2024 College Football: CFP National Championship Takeaways
This is it. Everything that the 134 FBS teams have gone through has culminated in this moment. Just two teams remained: (8) Ohio State and (7) Notre Dame. The former is a juggernaut that obliterated their first 3 CFP opponents. The other is a gritty squad that fights through adversity like no other. So who won the Dr. Pepper trophy and how? Well, the Buckeyes claimed the crown in a closer-than-the-score contest. They proved too tough with all their talent on both sides of the ball, though ND fought back valiantly. Let’s see what went down in my CFP National Championship takeaways!
(8) Ohio State 34, (7) Notre Dame 23
In this heavyweight matchup, we had two coaches with opposite levels of pressure. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, an Ohio State alumnus, was practically playing with house money. The Buckeyes’ Ryan Day conversely had immense title expectations on his shoulders. ND started with the ball and had a ridiculously long drive. They held possession for 9:45 and 18 plays, converting two 4th downs and riding the running game. QB Riley Leonard carried the ball 9 times himself, including the touchdown plunge. Notre Dame’s line imposed their will despite the absence of injured LT Anthonie Knapp.
The incredible drive handed OSU their first deficit of the entire CFP, but it came at a cost. Notre Dame expended a ton of energy, and they struggled offensively for the rest of the half. Ohio State responded with an 11-play TD drive of their own that took 6 minutes, but they used a more varied attack. Star WR Jeremiah Smith (5/88/1) finished it off in the second quarter, as each team hadn’t even completed one possession within the first frame. After a 3-and-out with 2 penalties by the Irish, OSU rode QB Will Howard, both his arm and his legs with some QB power plays. That drive ended with a TD run for RB Quinshon Judkins.
Notre Dame scored 0 second-quarter points, even hitting TE Mitchell Evans (4/52) with a snap that he was lucky to recover on one drive. The Buckeyes meanwhile drove for 75 yards or more plus a TD on each of their 3 first-half possessions. Howard (17/21, 231 yards, 2 TDs; 16/57 rushing) was practically flawless, completing his first 13 passes for a championship record. Receiving the ball to start the 3rd quarter, Judkins (11/100/2; 2/21 receiving) exploded for a 70-yard run and paid off the drive with his second score, opening a 28-7 lead. When ND backup QB Steve Angeli had a fake punt pass dropped on the next drive, the game felt over.
However, Day had his team get far too conservative, and they left the door ajar. OSU had its first penalty of the game (a hold) and subsequently had their first 3rd-down miss (they had been 7/7 and finished 9/12). Thus, the Buckeyes only got an FG off the short field. Defensively, Ohio State started making errors, and the Irish earned their first 1st downs since the opening drive. Leonard (22/31, 255 yards, 2 TDs; 17/40/1 rushing) had to use his arm more and responded with his best passing performance in quite some time. He also led the team in rushing, with RB Jeremiyah Love (4/3, 2-pt catch) being inexplicably shelved on most plays.
Two players really stepped up for Notre Dame. WR Jaden Greathouse (6/128/2) broke several tackles on his 34-yard TD following OSU’s field goal. All of his production came after halftime, and he carried the offense on his back. Defensively, CB Leonard Moore (5 tackles) was everywhere. The man who tracked down Judkins on his 70-yard spring also earned a rare PBU and had some critical open-field tackles.. Still, the Irish trailed 31-15 after 3 quarters, and when reporter Molly McGrath interviewed Freeman on the sideline, he seemed like a man out of answers. He hoped for a takeaway that could turn the tide of the contest.
The commentators followed with some stats about OSU almost never turning the ball over. Of course, WR Emeka Egbuka (6/64) lost a fumble on a punch-out just moments later after a great run after catch, and the Irish fans erupted. Some defensive penalties allowed ND to build a drive, but it stalled at the 9. For some unknown reason, Freeman elected to go for an FG instead of a conversion on 4th and goal, and K Mitch Jeter doinked the 27-yard attempt off the left upright. That decision perplexed many in attendance and yours truly. Nonetheless, Notre Dame’s defense forced OSU’s first (and only) punt right after that.
Greathouse’s second TD on a deep shot while his arm was held and a modified Philly special for a 2-point conversion pulled ND within 1 score, so the Buckeyes had to keep the ball away. Their defense was crumbling, and Notre Dame was in a groove. Howard used his legs some more, earning his 8th rushing first down to kill a chunk of time. Even more impressive was his deep ball to Smith on a subsequent 3rd-and-11. He saw his top target in a one-on-one matchup and went for the kill. A short FG iced by K Jayden Fielding the game and covered the spread, and Ohio State won the championship in exciting fashion!
I called the Cotton Bowl between Ohio State and Texas the real title game, and I stand by that statement. OSU took control so easily against Notre Dame because they simply possess too much talent. This was the most expensive college football team ever assembled in terms of NIL, so the only squad with the players to truly challenge them was Texas, the second-most-expensive team. Despite that, the Irish fought hard to make it a game, and I think Buckeyes fans were actually scared at a couple of points. Freeman can still feel really proud of what his team accomplished. He just didn’t have the horses to win the race.
For OSU, this was a long time coming. Day, whose losses to Michigan have earned him much fan ire, finally has the proverbial monkey off his back with his first National Championship. It was also validation for Howard, who had been cast aside at Kansas State. I’ve been a fan of his since he was a backup and then throughout last season, and now he has an Offensive Player of the Game award and a title to his name. I imagine he has raised his draft stock throughout the CFP. LB Cody Simon (8 tackles) won Defensive Player of the game, which was fitting given that he’s a major leader on this talented defense.
Finally, I have to make one point: this game wouldn’t have been possible under the old CFP format. The Buckeyes’ Michigan loss and Notre Dame’s upset loss to Northern Illinois would’ve kept them out of any 4-team field. In this expanded version, both got in, and though they had to earn their way to the title game without a bye, they showed the growth they underwent throughout the year and got the job done. While some tweaks to this 12-team playoff are definitely needed, it brought a lot of good to the sport. I’ll still probably fight with the committee most seasons, but in this case, let’s just celebrate the great football we got to watch.