The College Football Playoff semifinals are upon us, and the final four teams have been established. Two out of four teams are Big Ten powerhouses, No. 6 Penn State (13-2) and No. 8 Ohio State (12-2). In less than a week, Penn State will battle No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) in the Capital One Orange Bowl, and Ohio State will take on No. 5 Texas (13-2) in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
In this pilot run of the 12-team playoff format, the Big Ten has shown its dominance. With a handful of games to go, it’s time to evaluate the Big Ten teams in the CFP and how they’ve survived so far.
Ohio State
The Buckeyes arguably have the most talented roster in college football. When this roster gets on the field, magic is bound to happen. First, they crushed a hot SEC team, the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers (10-3), by 25. They then took down the formerly undefeated, new Big Ten competitors, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-1), by 20 in the Rose Bowl.
Though Ohio State ended its regular season on a rough note against Michigan, it went into the playoffs with a vengeance. Since then, it hasn’t looked back. The Buckeyes have 6-foot-3 freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who combined for nearly 300 receiving yards in the first two CFP games. Smith’s athleticism, alongside the efforts of graduate student wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, is nearly unstoppable when graduate student quarterback Will Howard spots them downfield.
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If the team with the best roster wins the national championship, then we’ll see the Buckeyes as victorious on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Head coach Ryan Day is no stranger to winning but has yet to secure a national championship. If his Buckeyes continue to play like the high-caliber team they are, then they’ll likely end up with the crown.
Penn State
Head coach James Franklin is another man very familiar with winning, and his Nittany Lions have not disappointed in their playoff run so far. First, they destroyed the No. 11 SMU Mustangs (11-3) in a 28-point defeat where their defense amassed 11 tackles for losses and three interceptions. Then, on a New Year’s Eve battle, Penn State controlled the rushing game against No. 3 Boise State (12-2), one of the best rushing teams in the country.
One of the most impressive elements of this matchup was, once again, the defense’s efforts. The Nittany Lions held Heisman Trophy runner-up junior running back Ashton Jeanty to his lowest total rushing yards of the season in the Fiesta Bowl at only 104. To top it off, junior running back Kaytron Allen ran for 134 yards, and senior tight end Tyler Warren finished with two touchdowns to get the 17-point victory.
Penn State went into the games knowing its competitor’s playstyles and adjusted well to minimize opponent scoring. Now, the Nittany Lions will go head-to-head with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has tons of momentum with its recent victories. Regardless of how it finishes the year, Penn State’s postseason success demonstrates the pure tenacity within the Big Ten.
Oregon
As the No. 1 seed, the Ducks entered the CFP on a bye. Undefeated and insanely powerful, many anticipated Oregon to win it all, but it met its match in the Rose Bowl.
Like he did all season, senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel played accurately, finishing with 299 passing yards and a 71% completion rate. But Gabriel was sacked eight times, and the Ducks finished with -23 rushing yards due to the Buckeyes’ almighty force on defense. Oregon may have reigned in the regular season, but its postseason endeavors got short by the longstanding Big Ten favorite.
For their first playoff as a Big Ten newcomer, the Ducks showed they don’t thrive in the 12-team format. For now, they’ll need to focus on reworking their team for 2025 since several crucial pieces will depart.
Indiana
No. 10 Indiana (11-2) was probably the most surprising Big Ten team that had a breakout year this season. The Hoosiers had only one regular season loss and punched their way to the CFP to play the Fighting Irish. Indiana rallied in the fourth quarter and scored two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as the team couldn’t get the run game going, only totaling 63 yards.
Despite the loss, the Hoosiers can look back on their year with pride. They finished with 11 wins, absolutely demolished their regular season opponents and proved their worth in the highly competitive conference. If this energy can trail in 2025, Indiana will likely make another ferocious run.
@tess_eken
