College Football Playoff First Round Saturday Recap (Sports)
December 21, 2024
This year’s College Football Playoff was expanded to 12 teams, and the first round officially wrapped up this weekend, with the quarterfinal matchups now set for next week.
No. 6 Penn State def. No. 11 SMU 38-10
- No. 6 Penn State defeated No. 11 SMU 38-10 to advance to the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. They will face No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Penn State’s defense dominated early, taking a 14-0 lead with two pick-sixes in the first half. Of their 28 first-half points, 21 came from forced turnovers. However, the offense struggled for much of the game, producing only 109 yards in the second half. Quarterback Drew Allar completed just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards with no touchdowns. Despite these offensive struggles, Penn State controlled the game and will need to improve offensively in their upcoming Fiesta Bowl matchup with Boise State.
No. 5 Texas def. No. 12 Clemson 38-24
- No. 5 Texas defeated No. 12 Clemson 38-24 to advance to the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. They will face No. 4 Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day. Clemson’s quarterback Cade Klubnik had a strong performance, passing for 336 yards and three touchdowns. After trailing by 18 at halftime, Clemson had a chance to make a comeback in the second half but fell short. Texas dominated the ground game, rushing for 292 total yards compared to Clemson’s 76. Jaydon Blue led the way for Texas with 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 77-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that effectively sealed the game.
No. 8 Ohio State def. No. 9 Tennessee 42-17
- No. 8 Ohio State defeated No. 9 Tennessee 42-17 to advance to the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. They will face No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Ohio State dominated Tennessee with a strong performance from quarterback Will Howard, who passed for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson also each rushed for two touchdowns. Ohio State played an all-around impressive game and will look to carry their momentum into their upcoming matchup against the top-seeded Oregon Ducks.
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Matchups
- No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas in the Peach Bowl on New Years Day
- No. 1 Oregon vs No. 8 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day
- No. 3 Boise State vs No. 6 Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Years Eve
- No. 2 Georgia vs No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on New Years Day