running back

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] hurt his knee against USC and then tweaked it against Georgia in Notre Dame’s 23-10 win over the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

He has a brace on his knee, but Notre Dame head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] has said he should be able to play against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Capital One Orange Bowl, which is a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup.

Jeremiyah Love injury update

Freeman said Love “had a good week of practice” before adding: “We have to be smart in terms of how much we’re asking him to do in practice. We’ve got to get him ready for the game. Nobody feels 100%, but J Love will be good to go.”

How long will Jeremiyah Love be out?

It appears Love will be able to play against Penn State, though he may be somewhat limited.

Notre Dame running back depth chart

If Love can’t go, or even if he’s available but is limited in terms of snaps, the Fighting Irish have a capable backup in [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag] — Price would be a starter on many teams.

[autotag]Aneyas Williams[/autotag] has made some nice plays in limited action, and [autotag]Devin Ford[/autotag] is listed behind him on the depth chart.

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Notre Dame schedule: Is Notre Dame playing today? 

Is Notre Dame playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come. 

Will the Notre Dame Fighting Irish be on the field today in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff?

Following a 23-10 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame will return to the field to face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 EST in the Capital One Orange Bowl. This will be a semifinal matchup for the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame has not played against Penn State since 2007, when the Nittany Lions won 31-10. The all-time series stands at 9-9-1. The winner of this game will move on to the national championship game in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

Notre Dame 2024 schedule

  • Aug. 31: at Texas A&M (W, 23-13)
  • Sept. 7: vs. Northern Illinois (L, 16-14)
  • Sept. 14: at Purdue (W, 66-7)
  • Sept. 21: vs. Miami (Ohio) (W, 28-3)
  • Sept. 28: vs. Louisville (W, 31-24)
  • Oct. 5: Bye
  • Oct. 12: vs. Stanford (W, 49-7)
  • Oct. 19: at Georgia Tech (game played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) (W, 31-13)
  • Oct. 26: at Navy (game played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey) (W, 51-14)
  • Nov. 2: Bye
  • Nov. 9: vs. Florida St. (W, 52-3)
  • Nov. 16: vs. Virginia (W, 35-14)
  • Nov. 23: vs. No. 19 Army (game played at Yankee Stadium in New York City) (W, 49-14)
  • Nov. 30: at USC (W, 49-35)
  • Dec. 20: vs. Indiana (W, 27-17)
  • Jan. 2 (postponed): vs. Georgia (W, 23-10) (This was the Allstate Sugar Bowl, a CFP quarterfinal game, played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans)
  • Record: 13-1

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This Notre Dame staffer gets honored for roster building

Notre Dame Fighting Irish assistant athletics director/general manager Chad Bowden gets an honor for his work on roster construction.

Notre Dame assistant athletic director/general manager [autotag]Chad Bowden[/autotag] has been named Football Scoop’s Player Personnel Director of the Year.

Bowden earns the honor for the way he has worked with head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] and the rest of the coaching staff to build the Fighting Irish’s roster.

The publication cites Bowden’s ability to combine an old-school approach while also navigating the new(ish) waters of the transfer portal. Notre Dame has invested in Name, Image, and Likeness deals, too.

Whether recruiting from the high-school ranks or using the transfer portal — quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] transferred in from Duke, as one example — the Irish have built a strong enough roster to compete deep into the College Football Playoff, and Bowden has had a big hand in that.

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish players celebrate with fans in the stands after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

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Steve Sarkisian gives Ohio State football high praise ahead of CFP battle

Ohio State football has consistently proven its the best team in the country, and Steve Sarkisian believes that as well.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have made it through two rounds of the College Football Playoff. After losing to Michigan to end the regular season, spirits seemed low in Columbus, but a massive throttling of Tennessee made many believers again.

If that wasn’t enough, this team went out to the West Coast and beat up on the Oregon Ducks, the No. 1 team in the country in a CFP quarterfinal in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State ended the first quarter and a half up 31-0 and ended up winning the game 41-21, taking some steam out of the game in the fourth quarter.

Those performances more than proved that Ohio State is the best team in the country, and Texas is going to have its hands full when it faces the Buckeyes in the coming week.

Count Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian as a believer in the team he is about to face as expressed when he held a press conference to preview the matchup.

“I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington. We’re going to need everything we’ve got to try to win this game,” Sarkisian said. Clearly, we’re massive underdogs. Nobody’s going to give us a shot. … This is the best team in college football, and we’re going to have to make sure that we put our best forward to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”

The Buckeyes have opened up as a near-touchdown favorite against the Longhorns and should close around that as well, suggesting they are extremely likely to move on to face the winner of Penn State and Notre Dame.

However, Texas is no laughing matter either, and Sarkisian will have his players ready. It should be a great battle in the Cotton Bowl, and fans will undoubtedly be ready for what ideally will be a competitive clash.

What Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said about Ohio State in previewing the CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal

Sark knows his team is playing an Ohio State team that’s playing at a high level right now. Just listen to what he had to say. #GoBucks

The next stop on the College Football Playoff train is the semifinals. Ohio State takes on Texas in the Cotton Bowl, and Notre Dame and Penn State meet up in the Orange Bowl. That’s a lot of blue blood left with both of those games being a hoot.

For OSU, playing Texas is a made for television matchup the suits at ESPN must be salivating over, especially with it slotted as a night game. For the coaches though, it’s about prepping for the team in front of them with a chance to advance to the CFP National Championship game.

Longhorns coach, Steve Sarkisian knows his team is in for a battle, and said as much (and then some) when he met with the media to preview the upcoming tussle with the Buckeyes.

If you missed any of what was said by the Texas head man, you can catch his comments in their entirety thanks to the “Inside Texas Football” YouTube channel. Sark is very complimentary of Ohio State and even calls the Buckeyes the “best team in football.”

There’s even more to digest, so get a feel for everything by hitting play below.

And, as a reminder, the colors of Scarlet and Gray and Burnt Orange are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN Friday night. It can’t get here soon enough.

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Ryan Day previews CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal vs. Texas

Hear and watch what Ryan Day had to say in previewing the matchup with Texas in the Cotton Bowl. #GoBucks

This is getting real fun. Ohio State is playing its best football of the season and at just the right time. It sure looked like doom and gloom after a fourth-straight loss to arch rival Michigan to finish up the regular season, but that seemed to have motivated the this current Buckeye squad to get its act together and go on a run.

So, after two dominating wins against Tennessee and No. 1 Oregon, Ohio State is now tasked with competing at a high level again, this time against Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Friday.

OSU head coach had his media availability to preview the matchup with the Longhorns this week and had plenty to say about the state of his team, the preparations for Texas, and more.

We’ve got his entire press conference below thanks to the WBNS 10TV YouTube channel, so dial it up and soak in what Day had to say below.

Ohio State and Texas are set to do battle at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN. These night games are sure getting fun, especially as the stakes get higher and higher. Join us as we dissect this matchup in the upcoming days.

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Ohio State jersey announced for CFP semifinal Cotton Bowl game vs. Texas

It’ll have a familiar feel. #GoBucks

Off to the next step in the College Football Playoff for Ohio State.

After dismantling the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round, the Buckeyes backed that up with a complete domination of No. 1 Oregon and are now headed to a semifinal matchup in the Cotton Bowl opposite the Texas Longhorns.

Though not a key to the game, if you are into this sort of thing, the Buckeyes just unveiled the jersey they’ll be wearing this Friday. If you remember, OSU wore the all scarlet ensemble against Tennessee, and followed that up with the traditional white jersey and gray pants against the Ducks.

And now, for the game against Texas, Ohio State will be wearing the traditional home drip with the scarlet jerseys. So yeah, it’ll look pretty familiar when you turn your television set or streaming device on this weekend.

It’s far from splashy, but nobody will care as long as the Buckeyes go out there and continue the run by coming out victorious against Texas.

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Notre Dame updates its depth chart ahead of College Football Playoff vs. Penn State

Notre Dame has released the depth chart for the Penn State matchup, and it looks good for the health of certain players.

Notre Dame has released the updated depth chart for when the Irish take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

What jumps out is running back [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] is listed atop the RB spot, suggesting he is likely to play despite getting banged up in the 23-10 win over Georgia.

[autotag]Rocco Spindler[/autotag] sits atop the right guard spot, so he should be back in action after dealing with a right ankle injury.

On defense, [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] is atop the safety spot. He left the field briefly against Georgia but appears to be OK. Meanwhile, linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] is back on the depth chart as a reserve. [autotag]Junior Tuihalamaka[/autotag] continues to back up [autotag]Joshua Burnham[/autotag] at the vyper pass-rusher position.

Jan. 2, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) holds up the Sugar Bowl outstanding defensive player trophy after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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ESPN analyst believes Notre Dame can win it all

One analyst thinks Notre Dame can win the national title due to its lines.

At least one analyst thinks Notre Dame can win the national championship.

Marcus Spears said he believes the Fighting Irish can win it all because “Football will never not be a line-of-scrimmage game.”

He made the comment on “First Take” while arguing that Notre Dame’s offensive line is good enough to help the Irish win it all, even if the rest of the offense was pedestrian against Georgia on Thursday.

Spears cited the Irish’s ability to continually convert third downs on the ground as evidence.

He also, of course, mentioned Notre Dame’s dominant defensive line. He said both Notre Dame’s offensive and defensive lines can dominate games from both a “physicality standpoint” and a “control the game standpoint.”

You can catch the whole clip here.

Jan. 2, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman RJ Oben (9) knocks the ball loose from Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) for a fumble recovered by Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka (44) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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