The inaugural 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff gave us what we requested for: a definitive nationwide champion in a event manufactured from worthy pursuers for the crown.
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes proved to be the ultimate staff standing Monday evening, holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid to stroll away with a memorable 34-23 win over the Fighting Irish to turn into the second staff since 1960 to win the nationwide championship with two losses in a single season.
And whereas Monday evening’s CFP nationwide title sport tilted from a blowout to a sport that was within the steadiness with lower than a minute to play, Ohio State and Notre Dame revealed details about their previous and their future.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from Monday evening’s CFP Nationwide Championship sport:
1. The Preventing Irish appeared prepared when the sport kicked off.
Notre Dame’s sport plan labored. Take the ball and make Ohio State do what it had not achieved all through your complete Faculty Soccer Playoff: play from behind.
Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock scripted an ideal first sequence. His offense careered by means of the Buckeyes on the opening drive, and it was methodical: A complete of 18 performs, 75 yards in 9 minutes and 45 seconds to place Ohio State behind on the scoreboard for the primary time within the 2024 CFP.
And Riley Leonard couldn’t be stopped. He ran the ball 9 instances for 34 yards on the opening drive and completed it with a speeding TD. In opposition to Penn State, Leonard ran the ball 12 instances on designed rushes. But it surely was clear to all that Leonard was already feeling ailing from the punishment that comes from carrying the ball.
Sure, Notre Dame scored. Sure, Notre Dame led 7-0. However Leonard vomited on the sideline from exhaustion and simply 22 minutes later he was requested to return into the sport after Ohio State tied it. By that time, it appeared like Leonard and, in consequence, Notre Dame had little left within the tank to complete the combat.
The Preventing Irish ran simply 9 performs after that for a complete of 20 yards to complete the primary half.
2. Ohio State QB Will Howard was glorious.
Will Howard, who was delivered to Columbus to steer Ohio State to this sport, surgically dissected the Notre Dame protection on Monday evening. The senior QB accomplished his first 13 passes to set the file for consecutive completions in a Faculty Soccer Playoff championship sport.
His eighth completion of the evening went to senior wideout Emeka Egbuka, a 12-yard completion for a primary down, marking Ebuka’s 202nd reception at Ohio State, making him the Buckeyes’ all-time chief in receptions.
Within the first half alone, Howard led the Buckeyes on three consecutive TD-scoring drives, hitting 14 of 15 passes for 144 yards with two passing TDs in opposition to the No. 2 go protection within the nation.
Howard solely tried six passes within the second half, finishing three of them, and when it was all stated and achieved, he completed 17-of-21 for 231 passing yards with two passing touchdowns and 57 speeding yards en path to being named the offensive MVP.
3. Jaden Greathouse is a power.
The Preventing Irish had been completed, after which Jaden Greathouse appeared as soon as extra after they wanted him most. After placing collectively the primary 100-yard receiving efficiency by any Notre Dame huge receiver this season, he made two Buckeye defenders miss en route to simply the second landing of the sport for Notre Dame. With slightly below 5 minutes left, he confirmed up once more for a 30-yard TD reception that lower the rating to at least one possession.
Greathouse, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore from Westlake Excessive College in Austin, Texas, caught only one go in every of Notre Dame’s final three regular-season video games, simply two in opposition to Indiana within the CFP opener, and one in opposition to Georgia within the Sugar Bowl. However within the two most essential video games of the season, he recorded a minimum of 5 catches and 100 receiving yards. And the service was unimaginable. Greathouse is a bursting star, and Notre Dame will profit from the likes of him and Jordan Faison subsequent yr.
4. Jeremiah Smith got here up clutch when Ohio State wanted him most.
With simply 2:45 left to play and caught on their very own 36-yard line after three consecutive rushes from Howard, Ohio State OC Chip Kelly cashed in on the set-up. With Notre Dame sucked up within the field and one-on-one protection on the skin in opposition to freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith, Howard unleashed a go-ball that Smith caught 54 yards down the sector to safe first-and-goal for the Buckeyes.
The participant with probably the most promise, probably the most hype, was known as on to seal the play that arrange the game-winning area aim. And he got here by means of. It is uncommon to see a real freshman imply a lot to a nationwide title staff, and but Smith joins Trevor Lawrence and Maurice Clarett as one of the vital impactful freshmen the game has ever seen.
5. The steadiness of energy has shifted north of the Mason-Dixon Line for the primary time this century.
For the primary time this century, the Large Ten has seen two of its members win the nationwide title in back-to-back seasons: Michigan and Ohio State.
The SEC has additionally missed the nationwide title sport for consecutive seasons for the primary time since 2004 and 2005.
RJ Younger is a nationwide faculty soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the podcast “The Quantity One Faculty Soccer Present.” Observe him at @RJ_Young.
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