If you are a fan of college football, you are either used to change, or you may want to learn to be. The old world of college football is in the rearview mirror, and we now have NIL, profit sharing, and an expanded College Football Playoff format.
Ohio State took home the first 12-team College Football Playoff crown, just like they took home the first one a decade ago when it went to four teams.
A special run is what it took from the Buckeyes, who lost their regular season finale to Michigan and that looked to be the nail in the coffin. Thanks to the expansion, Ohio State got a second chance and they took full advantage of it. Now looking back, one team captain from the 2024 team supports the expanded playoff.
“I think it’s great. I mean think about it, you know the teams that played in the national championship wouldn’t have even been in the playoffs this year if it had not been for the 12-team playoff,” Ohio State draft prospect Jack Sawyer said on Wednesday.
So I think it just goes to show you that, like in the NFL you can lose a couple of games. The best team might lose three or four games in a regular season and still go out and win the Super Bowl. So to me, it just feels like it’s becoming the NFL playoffs for me, and you know across the country that’s how it’s going to look for the next few years.”
Ohio State regrouped after the loss to Michigan and ran through the CFP without much of a test. The Buckeyes boat raced both Tennessee and Oregon to start things, then beat Texas by two touchdowns. The Buckeyes finished it off with a win over Notre Dame to cap off their season in the big game.
Sawyer had the biggest play of the season, which was a scoop-and-score against Texas that sealed the game after he sacked QB Quinn Ewers. The Central Ohio native went 83 yards with the football to end Texas’ season. Overall, the senior had 4.5 sacks in the CFP run and nine on the season.
Now, the Buckeyes have a target on their backs and have to try to go out and repeat in 2025. There will be plenty of new with Sawyer and potentially 15+ more Buckeyes off to the NFL. Still, Ohio State reloads and will undoubtedly be in the mix.
