Ohio State is one of the premier college football programs in the country, and it commands the attention of almost every five-star prospect at the high school level.
The Buckeyes have been notorious for being among the highest-ranked teams in the country over the last several seasons and have had almost unmatched success in the last decade.
They are continuing that trend in the College Football Playoff this season and will face off against the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday. Penn State will face Notre Dame in the other CFP semifinal.
CBS Sports is hoping that the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish are the teams that square off in Atlanta for all of the confetti.
“As mentioned, both teams are in the top four in wins all-time. It’s two programs that are synonymous with the sport of college football and its history,” CBS columnist Tom Fornelli wrote. “While the modern era of the game has been dominated by teams from the Southeast, the early days of the sport were run by the Midwest, and these two were at the vanguard.”
Ohio State, which finished No. 10 in the AP Poll last season, beat the Fighting Irish on the road 17-14 on Sept. 23, 2023, the most recent battle between the two sides.
The College Football Playoff semifinals start Thursday night, and I’ve got a pick for each game. #TrustTheProcess https://t.co/IHUFb9yBuK
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) January 7, 2025
With neither in the top four to start the CFP, if it were a Buckeyes vs. Fighting Irish finale, the expansion to 12 teams should be seen as a huge success. That said, let’s hope that’s what Buckeyes fans are bracing for come Friday night.