And so we’ve arrived at the national championship game, with many expecting Ohio State to waltz its way to the title.
Is Ohio State the strongest team in the nation, or did the Buckeyes simply catch Oregon on the right day? To steal a line from Miss Kelsea Ballerini, two things can be true.
When Notre Dame can’t get an early lead and Riley Leonard has to lead the Irish back, they’re far less effective. Just as the previous two games did, this matchup seems to be playing right into Penn State’s hands.
UGA seemed in control of the game for the larger part of the first half. While they had only managed a field goal, they were able to sustain drives, keep Notre Dame from scoring, and should have had more points if it weren’t for a fumble in the red zone and a sideline infraction penalty. WR Arian Smith even caught a deep pass. Things were going relatively well. And then the wheels came off.
Many of the announcements were expected. Guys like Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams, and Malaki Starks announced they would be going pro. The announcement of LG Dylan Fairchild going pro isn’t a shock, but is certainly a disappointment.
Okay, before we get to the good news, let’s get the bad news out of the way. WR Anthony Evans hit the portal, which is an expected move. He barely stayed this year, but still didn’t see much playing time or productivity. He is a talented slot receiver, but didn’t take care of the football. I’m sure he’ll go somewhere else and be fairly productive.
At this point, the only one more excited for baseball season than John Fredericks is ACC commissioner Jim Phillips. The league has been through a nightmare year of football, culminated by a total faceplant in bowl season.
Instead of a quarterback showdown between outgoing senior Jaxson Dart and underappreciated Maalik Murphy, we get Dart vs. Henry Belin. Belin has made all of one start in his career and was relegated to third-string duty this year at Duke.
Oregon beat Ohio State by a point in Eugene, the first of two losses this year for the Buckeyes. And everyone expects that on a neutral field, Ohio State will show that it’s the superior team and should have gotten the chance to play in the Big Ten title game.