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Blowouts were expected in the first round of the College Football Playoff after all four games opened with point spreads of more than a touchdown. But while none of the games ended up being especially close, they did teach us plenty about the four teams that moved on.
From a seeding perspective, (8) Ohio State was supposed to face the closest game against (9) Tennessee. To the contrary, (5) Texas was meant to have little trouble with (12) Clemson. Instead, the Buckeyes dropped the hammer and the Longhorns played a fourth-quarter game.
On the other side, (11) SMU wanted to make a good impression on the national stage in its introduction to the playoff. (12) Clemson instead played like a team with nothing to lose. It showed in their final scores.
For the losers, the grades primarily focus on how these teams should feel heading into a far-too-soon offseason. For the winners, proving championship mettle is the highest priority. Here’s how the participants in the first round graded out.
Ohio State
Result: 42-17 win over (9) Tennessee
This is the kind of performance Ohio State fans were praying for after a nightmarish finish to the season against Michigan. Despite Tennessee fans buying up plenty of tickets, Ohio State buried the Vols into the dirt. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and just kept coming in a total team effort. Ohio State got 103 receiving yards and two touchdowns from Jeremiah Smith, held Tennessee to 104 total passing yards and went on two separate 21-0 runs. This was the…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-grades-ohio-state-notre-dame-earn-an-a-tennessee-gets-d-in-first-round-cfp-report-card/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-12-22 14:23:00
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