The college football(CFB) playoffs have evolved significantly over the years. Initially, teams were chosen based on subjective polls and rankings, but people grew angry and wanted someone to earn the name of the best CFB team. This led to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system. The BCS used an algorithm to select two teams for the national championship, but it often overlooked schools outside the major powerhouses. Then came the four-team playoff format; it was fine but the people wanted more competitive playoffs. So now, for the first time, we have a 12-team playoff format featuring an initial round of four games hosted at home college stadiums. The team that holds the higher seed will get the home-field advantage. The first round is followed by quarterfinals at neutral NFL sites, semifinals, and finally the CFB national championship.
The first game of the 12-team playoff was electric. In front of 77,000 fans, Notre Dame hosted the Indiana Hoosiers. After a slow start, Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love ripped off a 98-yard touchdown to take the lead. Notre Dame never looked back, winning 27-17. The next game saw Penn State dominate the underdog SMU Mustangs. The Nittany Lions won 31-10 after a strong defensive performance. Over in Texas, the Clemson Tigers took a 7-0 lead early, but ultimately fell to the Texas Longhorns 38-24. Ohio State also enjoyed a blowout victory, defeating Tennessee 42-17 at home.
In the quarterfinals, Penn State faced off against Boise State, featuring their standout running back, Ashton Jeanty. Penn State began the game with two touchdowns, taking an early lead. Boise State responded with an 8-yard touchdown run from Tyler Crowe, narrowing the score to 14-7. Shortly after, Penn State added a field goal, but Boise’s Matt Lauter caught a 53-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown closed the gap to 17-14. Despite the effort, Boise State struggled to maintain offensive momentum, and the game concluded with Penn State winning 31-14. Texas faced Arizona State, starting strong with a 24-8 lead in the fourth quarter. Although Arizona scored 16 unanswered points to tie the game, Texas ultimately triumphed in overtime, winning 39-31. To finish off the quarterfinal round, Ohio State beat Oregon 41-21, while Notre Dame defeated Georgia 23-10.
The semifinals began with Notre Dame versus Penn State. Penn State started strong with 10 unanswered points, but Notre Dame responded with 17 of their own. The score stood at 24-24 when Notre Dame’s DB Christian Grey intercepted a pass from Penn State QB Drew Aller. Notre Dame marched down the field and set up for a 41-yard game-winning field goal, which was successfully converted. Notre Dame advanced to the national championship after defeating Penn State. Meanwhile, Ohio State cruised to another blowout victory, setting up a championship showdown against Notre Dame in Atlanta.
The national championship kicked off at 7:30. Ohio State is an 8.5-point favorite and yet again just like the very first game of the playoffs, there are 77,000 fans in attendance. Ohio State’s defense started very well against running back Jeremiyah Love who only had 3 yards in the game. But Notre Dame still got a touchdown after a very long 10-minute drive. Going into the second quarter the score was 0-7. After the second quarter started Ohio State scored a touchdown, then another, then another, they go into half, The buckeyes continued with a touchdown and field goal. Making the score 31-7 in the blink of an eye. Notre Dame responded with two touchdowns. They attempted to make a comeback, but it was too late. The final score was 34-23 and the Ohio State Buckeyes were crowned National Champions. Though losing in the playoffs is very tough for teams Notre Dame’s defensive lineman Howard Cross III said, “We beat three straight great teams. We couldn’t finish, but we’ve changed the narrative of who we are as a program.” Notre Dame looks forward to playing in next year’s 12-team playoff. College football is an always changing sport and they have to be to keep gaining interest in viewers and players. There are already rumors of making a 14-team playoff by 2026 and maybe even more in the future.
