College Football Playoff 2024-25 recap 

Excitement was all in the air of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff with the first-ever twelve-team system; the first of the first-round games began with No. 8 Indiana against No. 5 Notre Dame. Indiana was struggling, and on Saturday against Notre Dame, Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame had a 98-yard rushing touchdown. Notre Dame was up 17-3 by halftime. Notre Dame beat Indiana, 27-17, despite Indiana scoring twice late. 

Next, Penn State took on SMU. The Nittany Lions seized control early. Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas scored on interception returns, and Nicholas Singleton added another touchdown run. Penn State led at halftime, 28-0. SMU scored a few on the board, but Penn State won 38-10. 

There was an exciting game between Texas and Clemson. Texas raced to a 28-10 lead at halftime and held off a Clemson rally, 38-24. Ohio State hosted Tennessee and jumped to an early 42-17 lead after a solid second half. 

In the quarterfinals, Penn State went against Boise State. Penn State scored first and led at halftime, 17-7. Though Boise State certainly tried, Penn State held on 31-14. Texas then played Arizona State in a double-overtime game. They were tied at 24 when they went back and forth until Texas pulled away for a 39-31 victory. 

Ohio State at Oregon, a 41-21 score in which OSU dominated. Next up for Notre Dame was Georgia. The game started slow, but eventually, Notre Dame took off and found its way to the semifinals with a 23-10 victory. 

In the semifinals, Penn State played Notre Dame in a nail-biter. The teams exchanged scores up until late in the game. Notre Dame led 27-24 at that half, a game the Irish would eventually win and put them in the title game. In the meantime, the fans’ pick, Ohio State, beat Texas 28-14. 

Jeremiah Smith was the best player in this 12-team playoffs. He received fewer yards than any other OSU team member on big SEC rivals Tennessee and the No. 1 ranked Oregon. He ended the playoffs with 293 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

These teams fought for everything, showed off their talents all year long, and provided moments that people will never forget. And now, the final championship battle was on!

Written by Tyrone Taylor | Graphic Designed by  Tyrone Taylor

Published February 14, 2025 | ePathfinder | Sports