The expanded College Football Playoff feels old-school with tough, physical defenses leading the way for the last four teams fighting for the national title.
If you’re looking for high-scoring offenses, you might want to look elsewhere this weekend. The defenses, featuring multiple All-Americans, are the main focus of the semifinals. Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, and Notre Dame are all ranked among the top eight defenses in the country this season.
The No. 8 seed Buckeyes (12-2) will play the No. 5 Longhorns (13-2) in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night. Ohio State is ranked first in total defense and scoring defense, while Texas is ranked third and fourth in those categories.
The Orange Bowl, set for Thursday night, will feature No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) against No. 6 Penn State (13-2), both of which have strong defenses that shut down top players like Georgia’s and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, the nation’s top running back, in the quarterfinals.
Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, who was 0-3 against Texas while at Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State, described the Longhorns’ defense: “They got some dudes, man,” Howard said.
And he’s right. The Longhorns have playmakers all over their defense.
Longhorns senior cornerback Jahae Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. Edge rusher Colin Simmons leads the team with nine sacks and won the Shaun Alexander Award as the best freshman.
Barron leads a tough, experienced secondary that has been hard on receivers and has forced turnovers in 23 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the country.
In the quarterfinals, Texas beat Arizona State in double overtime, with safety Michael Taaffe’s hit on a receiver in the final drive being reviewed for targeting, though it was ruled legal. Andrew Mukuba then sealed the win with an interception near the goal line in the 39-31 game, which was the most points Texas allowed all season.
“I think our defense has been tremendous all year,” said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. “As far as football goes, hey, we don’t play flag football, man. This isn’t seven-on-seven. This is tackle football. We believe in playing a physical brand of football. We try to do it the right way within the rules.”
Next, the Texas defense will try to stop Ohio State’s standout freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith.
“You know, that kid can ball. He’s a big baller. Strong, strong ability. He’s a deep threat,” Barron said. “He’s a physical player, and I’ll have to be physical.”
Ohio State can also dominate physically, with pass rushers J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, plus All-American safety Caleb Downs in the backfield. The Buckeyes have allowed just 12.1 points per game this season, with only one 300-yard passer and two 100-yard rushers getting through.
When Ohio State lost to top-seeded Oregon earlier in the season, Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel had plenty of time to throw. But in a Rose Bowl rematch, the Buckeyes sacked Gabriel eight times, including two sacks each from Tuimoloau and Sawyer.
“When we’re executing and we’re at a high level, it’s hard to do anything with us,” said Buckeyes defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. “The most violent team, the team that plays the fastest, executes the most, and exceeds their game plan the most is going to win this game.”
Notre Dame and Penn State will bring their own brand of tough defense to South Florida. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 for total defense and scoring defense.
After an easy win over Indiana in the first round, Notre Dame held Georgia to just 62 yards rushing and 10 points. They forced two turnovers and stopped Georgia on all three of its fourth-down tries, including one inside the Notre Dame 10-yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining. This was despite losing standout defensive tackle Rylie Mills to a knee injury earlier in the playoffs.
Notre Dame’s defense is led by safety Xavier Watts, a two-time AP All-American, who has six interceptions this season.
Penn State is ranked fifth in the nation against the run, allowing only 101 yards per game. In the quarterfinals, the Nittany Lions shut down Boise State’s top running back, Jeanty, holding him to a season-low 104 yards and forcing an early fumble.
However, Penn State took a hit when All-American defensive end Abdul Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, left early with an upper body injury and didn’t return.
Carter leads Penn State with 11 sacks and ranks second in FBS with 21.5 tackles for loss this season. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin is hopeful Carter will play this week but didn’t confirm it.
“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything that is stopping him from playing,” Franklin said Saturday.
