As the end of the college football season inches closer, we are left with only two more games to enjoy. This season has been historically even between teams. There was no overlying favorite to win the title like most years. Almost everyone had suffered a reputation-tarnishing loss. Further, this season was truly one of a kind as it was the first year with the implemented twelve-team playoff. In the previous seasons, for more than a decade, the playoff consisted of only four teams. This new playoff system was implemented to allow smaller schools to have a chance at a Cinderella run for a national championship. However, in this small one-year sample size, we saw none of these smaller schools make it past their first competition, and as we near the championship, the blue-blood schools have prevailed.
On Thursday, January 9th we saw a very interesting matchup between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Two of the most decorated football schools in the country would battle for a place in the national championship. Notre Dame has had an incredible season. As in only week two they suffered a loss to NIU at home at twenty-eight-point favorites. That loss would go down as one of the worst in program history. Now the Fighting Irish have won thirteen straight after their close win against Penn State. If they are able to win the national championship their season will go down as one of the craziest turnarounds in college football history.
On the other side of the bracket, two other blue-blood football schools are set to face off for the last spot in the national championship. The Ohio State Buckeyes will face off against the Texas Longhorns. Ohio State comes into this game as a one-touchdown favorite. Ohio State has been the hottest team in the playoff as they have won both of their playoff games by twenty-plus points. A lot of people are counting out Texas in this game as they only beat Arizona State by eight in double overtime. Cavan Nicholas (HHS Junior) thinks, “I am pretty confident in an OSU win tonight, however, I would not be surprised if Texas covers the spread of -6.5 points.” Another HHS junior Andrew Sullivan said, “I think Texas has a very reasonable chance against the national powerhouse. I just can’t say I believe in OSU’s quarterback Will Howard. I feel like he can get very shaky in the big moments.” It is going to be a very dramatic semi-final matchup. Will Ohio State’s twenty million dollar roster move on? Or will it be the historic Texas Longhorns to take on the all-surprising Notre Dame Fighting Irish for all the glory.
