The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff is officially underway. After four lopsided contests, we are down to eight teams.
Here is a look at how the first round games went down:
NOTRE DAME VS INDIANA
The first-ever game from the 12-team playoff played at an on-campus site was in front of Touchdown Jesus in South Bend, Indiana as Notre Dame was too much for Indiana to handle. After a few traded turnovers, Jeremiyah Love caught the edge and took off on a 98-yard touchdown run, the longest run in program history.
From there, Notre Dame held a 14-3 lead at the half and a 27-3 lead with less than five minutes to go in the game before the Hoosiers got rolling with back-to-back touchdown drives to close the gap, but it wasn’t enough as the Irish advanced to New Orleans for a date with Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
PENN STATE VS SMU
The first game of the Saturday tripleheader started with defensive fireworks as Penn State got a pair of pick-six touchdowns to jump out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. From there, Penn State’s defense would continue to smother SMU’s offense and make life difficult for the Mustangs in a 38-10 blowout where the Penn State offense didn’t have a passing touchdown. This was career win #100 for James Franklin.
Over 106,000 were in attendance in Happy Valley, a CFP record, as the Nittany Lions will advance to play Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
TEXAS VS CLEMSON
This matchup in Austin was tightly contested in the first quarter as both teams traded touchdown drives early to tie it at 7-7. However, the Longhorns used the home-field advantage to get a pair of rushing touchdowns, held Clemson to a field goal, and got a late touchdown before the half to make it a 28-10 game at the break.
From there, Clemson had a couple of nice touchdown drives led by Austin native Cade Klubnik, but the lead Texas had built early was too much to overcome as the Longhorns took this one 38-24. Steve Sarkasian’s team will now head to Atlanta to battle with Big 12 champ Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.
OHIO STATE VS TENNESSEE
The final matchup of the night was the one many people thought would be the tightest, but it turned out to be one of the widest margins as Ohio State’s offense was locked in from the jump.
The Buckeyes gained over 450 yards of total offense as Will Howard launched a pair of touchdowns to freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith and a pair of touchdowns to TreVeyon Henderson as Ohio State took down the Vols 42-17.