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Devin Smith and Steve Miller watched the game at home with their families in Frisco, Texas, and Cleveland, respectively, while Doran Grant visited a friend’s house in Akron to view the highly anticipated action on TV.
The three former Ohio State football teammates who were high school stars in the Akron-Canton area experienced blasts from the past as the Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 34-23 on Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, capturing their first national championship in a decade.
Massillon graduate Smith, Canton McKinley graduate Miller and St. Vincent-St. Mary graduate Grant played key roles for Ohio State when it finished the 2014 season by beating Oregon 42-20 for the national title.
With the triumph on Jan. 12, 2015, the Buckeyes prevailed in the first College Football Playoff. OSU’s most recent taste of glory capped the first expanded CFP featuring a 12-team format. The CFP had previously used a four-team field.
“No matter what, you’re always going to talk about Ohio State when you talk about college football playoffs,” Smith, a former Buckeyes wide receiver, said Tuesday during a phone interview with the Beacon Journal.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Devin Smith (9) cradles the trophy after their win over the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium.
The 2014 and 2024 Ohio State national title teams share some similarities
A former Ohio State cornerback and captain who coaches STVM’s football team, Grant explained he’s proud of the full-circle nature of OSU’s accomplishments.
“Both championships were firsts in the playoff era, and we were the team to get it done each time,” Grant, 32, said by phone. “It’s like we literally set the standard. That’s one thing we say at Ohio State, that we set the standard of what success really looks like and what…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/buckeyes-akron-canton-won-2014-110800846.html
Author : Akron Beacon Journal
Publish date : 2025-01-22 11:08:00
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