2024-25 College Football Playoff: Joel Klatt’s quarterfinals takeaways-ZoomTech News

All 4 Faculty Soccer Playoff quarterfinal video games are within the books and the semifinalists are set after Penn State took down Boise State within the Fiesta Bowl, Texas defeated Arizona State in a double-overtime thriller within the Peach Bowl, Ohio State dominated Oregon within the Rose Bowl, and Notre Dame topped Georgia within the postponed Sugar Bowl.

The ultimate quarterfinal match was delayed a day as a result of horrific incident in New Orleans on Monday morning. I ship out my deepest condolences and prayers to these affected by this tragedy.

I spent New Yr’s Day on the Rose Bowl, which is without doubt one of the few occasions I get to get pleasure from a sport as a fan. It additionally jogged my memory why the Rose Bowl is in contrast to every other bowl sport and why it deserves a outstanding stage. We should always make the Rose Bowl the championship sport on Jan. 1 every year. It’d assist remedy a number of the calendar points with our sport. 

The Rose Bowl setting is magical and enjoying the title sport there would supply an anchor vacation spot for school soccer like we see within the championship rounds in different leagues. Everybody can be on the “Run for the Roses.” It is one of many few premium sporting occasions within the nation, however the sport is sandwiched in the midst of the quarterfinals.

With that, listed here are my takeaways from all 4 of the CFP quarterfinal matchups.

Georgia didn’t appear to be the group we have come to know.

In any sport, there is a group that appears sooner and extra dominant early. That was Georgia, nevertheless it did not make the most of it. I assumed the Bulldogs had been extra bodily and extra dominant from the beginning. Gunner Stockton, who began rather than an injured Carson Beck, was throwing the ball rather well early, and but you search for, and Georgia did not have an enormous lead. I assumed that would come again to hang-out the Bulldogs, and it did within the center part of the sport.

Most coaches discuss so much about profitable the center eight — the final 4 minutes of the primary half and the primary 4 of the second half. There are occasions when you possibly can steal a possession late within the first half after which get the ball to start the second half, and you may construct leads. That is all the time the hope. That is the place this sport completely flipped. It was inside a minute of the primary half when, immediately, a 3-3 sport was a 6-3 sport. Growth. Strip-sack. Notre Dame landing. That is the very last thing Georgia might’ve afforded. The Irish obtained all of the momentum, and what do they do? They arrive out and run the second-half kickoff all the best way again. This is without doubt one of the explanation why I picked Notre Dame to win this sport. I did not assume Georgia had sufficient offensively, and it seems I used to be proper. 

Marcus Freeman deserves his flowers.

What a exceptional job for Freeman. There is a purpose why Notre Dame simply gave him that long-term extension. Seeing the gamers react to him hugging Riley Leonard took me again to how the gamers reacted when the varsity introduced he was going to be the top coach after Brian Kelly left. It hit me like a ton of bricks — particularly the sport being proper there in Louisiana. Brian Kelly, not too way back, principally waved the white flag at Notre Dame and left — basically telling the faculty soccer world that he cannot win a nationwide championship at Notre Dame and should go to LSU to attempt to do it. Now, Freeman has elevated Notre Dame previous the place Kelly had them. He has finished an unimaginable job. They’re deeper, sooner and extra bodily now than what they had been just a few years in the past. It should really feel superb for Notre Dame followers to know that your head coach left as a result of he thought that your home could not do it — and right here you’re doing it.

The state of the SEC has modified, and it is anyone’s sport now.

Georgia was minus eight in tackles for loss in opposition to Notre Dame within the Sugar Bowl, and that may be a telling stat about the place the game has modified. Over the earlier 10 years, groups like George and Alabama have stockpiled expertise, significantly on the line of defense, they usually had been dominant on the line of scrimmage. Nonetheless, now you possibly can’t stockpile expertise due to the switch portal. Children usually are not going to take a seat there and be backups at Georgia and Alabama if they will go play elsewhere. Expertise is extra dispersed across the nation, and we’re seeing that play out proper in entrance of our eyes. I consider we’re getting into a interval the place we’ll have between six and eight groups yearly that may legitimately win the nationwide championship. 

Now, that does not imply the SEC is not a fantastic convention or that it will not have the very best variety of guys drafted; they’re undoubtedly the deepest convention this 12 months. Nonetheless, this concept of absolute superiority is over.

Jeremiah Smith is in uncommon air as a freshman.

Smith was excellent. He confirmed it all through the course of the season, however that was a coming-out social gathering. Once you do it within the Rose Bowl, it is completely different. He had seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. A few these grabs got here in triple protection. It did not matter what Oregon did, Smith was getting unfastened. 

I am 42 years outdated, and I can solely consider one different occasion the place a freshman amazed me like that. Once I performed at Colorado, we went up in opposition to Oklahoma within the 2004 season. Earlier than that sport, I noticed Adrian Peterson (a freshman on the time) warming up. Proper then, I assumed to myself, “Oh my God, that is one of the best participant within the nation.” 

These two are the one 18-year-olds that I’ve ever seen come into school soccer and grow to be essentially the most dominant gamers on the sphere. That is the very best reward I can provide Smith. When Ohio State leans into Smith, that permits it to be nice and attain its full potential. 

Ohio State has discovered its components and is peaking on the proper time.

My goodness, what a efficiency by the Buckeyes within the first half. They had been unimaginable and overwhelming. I do know for a lot of the 12 months we have been saying that Ohio State could possibly be one of the best group within the nation attributable to its roster, however now we’re beginning to see it discover the proper mixtures to play at its finest. Ohio State has one of the best and deepest roster within the nation, and it is now enjoying to its potential. 

Ohio State’s offense was aggressive once more within the Rose Bowl after its win over Tennessee within the first spherical. I feel the best false impression about Ohio State this season was the concept Ryan Day and Chip Kelly run the identical offense as a result of they’ve labored collectively previously, however their offenses aren’t the identical. Kelly’s offense is run-centric, whereas Day’s offense was dynamic and explosive within the passing sport. 

I assumed we might get one of the best of each variations when Day grew to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator this previous offseason. For a lot of the common season, although, it was sort of clunky. It is a bizarre solution to put it, as a result of Ohio State was nonetheless wonderful, nevertheless it was attempting to determine its finest model of itself. The Tennessee sport and the Rose Bowl had been one of the best variations of each offenses. One of many solely issues this group cannot do is simply run the soccer to get itself began. That is what Kelly desires to do, nevertheless it struggled when it tried that in opposition to Nebraska and Michigan. Prior to now, Day would’ve simply began throwing the ball round.

They only needed to flip that components. Ohio State wanted to get the passing sport going to pop some runs later. That is what it did in its two CFP wins. This spells actual bother for Texas, as a result of if Ohio State performs this fashion, it’s going to win the nationwide championship.

Defensively, Jim Knowles additionally discovered one of the best mixture of the 2 defenses he has run at Ohio State. The Buckeyes had been in a position to get strain whereas limiting explosive performs on the skin. Ohio State’s entrance six (4 defensive linemen, two linebackers) had been answerable for that sport, permitting the secondary to play unique coverages. That is why Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had nowhere to throw the ball on a number of cases and was sacked eight occasions. 

Ohio State’s offense is enjoying at its finest. Ohio State’s protection is enjoying at its finest. There’s one group that is peaking proper now, and it is Ohio State. 

Oregon’s loss confirmed flaw in new CFP construction.

I give Oregon lots of credit score for not folding in that sport. Gabriel was in a position to make some huge performs when he wasn’t getting pressured, ending the day with 299 passing yards. It wasn’t straightforward, however I do not assume many might’ve finished what he did in opposition to that Ohio State protection. Oregon simply could not get the large stops wanted. 

Nonetheless, Oregon is a superb soccer group. The truth that it was solely a 41-21 loss contemplating how effectively Ohio State performed is an indictment of how robust of a group Oregon was this 12 months. I’ve obtained an immense quantity of respect for Dan Lanning, who made certain to notice that the loss did not take away from what Oregon did this season and took accountability for the loss. He understands what nice leaders are imagined to say after losses. 

This Oregon group deserved higher than what it obtained within the CFP. It had one of the best common season within the nation, and our sport is meant to have crucial common season. We have been attempting to keep up the significance of the common season in all of the reformatting of the postseason, but we misplaced it. 

Oregon should not have needed to play Ohio State in its first CFP sport. Lanning did not say that after the sport, however I am tremendous saying it for him. That flawed construction gave us actually poor seeding. The construction wasn’t the committee’s fault, however the best way the groups had been seeded was. Texas and Penn State ought to’ve by no means been seeded forward of Ohio State. That did not damage Ohio State, although, who was going to play a house first-round sport it doesn’t matter what. It damage Oregon. 

The construction needs to be fastened ultimately. Take into consideration what we noticed within the first spherical with these improbable dwelling environments. Faculty soccer is supposed to be performed on campus. I assumed this spherical wasn’t as thrilling as a result of lack of these environments. Oregon deserved to get a house sport. We noticed how laborious it’s to win in these environments within the first spherical.

On prime of that, I heard many followers on the Rose Bowl say how taxing these neutral-site video games had been. Ohio State followers should pay hundreds of {dollars} to go from Los Angeles to Dallas and to Atlanta in only a few-week span if it makes it to the title sport. Groups that performed in a neutral-site convention championship sport should play 4 neutral-site video games over the past two months of the season. 

Texas’ win did not strike lots of confidence shifting ahead.

Arizona State outplayed Texas within the Peach Bowl, and the numbers are fairly staggering. Arizona State performed phenomenally, though it made some huge errors. It outgained Texas by an enormous margin, 510-375. It ran 37 extra performs than Texas. It had the ball quarter-hour longer than Texas did (37:54 to 22:06). 

In fact, you possibly can argue that Texas’ fast landing drive and the punt return landing within the first quarter helped skew these numbers, however there is a purpose why Arizona State was in a position to linger whereas trailing by two scores earlier than tying the sport. Solar Devils RB Cam Skattebo was an enormous purpose for that. He is a legend. I’ve by no means seen something like what he did within the Peach Bowl. The hassle he gave to place his group in place to win was unimaginable. He and coach Kenny Dillingham have gotten to be sick. They’d their alternatives and the truth that they had been even within the sport contemplating a number of the detrimental performs that went in opposition to them is a testomony to Arizona State.

ASU additionally restricted Texas within the run sport. Quinn Ewers, who was my greatest concern for Texas getting into the sport, delivered. He made nice performs within the second half and additional time that gave Texas an opportunity to win the sport, however Texas fell actually brief in every single place else. Texas’ offensive line and protection did not present up on this sport. 

There are lots of questions surrounding Texas, and I ponder why it will get stopped a lot on offense contemplating its personnel and play-calling. Texas is about to see a significantly better model of the groups it is struggled with this season. Ohio State is healthier than Georgia on either side of the ball. Ohio State is healthier than Arizona State. 

If I used to be a Longhorns fan, I might be a bit of bit anxious, however they obtained the stops they wanted, and Ewers made the performs he needed to make to win the sport. 

There was additionally the focusing on controversy. Texas security Michael Taaffe delivered successful up excessive on ASU receiver Melquan Stovall on the Solar Devils’ final play with the ball in regulation. There was no penalty on the sphere, however as soon as there is a evaluate for focusing on, they evaluate all elements of the play. It is a distinctive evaluate course of. So, when you go to the evaluate, it ought to’ve been decided that this play was focusing on. Taaffe hit a defenseless receiver above the neck, which is without doubt one of the two parts for focusing on. I hate focusing on, however as a rule o, that was 1,000% focusing on. 

In fact, there is not any assure that Arizona State would’ve received the sport. It could’ve gotten the ball at Texas’ 37-yard line and certain would’ve gotten a extremely good probability to kick a area purpose to doubtlessly win the sport. That was simply an terrible non-call, although. 

Penn State cannot become bored with success.

Each groups probably felt that they left so much on the desk. Boise State was in all probability kicking itself after the sequence the place it misplaced a landing attributable to a penalty earlier than throwing an interception within the fourth quarter, stopping it from making the rating a three-point sport.

However Penn State allowed Boise State to hold round. Penn State’s sport plan was … off. If I used to be a Penn State fan, I might name it irritating. Boise State has extra sacks than anybody within the nation. Even after it was apparent that Kaytron Allen was operating throughout Boise State to open that sport, Penn State determined to get pass-happy. That was wild, and Boise State’s cross rush confirmed up as Penn State tried to maintain throwing the ball.

So, Penn State in all probability watches that movie and wonders, “Why did not we run that group out of the constructing?” There’s an outdated adage amongst playcallers that you just should not get bored whereas making a revenue. You may additionally name it not being tired of success. There are occasions as a playcaller once you would possibly really feel you need to legitimize all of the work you place into sport planning, however why cease doing one thing if it is working?

Boise State could not sort out Allen on the primary two drives of the sport. Then, it determined it needed to make a degree of passing the ball on the following few possessions. That is why I feel Penn State has struggled to beat the elite groups. It will possibly play that means in opposition to the SMUs and Boise States, nevertheless it nonetheless misplaced to Ohio State and Oregon. It has gotten nearer to choosing up that elusive win, however Penn State cannot enable a group to hold round due to what it is doing. 

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports activities’ lead school soccer sport analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Comply with him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.

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