Well, it's happened, ladies and gentlemen: the preliminary round of this season's college football championship is in the books. The great news is that there is still plenty of football left to play as we roll through bowl season and the New Year's Six playoff games. Until then, here's a rundown of what took place:
Notre Dame Defeats Indiana
Frankly speaking, this game wasn't competitive at all.
Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love set the tone with a spectacular 98-yard touchdown in the first quarter; from that point onward, they had total control. The Hoosiers had little to offer offensively, though their defense did their best to keep them in the game.
The main concern for the Fighting Irish was their quarterback play. Riley Leonard finished the game with 23 completions for 201 yards and a touchdown. Despite a reasonable effort, Leonard was inconsistent with his throws, one of which resulted in an interception early in the contest. If they hope to compete against Georgia, he will need to be more efficient.
Penn State Dominates SMU
Kevin Jennings gift-wrapped the game early for the Nittany Lions.
It's one thing to throw one pick-six in a game, but when it's two, that's generally a bad sign for your team. The Mustangs came into this game looking to prove that they belonged among the playoff teams, and that they could compete against one of the best in their home with an unsavory climate working against them. Instead, Jennings decided that this was the right time to give them their Christmas gift early by throwing two pick-sixes in the first half. Jennings was inevitably benched, which marked the beginning of the end for them.
Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar wasn't great in this game, but he didn't need to be, as the Nittany Lions have an excellent defense that rose to the occasion by registering three sacks, three interceptions, and relegating the Mustangs to just 253 yards of total offense. This game will probably have many college football purists thinking that the playoff seeding system is too flawed and needs to drastically change to avoid mismatches like this.
Texas Defeats Clemson
The Longhorns offensive line is the real deal.
The Tigers' defensive front has been good this season, but they learned very quickly why the Longhorns' offensive line is one of the top units in the nation, as they had their way with them for the majority of the game. Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue ran all over Dabo Swinney's defense, combining for 256 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Quinn Ewers played his part and did just enough to help his team win with 201 passing yards and a touchdown.
If there is any silver lining for the Tigers, quarterback Cade Klubnik was brilliant in this game as he singlehandedly kept his team in the game and came close to making it a one-score game late. Overall, it was one of the most competitive contests of the first round, as both teams were worthy of being in this year's playoffs.
Ohio State Dominates Tennessee
Ryan Day's job is safe for now.
It wasn't just that the Buckeyes beat the Volunteers, but the ease with which they did it. By the end of the first half, it was 21-0, and the Volunteers' defense had no answers for the Buckeyes' many weapons, namely Jeremiah Smith and TreVeyon Henderson.
On defense, Buckeye defensive lineman Jack Sawyer was an absolute menace all game long. When he wasn't beating the Volunteers' right tackle on a consistent basis, he was batting down passes, chasing down ball carriers, and collecting sacks along the way. His linemate, JT Tuimoloau, was even more disruptive as he finished with two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
If there's a silver lining for the Volunteers, it's that they will be a team to watch next season. With one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, Nico Iamaleava, and an elite running back in Dylan Sampson (assuming he returns next season), they have a bright future.
CFB First Round Top Performers
QB Cade Klubnik - Clemson
LB Dominic Deluca - Penn State
WR Jeremiah Smith - Ohio State
DL JT Tuimoloau - Ohio State
DL Jack Sawyer Ohio State
RB Jeremiyah Love - Notre Dame
S Xavier Watts - Notre Dame
QB Will Howard - Ohio State
DB Amare Ferrell - Indiana
DL Elijah Roberts - SMU
DL Tré Williams - Clemson
DL James Carpenter - Indiana
RB TreVeyon Henderson - Ohio State
DL Bill Norton - Texas
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