College Football Semi Final Previews
Notre Dame vs Penn State
The Irish and the Nittany Lions will face off in the Orange Bowl. Penn State has had the easiest path to the semi final out of the whole field. Whereas Notre Dame had to get through Georgia and Indiana to make it here.
Penn State: After suffering the loss to Ohio State earlier in the season the Nittany Lions have been able to get their offense going also putting it together with their great defense. In my opinion, Penn State got the lucky draw as they would have struggled to create a game plan against Georgia. The Nittany Lions look to be pretty healthy going into this matchup as they were able to dominate the first round and quarterfinal games. They will be going into the game with their best player Abdul Carter questionably as he suffered an injury against Boise State.
Notre Dame: The way the Irish dominated the Bulldogs in the trenches was impressive. They are more battle tested than Penn State but, could those games have tired them out? They have a significant injury in Jeremiyah Love as he suffered a lower body injury early in the game against Georgia. The only worry I have with the Irish is Riley Leonard has yet to still showcase a great passing attack. He can run the ball very effectively but when needed can he make that throw?
Prediction: I believe this game is going to be a defensive battle. They both like to play the same style of game, run the ball, play physical, and play field position. Drew Allar could be the difference maker in the game, he needs to go out and throw the ball and free up room for Singleton and Allen. He has been inconsistent at times through the season but he has shown he could beat you with his arm. Penn State can win this game by throwing the ball down the field forcing the Irish to drop their great safeties and then they can pound the rock. While Notre Dame needs to keep playing their game that has gotten them here as they dominate you in the trenches and then start teeing off. If they can keep the passing attack from Penn State to a minimum then they can play their game. I believe that Penn State just doesn’t have the “killer instinct” that the Irish seem to have right now. It will be back and forth all game until the 4th Quarter where then the Irish will start springing some runs loose. 21-17 Notre Dame
Ohio State vs Texas
The Buckeyes and the Longhorns will face off in the Cotton Bowl as the Longhorns get to have a glorified home game as the game is in Dallas. Texas has had a pretty easy path to the semi final game whereas Ohio State has had the hardest path to get here.
Texas: The Longhorns have one of the best rosters in college football and have been talked about being a national championship contender all season. They have struggled against good teams all year and they were not very impressive against Arizona State in the quarterfinal game. They have tendencies to let off the gas pedal in the second half causing the opposing teams to get right back into a position to win. The best part of the Longhorns team is that they have great depth and nearly every single position on the field. Their strongest position is their secondary which they will definitely be tested against the Buckeyes. Texas has not seen a wide receiver room as stacked or even remotely close to as talented as Ohio State. They are also a little banged up as they have gone through this run in the playoffs.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes look like the best team in college football. I don’t even know how a team can look this dominant. Their defense looks to have no weaknesses as they do not give up any big plays and their offense looks unstoppable ever since they started running off the pass. The only worrisome factor for the Buckeyes is if they don’t show up with the same intensity and game plan as they have in the previous two playoff games. This new ”I don't care about the critics” approach that the Buckeyes have right now should scare the whole country not just this year but in the future as well.
Prediction: It’s very hard for anyone to pick against the Buckeyes but, I am curious to see if Texas can maintain the offensive onslaught from the Buckeyes that they have showcased at the start of their playoff games helping get out to an early lead. The Longhorns will have to play their best all four quarters to try and stop Ohio State. The Longhorns supposedly have the best secondary in all of college football and they will be put to the test as Jeremiah Smith looks to be uncoverable. If the Buckeyes play the way they have shown they can play this game can get ugly just as it did for Oregon and Tennessee. 42-21 Buckeyes
