MY COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOURNEY from the start of the blog

Joe Burrow and LSU Complete a Dominant Season, as Undefeated 2019-2020 Tourney Champion

This year's tournament field was completed with excellent resumes and storied histories, but surprisingly without Alabama.  Nick Saban's Tide were #2 in the pre-season polls, and won seven straight, until a highly anticipated game against LSU.  LSU prevailed on the road, then Bama star QB Tua Tagovailoa was hurt for the remainder of the season the next week, and then Alabama lost to Auburn in the regular season finale.  Baylor took the final at-large bid, with Wisconsin and Alabama on the outside, looking in.

The top three seeds were undefeated conference champions, all 13-0: LSU, Ohio State, and the defending national champion Clemson Tigers.  Other automatic qualifiers were #4 Oklahoma, #7 Oregon, and #10 Memphis.  The at-large teams were Georgia, Florida, Penn State, and Baylor.  In the final BCS standings, the closest race was between Florida and Oregon for the sixth spot.  The Gators outpointed the Ducks for the last bye spot.  However, Oregon may not have minded so much, getting #10 seed Memphis in Corvallis, and the chance to stay out west to play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.  This may have been preferable to heading straight to the Orange Bowl to face defending titlist Clemson.

And a notable storyline was all the transfer quarterbacks within the top-ranked schools.  #1 LSU's Joe Burrow started at #2 Ohio State, Ohio State's Justin Fields originally matriculated to #5 Georgia, and #4 Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts had been successful at Alabama, who after eight straight Football's Final Four appearances was AWOL from the tournament.

ESPN made their predictions for the tournament, seeing Oklahoma as the only top four seed not making the Final Four by losing to Georgia, and LSU taking the title with a narrow one-point win over Clemson:

FIRST ROUND, Philadelphia: #8 Penn State 25, #9 Baylor 14

Penn State travelled to Philadelphia for a First-Round match against fellow at-large team Baylor.  Penn State started the season undefeated and was #4 when they lost a road game to a ranked Minnesota team.  A subsequent loss at Ohio State left the Nittany Lions with two losses and out of the Big Ten title game.  Meanwhile, Baylor, unranked in the pre-season after coming off 1-11 and 7-6 seasons, emerged unbeaten under coach Matt Rhule, until two losses to Oklahoma, by 3 points and then by 7 in overtime.  

On a gray afternoon in Philly, Penn State's ground game ruled the day.  The Lions started scoring on Jake Pinegar's 45-yard field goal, but Baylor took their only lead on Denzel Mims 12-yard TD pass reception from QB Charlie Brewer, for a 7-3 Bears lead at the end of the first quarter.  But the rushing show by PSU really hit its stride in the second quarter.  Journey Brown's 32-yard TD run, Devyn Ford's 2-yard TD, and another Pinegar field goal upped the lead to 20-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Baylor added a touchdown on QB Brewer's 1 yard run, but Penn State added a safety, and a fourth quarter field goal.  With their 25-14 victory, the Nittany Lions head to the Peach Bowl match-up against top seed Louisiana State.

FIRST ROUND, Corvallis, OR: #7 Oregon 52, #10 Memphis 39

A little drizzle could not stop some Ducks and Tigers from posting high octane scoring on a Saturday afternoon in Corvallis.  Although some of the Memphis drives sputtered throughout the game, excellent place kicker Riley Patterson fought through the wetness to hit six of six field goals and 21 points.  For instance, in the first quarter, Memphis scored on Patterson's 48-yard field goal, Patrick Taylor Jr.'s 3-yard TD run, and a Patterson 37-yard field goal.  However, while Patterson added 3 points at will, Ducks QB Justin Herbert was getting Oregon into the end zone.  Oregon held a 14-13 lead at the end of the first on a Cyrus Habibi-Likio 1 yard TD run and a Jaylon Redd 1 yard TD pass from Herbert.

Oregon continued to march on with three TDs in the second: Jacob Breeland 7-yard pass from Herbert, another Habibi-Likio 1 yard run, and Redd's 3-yard TD scamper.  Memphis added a Kenneth Gainwell 1 yard TD, and Patterson hit a 44-yard field goal as the half ended, to trail 35-23 at the break.  The second half continued in the same vein, Oregon maintaining its margin with another Hebert TD pass and another Habibi-Likio run, and Memphis' Patterson's mastery continued, including a 51 yarder, and the game ended with the Ducks taking a 52-39 victory.  Next up, an Ohio State-Oregon Rose Bowl.

BOWL QUARTERFINALS

PEACH BOWL, #1 LSU 59, #8 Penn State 35

Last season, QB Joe Burrow and LSU came off a solid win over Central Florida in the First Round, before hitting the buzzsaw, known as eventual champion Clemson Tigers, losing in the Orange Bowl 30-7.  But this season, the LSU Tigers may be the buzzsaw, as Penn State came off a solid First Round win, only to find a dominant Louisiana State in the Peach Bowl.  

LSU started out fast, scoring on Justin Jefferson 19 yard touchdown reception from Burrow early in the first.  Yes, the Nittany Lions answered on Journey Brown's 56 yard TD gallop; but that was the most merry the PSU fans would be on this Atlanta day.  The rest of the quarter featured Burrow lighting up the skis, featuring an 8-yard sling to Terrace Marshall Jr., a 35-yard throw to Jefferson, and then a Cade York field goal.  Tigers were up on the Lions 24-7 and the game was only a quarter old.

The LSU offense continued to run seamlessly, with a 45-21 halftime lead, 52-28 after three, and 59-35 at the final gun.  The Tigers move on to Detroit's Football's Final Four.

COTTON BOWL, #5 Georgia 43, #4 Oklahoma 28

For the second consecutive year, Oklahoma was #4 and Georgia was #5,  and they met in the 4/5 game.  Last season in the Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma grabbed a 28-21 victory.  Would 365 days and a change of location to the Cotton Bowl change the outcome?

Georgia played out of sorts last season,  but the Bulldogs were all sorts of good this time around.  Motivated to turn things around from their last matchup,  Georgia started the scoring on George Pickens 27 yard pass from Jake Fromm. Freshman receiver Pickens left behind his regrettable ending to the regular season and put the rest of college football on notice that he will be an exceedingly tough cover in 2020. Oklahoma briefly put up a fight. Jalen Hurts' 51-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb set up a 3-yard 

touchdown run by Kennedy Brooks that tied the score at 7.  The second quarter was all Georgia, as after two Rod*rigo Blankenship field goals, Fromm hit Matt Landers for a 16 yard TD reception, and the Bulldogs lead 19-7.  Georgia's Zamir White ran it in from 13 yards out, answered by Sooner Hurts 2-yard TD run.  But before halftime, D'Andre Swift's 3 yard TD run provided a 33-14 halftime lead for the UGA troops.  The teams exchanged some scores in the second, but Georgia was always in control, winning 43-28 to avenge the previous season disappointment.  

And avenging is what the Bulldogs need to continue next.  They will face top seed LSU again, after being handled in the SEC championship game 37-10 by the Tigers.

ROSE BOWL, #2 Ohio State 35, #7 Oregon 28

Under Urban Meyer and now first year coach Ryan Day, Ohio State entered their seventh straight tournament.  As an undefeated second seed, with the playoffs going through Semi-Finals in Detroit, enthusiasm was building for a Buckeye title run.  Could Oregon's Ducks, on their own journey to return to relevance like the Buckeyes have, derail the OSU train in Pasadena?

Oregon featured an exciting QB in Justin Herbert.  The game started out well for the Ducks as they scored a touchdown on their opening possession from Herbert's 4-yard TD run.   On the Buckeyes' ensuing possession, Ohio State drove 47 yards in six plays to score a touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Justin Fields to Binjimen Victor. Ohio State would force a three-and-out on Oregon's next possession and would score again on an 11-play, 71-yard drive, giving the Buckeyes a 14–0 lead. Following the second scoring drive, the Buckeyes would conduct a successful onside kick and score again, giving OSU a 21–7 lead at the end of the first quarter.  The Buckeyes continued in the second quarter, extending the lead on a Chris Olave 2 yard TD pass from Fields.  Oregon's Herbert answered before halftime on a 5-yard TD run, and the Ducks closed the lead to 28-14.  In the third, the Buckeyes appeared to be coasting, but pressure on the OSU punter lead to an Oregon, Brady Breeze 31 yard fumble return, and the gap was closed to 28-21 with a quarter to go.  

Ohio State added a fourth quarter insurance touchdown on J.K. Dobbins 7 yard run.  But midway through the fourth, Herbert probably created the highlight reel play of the game,  Herbert faked a handoff and went on the run of his life.  Oregon's 6-foot-6 quarterback gracefully stiff-armed an Ohio State linebacker at the line of scrimmage. He surged downfield, found his blockers and sprinted to the green-painted end zone, even absorbing a very late hit from the frustrated Buckeyes as a reward. Oregon pressed for a chance to tie, and with a minute to go, Herbert's 28-yard pass to Juwan Johnson to the OSU 9 for a first down had fans of both teams on the edge of their seats.  But the Buckeyes kept Oregon out of the endzone, and now Ohio State gets a chance to play in midwestern Detroit in the state up north in Football's Final Four.

ORANGE BOWL, #3 Clemson 31, #6 Florida 14

Clemson, taking on the ACC mantel from Florida State, achieved their fifth straight Orange Bowl birth, with a 3-1 record in their previous games.  But Florida's Gators were a popular upset choice to take down Clemson.  Not only would Clemson have to take down an SEC team, but one playing in its own state, with a rebirth under coach Dan Mullins.  

But Clemson controlled the game from the start, first scoring on B.T. Potter 23 yard field goal. and closing out the first quarter's points on Travis Etienne's 3 yard run, for a 10-0 Tiger lead.  Another Potter field goal and continued Clemson shut-out defense, and the Tigers were up 13-0 at halftime.  Lamical Perine's 61 yard TD run breathed third quarter life into the Gator faithful, but a Diondre Overton 22 yard TD reception from Trevor Lawrence, followed by a 2 point conversion, took the Clemson lead to 21-7 at the end of three quarters.  Florida QB Kyle Trask ran a TD score in from the 1 yard line, but Clemson added a Potter field goal and Etienne's 4 yard TD run, for a 31-14 Clemson victory.  The Tigers put the speculation of an upstart Florida upset to rest.   Onto Detroit to face Ohio State!

FOOTBALL'S FINAL FOUR, THE SEMI-FINALS IN DETROIT

Detroit's Ford Field certainly hosted an elite set of four teams in the Semi-Finals.  Three undefeated conference champs, including the defending champion, and it is always nice to have an "upstart," divisional champ and two-loss Georgia.  Okay, not exactly Boise State, but still in the upstart role nonetheless.  Yes, the SEC championship rematch of LSU-Georgia is a lovely opener, but all of the buzz, and the throngs of scarlet and gray fans, was for the nightcap of Motown's Ohio State-defending titlist Clemson match-up. Let's Get it On!

#1 Louisiana State 42, #5 Georgia 26

Having recently lost 37-10 to LSU in the SEC title game, Georgia was hoping there was 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' to get a reversal of fortune in Detroit.  But LSU scored first on a John Emery Jr. 6 yard TD run, followed by a bold choice to grab two more points on the conversion.  Cade York added a 20 yard field goal to extend LSU's lead to 11-0.  But Georgia needed to stay in striking distance, so Rodrigo Blankenship's 24 yard field goal to close the lead to 11-3 in the last minute of the first quarter kept the Bulldogs in the game.

After the relatively sedate third quarter, the second quarter was a feverish scoring extravaganza.  Each team scored three times.  Louisiana State had three TDs: Terrace Marshall Jr. 20 yard TD pass from Burrow, Clyde Edwards-Helaire's 6 yard TD run, and Burrow's 7 yard run.  Georgia countered with George Pickens 27 yard TD pass from Jake Fromm, Rodrigo Blankenship's 31 yard field goal, and 

Matt Landers 16 yard pass from Fromm (two-point pass conversion failed).  So the Bulldog's moral victory of keeping up with LSU scoring was necessary, but not sufficient to win, as the Tigers halftime lead extended to 32-19.  

In the second half, the pace settled down, with each team adding a TD in the third, and LSU kicking a fourth quarter field goal.  The red hot Tigers were 'Dancing in the Street' celebrating a trip back to their home state for the championship in New Orleans.  One undefeated team will be there; which undefeated team will join them?

#3 Clemson 29, #2 Ohio State 23

In the last minute of Detroit's nightcap, the scarlet and gray fans rose to their feet in anticipation.  With their Buckeyes down 6, QB Justin Fields through a perfect spiral to the end zone.  Certainly OSU would grab the pass to win.  A collective "oh no" then erupted as the only receiver was a wide open Clemson defender.  The Buckeyes had driven to the Clemson 23 on second-and-7, and Fields missile to the end zone and was picked off by Nolan Turner with 37 seconds left. Ohio State receiver Chris Olave had broken off his route thinking Fields was going to scramble. “That ball was supposed to go to me and I was supposed to run a post and I believe it would have been a touchdown. Definitely put it on me,” Olave said.

In a game of exciting breakaway plays, Clemson moves on.  Apropos for Detroit, blaring from the Clemson locker room after yet another tourney victory was Aretha Franklin's classic “Respect.”  The Tigers have won two of the last three national titles and become college football's gold standard program, yet still often feel overlooked. Doubted. Disrespected.

Facing a serious challenger for the first time in months, No. 3 Clemson and its perfect quarterback had to tap into their championship DNA to advance to the title game for the third time in four years.  Trevor Lawrence connected with Travis Etienne on a 34-yard, go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter, capping a 94-yard march, and the defending national champions beat #2 Ohio State 29-23 Saturday night in the Fiesta Bowl.

Ohio State proved to be every bit Clemson's match, though the Buckeyes walked away frustrated by several close officiating calls. Especially two video reviews that could have gone either way and did not go theirs.  "One play can alter the game,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “It didn't seem like we got any of those plays.”

Ohio State jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first half and then responded to a Clemson rally to retake the lead, 23-21 in the fourth quarter.  The Tigers got the ball down two at their own 6 with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter. Lawrence, after being up and down for much of the night, suddenly found the Golden Boy form that he used to lead Clemson to a national title as a freshman last year. The Tigers needed four plays and 1:18, with Lawrence completing all three of his passes and mixing in an 11-yard run. The sophomore quarterback who has never lost a college start passed for 259 yards and two scores and ran for a career-high 107 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown late in the first half.

“I told Ryan, that Ohio State team, what an unbelievable game, their quarterback, their back, those guys played their hearts out,” Swinney said. "But in the end, our guys showed what they're made of. They've got the heart of a champion, they've got the eye of a tiger.”

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in New Orleans: #1 Louisiana State 42, #3 Clemson 25

There wasn't an Alabama team to dominate the SEC and the college football tournament this season, but LSU seemed to channel the Tide's aura all season, completing a dominating run.  Behind Heisman star QB Joe Burrow, and a cast of receivers that had an uncanny ability to tight rope the sidelines, extending pass completions beyond that of mortal men.

From small-town Ohio kid to Louisiana legend, Burrow threw five touchdown passes, ran for another score and finished off one of the most accomplished seasons in college football history by leading the top-ranked Tigers to a 42-25 victory against #3 Clemson.  "He's one of the greatest players in LSU history," Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said. "He's done so much for the state of Louisiana and LSU. We are so grateful to Joe Burrow."

"This is what I wanted to do from the time I was 5 years old, was hoist this trophy. And bringing it back to Louisiana," Burrow said, then caught himself. "I guess we're in Louisiana, but staying in Louisiana, we weren't going to let someone come in here and steal this from us in our home state.  We have a great fan base that came out and supported us. We were going to keep this thing right here."  Under a shower of sparkling white, gold and purple confetti, Burrow raised the CFP championship trophy toward the Superdome roof. The party was on -- no doubt already raging on nearby Bourbon Street.

On this night, Clemson star QB Trevor Lawrence (18 for 37 for 234 yards) was no match for Burrow -- the Ohio State transfer.  His ascent has been dizzying and unprecedented. Running a version of the New Orleans Saints' offense brought to LSU by 30-year-old assistant coach Joe Brady, Burrow and an array of talented receivers transformed these Tigers into one of the most prolific offenses college football has ever seen.

Clemson pushed LSU into the deepest hole it had to climb out of this season in the first half. After Lawrence ran for a career-best 107 yards against Ohio State, he opened the scoring with a 1-yard jaunt around right end in the first quarter.  After B.T. Potter kicked a career-long 52-yard field goal for Clemson to make it 10-7, the Tigers sprung receiver Tee Higgins on a 36-yard reverse for a score to make it 17-7 in the second quarter.

It took LSU 5:19 to wipe that out and take the lead, with Burrow and his favorite receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, doing most of the damage. The Heisman winner hit the Biletnikoff Award winner with a long ball to set up a quarterback draw from 3 yards out to make it 17-14.  Burrow and Chase hooked up for a 14-yard touchdown with 5:19 left in the second quarter and LSU fans erupted as their Tigers took the lead for the first time, 21-17. They never looked back.

Chase finished with nine catches for 221 yards.  The SEC Tigers weren't done. Burrow led LSU on a 95-yard drive, taking a hard shot on a long run before finding Thaddeus Moss, son of former NFL star receiver Randy Moss, standing alone in the end zone. That made it 28-17 with 10 seconds left in the half.  

Frosh QB Trevor Lawrence Earns His Stripes; Dominant Clemson Cruises to 2018-2019 National Championship

 

Defending champion Alabama looked to continue a decade of success, which includes winning two of the last three titles and seven straight trips to Football's Final Four.  The Tide rolled into the 2018-2019 tournament as top seed, and ready to repeat as champion.

The selection of the tourney teams included only one narrow decision, with LSU narrowly ahead of Florida for the last at-large slot, despite their loss to UF in Gainesville in the regular season.

ESPN predicted an Alabama repeat title, emerging over second seed Clemson, with Georgia and Ohio State joining them in Football's Final Four: 

But, time to play it out on the field:

FIRST ROUND:

Atlanta (Georgia Tech, Bobby Dodd Stadium): #10 Louisiana State 40, #7 Central Florida 32

Central Florida looked to repeat their amazing run from the previous season, in which the Knights beat Auburn, then #1 Clemson in the Orange Bowl, before giving all eventual champion Alabama wanted for a half in Football's Final.  This year, a win over LSU would provide another chance for 12-0 UCF to take on Clemson in the Orange Bowl.  Early, that possibility looked probable as the Knights returned a pick six in the first quarter to take a 14-3 lead over LSU.  But Tiger QB Joe Burrow, after taking a viscous hit on the interception, went on to dominate.  Three Burrow TD passes provided a 24-14 LSU lead, although the Knights' Gabriel Davis 32 yard pass from Darriel Mack Jr. cut the lead to 24-21 with four seconds left in the half.

But in the second half, Burrow, who finished 21/34 for 394 yards, with four TD passes and the single interception, dominated, leading LSU to a 40-24 margin.  UCF narrowed the margin to 40-32 with 2:24 to go on Taj McGowan's two-yard run, followed by Mack's pass to Otis Anderson for two-point conversion.  But LSU was never threatened, ending Central Florida's undefeated season.  Next up for the Tigers, the #2 Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl.  

Pullman, Washington: #9 Washington 29, #8 Michigan 15

Both Big Ten at-large team #8 Michigan (10-2) and Pac-12 champion #9 Washington (10-3) returned to the tournament two years removed from being top six seeds.  This season, they would play a First Round game for a trip to the Sugar Bowl game against top-seeded Alabama.  Michigan started the scoring on Donovan Peoples-Jones 9-yard touchdown reception from Shea Patterson.  The Huskies answered in the first quarter on Drew Sample's 2-yard touchdown reception from running back Myles Gaskin.  In the second quarter, Michigan's 48-yard field goal by Jake Moody provided the Wolverines' 10-7 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, the only scoring was Washington's 38-yard field goal by Peyton Henry.  Tied at 10-10, it looked like a tight game to come.  However, the Huskies dominated the fourth, with two Gaskin TD runs, and the Wolverines giving up a Jake Browning TD pass to a wide open receiver to seal the victory.  Just as the temperature on the field was dropping, it seemed like UW was just heating up.  Michigan's field goal and safety off a blocked punt could not match the hot Huskies, and Washington prevailed 29-15.  Next up, a Washington-Alabama re-match from two season's ago in Football's Final Four.

BOWL QUARTERFINALS:

Peach Bowl: #1 Alabama 38, #9 Washington 23

Washington coach Chris Peterson's Boise State teams were known for high powered trickery, and tournament success, culminating with an appearance in the National Championship game loss in 2009-2010.  After a loss to Alabama in Football's Final Four 24-15 two seasons ago, certainly the Huskies would pull out gimmicks galore to turn the Tide.  Alas, Washington's entertainment quotient was notably unspectacular for the second time meeting Nick Saban and crew.

 Number one from day one, Alabama burst to a big lead early in the Peach Bowl.  Two Tua Tagovailoa TD passes and a Josh Jacobs TD run provided a 21-3 Tide lead at the end of the first quarter, and a Joseph Bulovas field goal gave Bama a 24-3 halftime lead.  Damien Harris' TD run in the third provided the Alabama 31-9 lead going into the final frame.  The defenses loosened up in the fourth quarter, but Alabama was in charge, with the scoreboard showing 38-23 by the final frame. An eighth consecutive appearance in Football's Final Four awaits a rolling Crimson Tide.

Sugar Bowl: #4 Oklahoma 28, #5 Georgia 21

The Georgia and Oklahoma match-up was highly anticipated, with many expecting the Bulldogs earning another chance to dethrone Alabama.  However, both teams seemed to continue the momentum of their conference championship games.  Whereas Oklahoma (12-1) avenged their only regular season loss to Texas with a 12-point win, Georgia's (11-2) 14-point lead over Alabama collapsed with a 35-28 loss.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 14-0 lead by early in the second quarter, largely because of Georgia's mistakes on special teams and offense.  Carson Meier 11 yard TD pass reception from Kyler Murray in the first frame was followed by a CeeDee Lamb 11 yard TD pass reception from Murray in the second quarter.  Georgia attempted to get back into the game with a methodical 12-play drive that ended with Jake Fromm finding Brian Herrien for a 17-yard touchdown, but the Sooners still took a 14-7 advantage into halftime.

Sooner QB Murray used his legs for a 33 yard TD run for the only scoring in the third quarter to push the lead to 21-7.   Bulldog QB Fromm completed 20 of 34 passes for 212 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Georgia scored a touchdown with 14 seconds left to pull within 28-21 but Oklahoma recovered the ensuing onside kick.  After a year away, Oklahoma returns to Football's Final Four in Houston to face Alabama.

Orange Bowl: #2 Clemson 30, #10 Louisiana State 7

After a shocking Orange Bowl loss to Central Florida last season as top seed, would #2 Clemson (13-0) be up to the task against #10 seed, SEC at-large LSU (10-3)?  

With the apparent upgrade at QB, Tiger true freshman Trevor Lawrence seemed quite comfortable on the tournament's big stage.  Following a 40-yard Clemson field goal by Greg Huegel, a Justyn Ross 52-yard touchdown reception from Lawrence provided a 10-0 first quarter lead.  The second quarter featured another Huegel field goal and a Ross 42-yard touchdown reception from Lawrence, while the Clemson defense pitched a first half shut-out on LSU.

In the third quarter, LSU's Tigers finally broke through on a Ja'Marr Chase 9 yard pass from Joe Burrow.  However, Clemson's Tigers added another field goal and a Tee Higgins 19-yard touchdown reception from Lawrence, to take a 30-7 lead into the final quarter.  The score remained the same at the final gun, and Clemson returns to their third Football's Final Four in four seasons.

Rose Bowl: #6 Ohio State 20, #3 Notre Dame 9

Though a Pac-12/Big Ten match-up is officially the Rose Bowl's optimum match-up, having undefeated Notre Dame (12-0) visit Pasadena to meet Ohio State (12-1) certainly will add smiles to the Tournament of Roses Committee.  

Irish eyes were also smiling early, as Notre Dame started the scoring on a 28-yard field goal by Justin Yoon, the only points of the first frame.  After this drive, however, the Buckeyes defense covered ND QB Ian Book like a book jacket, under constant pressure.  The Buckeyes owned the second quarter, with Parris Campbell's 12-yard touchdown reception from Dwayne Haskins, Johnnie Dixon's 19-yard touchdown reception from Haskins, and Blake Haubeil's field goal, and Ohio State dotted the "i" at halftime with a 17-3 lead.

Haubeil's field goal upped the OSU margin to 20-3 in the third, then Yoon added two field goals in the fourth quarter, and the Irish undefeated season came to an end, 20-9.

THE SEMI-FINALS, FOOTBALL'S FINAL FOUR, HOUSTON

#1 Alabama 45, #4 Oklahoma 34

This season's Alabama juggernaut has yet to be stopped, and Oklahoma's shaky defense sure wasn't going to get in the way.  Tua Tagovailoa threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns and No. 1-ranked Alabama beat #4 Oklahoma 45-34.  The high-scoring Sooners reached the semifinal despite a porous defense that was no match for Alabama's diverse attack, and the defending champion Crimson Tide led 28-0 after only 17 minutes.  Alabama advanced to the national championship game for the fourth consecutive season and will play in Santa Clara, California.  

Tagovailoa's performance argued for a recount in the Heisman Trophy vote. He finished as the runner-up to Oklahoma's Kyler Murray but won sweet consolation by completing 24 of 27 passes, with scores to four receivers.  "It's always good to see your hard work pay off," said Tagovailoa, who played on a sore left ankle. While Tagovailoa connected on his first nine passes for 184 yards, Murray was sacked twice before he threw a pass, and his first completion came with his team already down 21-0. "The slow start got us beat," Murray said. "It's tough to come back from that."

#2 Clemson 30, #6 Ohio State 6

Clemson and Ohio State faced off in the nightcap, but the Tigers were far from sleepy.  Running back Travis Etienne's 62-yard touchdown run, and Greg Huegel's field goal provided a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.  In the second, Etienne added a three-yard touchdown run, the Tigers continued their shut-out, and Clemson was up 17-0 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Buckeyes finally broke through on J. K. Dobbins 3-yard touchdown run, but Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins and Huegel added two field goals, and the Tigers lead 30-6 into the final quarter.  That is how it ended, and the top two seeds will face off for the championship in Santa Clara.

THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, SANTA CLARA: #2 Clemson 44, #1 Alabama 16

Nine tournament games, and the top-two undefeated seeds were left standing: Defending champion Alabama and previous champion Clemson.

With stunning ease -- and a freshman quarterback -- Clemson toppled college football's greatest dynasty again to become a perfect tournament champion.  Trevor Lawrence passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and the second-ranked Tigers beat No. 1 Alabama 44-16 in the College Football National Championship game.  

"I mean, our guys had the eye of the tiger, but I'm so proud, and then for our seniors to be able to go out undefeated and truly be the best ever -- there was a lot of talk about best ever all year long," Swinney said, talking about Alabama. "We were never in that conversation. But tonight, there's no doubt. Undefeated, to beat LSU, Ohio State, and to beat Alabama to do it, led by an unbelievable group of seniors, amazing group. I'm just thankful to be a part of it."

Two seasons ago it was Deshaun Watson dethroning the Tide with a last-second touchdown pass. Clemson's new star quarterback did not need the late-game heroics. The long-haired Lawrence cut though Alabama's defense with the help of another fabulous freshman. Justyn Ross made a juggling grab, a one-handed snare and broke a 74-yard touchdown about midway through the third quarter that made it 37-16 and had Swinney high-stepping down the sidelines.

Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa threw two crucial interceptions in the first half, the first returned 44 yards for a touchdown by A.J. Terrell to put Clemson up 7-0. The Tide came in scoring 48 points per game, but was shut out over the final 44 minutes by an opportunistic Clemson defense. Nick Saban lamented numerous mistakes: blown coverages on third down (Clemson was 10 for 15), stall outs in the red zone and special teams mishaps, including a fake field goal that flopped on the first possession of the second half.

Lawrence finished 20 for 32, and went 18 for 25 for 277 yards over the final three quarters. The teenager who took over as the starter four games into the season raised the Tigers' play, giving them an explosive offense to match a suffocating defense, led by All-American linemen Clelin Ferrell and Wilkins. 

"Just these seniors, just taking me in, and they kind of dragged me along until I got my feet under me, and they just -- they're awesome people as well as players," said Lawrence.  Clemson hit Alabama with a 31-point first half, capitalizing on the Tide's mistakes and unleashing Lawrence's rocket arm.

"Our goal is not to win a national championship. People don't believe that. Our goal is to win the closer right there. The national championship is just a byproduct of that. It's never been my goal," said Swinney. "I don't measure teams by that, and I know we've got some rabid people that that drives them crazy, but I measure our team based on did we get better, did we reach our potential."

One of the greatest tournaments has a big finish with #4 Alabama winning 2017-2018 Title

Certainly 2017-2018 provided one of the most memorable tournaments of college football history.  Close games, over-times, upsets, underdogs; THIS tournament had it all!

Prior to the tournament, many expected #1 seed Clemson to repeat as champion.  In fact, that is how ESPN projected the tournament to conclude.  Note that due to the guidelines to avoid re-matches from the regular season, #8 Auburn, seen as a dangerous team, would play #3 Oklahoma if they survived undefeated Central Florida, because the Tigers already played #1 Clemson and #2 Georgia previously this season.

The tournament kicked off in quaint Statesboro, Georgia, where Auburn played #9 seed Central Florida. UCF QB McKenzie Milton threw two touchdown passes and ran for 116 yards with another touchdown, leading the Knights to a 34-27 win. UCF (13-0) led 34-20 before having to stop a late Auburn comeback. Antwan Collier's interception in the end zone with 24 seconds remaining clinched the win.  Auburn was held to 90 yards rushing on 44 carries.  "That was probably the main stat that was disappointing for me," Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said.  More dominance: The Knights sacked Jarrett Stidham six times. Auburn had only one sack.  After Auburn took a 20-13 lead in the third quarter on a 4-yard run by Kerryon Johnson, Milton threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Otis Anderson to tie the game. Milton, under pressure,  Milton, under pressure, zipped an 8-yard scoring pass to Dredrick Snelson early in the fourth to give the Knights the lead.  Chequan Burkett's 45-yard interception return for a touchdown pushed the lead to 14 points, and Knights fans could taste yet another win.  Next up, #1 Clemson downstate from Orlando in the Orange Bowl.

Next, San Diego hosted #7 USC and #10 Penn State in the second First Round game.  Penn State took the opening kickoff and stormed right down the field, capped with a pretty 48-yard touchdown pass to DaeSean Hamilton from Trace McSorley.  USC bumbled, stumbled, and fumbled throughout the first half with Sam Darnold throwing an interception and losing two fumbles, in addition to Deontay Burnett losing a fumble.  Penn State capitalized adding five first half field goals in the first half, jumping to a 22-0 lead.  Finally under the two minute mark, USC scored on Ronald Jones II's one yard run, to cut the lead to 22-7.  Penn State maintained control, with USC only adding a field goal in the fourth quarter.  At 22-10, Penn State's win was the only game margin more than a touchdown in the tournament.  "We kind of shot ourselves in the football in this game," USC coach Clay Helton said. "You're putting a hurt on your defense, and it led to points early in the game, and separation early in the game."  PSU coach James Franklin said, "Our coaches did a fantastic job and the O line protected and the receivers made plays. We were very efficient. We executed."  Next up, Penn State moves on to the Cotton Bowl to face #2 Georgia.

Clemson as both top seed and defending champion started their effort to repeat at the Orange Bowl, against undefeated Central Florida.  But it was obvious early that the loss of previous season QB Deshaun Watson to the NFL had impacted the Tigers ability to dominate.  In the first quarter, Clemson did score on two Alex Spence field goals, and UCF scored on a McKenzie Milton touchdown pass.  After a scoreless second quarter, UCF went into the locker room ahead 7-6.  Central Florida added a field goal in the third quarter to extend to 10-6, and although there was a feeling that Clemson would pull it out at some point, crucial errors by besieged Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant kept the Tigers from adding to their score.  UCF fans went wild as the clock wound down on a stunning upset, as the undefeated Knights held on in the Orange Bowl.  "Just incredibly disappointed in our performance," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "But congratulations to Central Florida. They were the better team today. No doubt about it."

Central Florida would next take on the winner of the highly anticipated Rose Bowl between #4 Alabama and #5 Ohio State.  The Buckeyes were ready early, as Andy Pappanastos hit a 24 yard field goal, but Alabama responded with Andy Pappanastos' 24 yard field goal and Calvin Ridley's 12 yard TD pass from Jalen Hurts, and Bama carried a 10-3 lead into the second frame.  OSU QB JT Barrett rolled right off tackle, and tied the score at 10-10 in the second, where the score remained until halftime.  In the third, Barrett ran it in from 28 for a Buckeye lead, but Alabama responded with two touchdowns, including a Da'Ron Payne one yard TD reception from Jalen Hurts, and Bama held the lead after three quarters, 24-17.   Both defenses kept the offenses off the score board in the fourth, and the Crimson Tide held on to a Rose Bowl victory and trip to Houston for the Semi-Finals.  "This game was about our identity as a team," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "I don't think anybody would doubt our relentless attitude out there. We had a warrior-like mentality."

If the top half of the bracket had some good games, they had nothing on the bottom of the bracket.  The Cotton Bowl hosted #2 Georgia and #10 Penn State.  Penn State started the scoring in the first frame on a Saquon Barkley two yard run.  Georgia responded with Jake Fromm's 13 yard pass to Sony Michel. Penn State's field goal provided a 10-7 lead at the end of the quarter.  A minute into the fourth quarter, Michel broke away for 75 yard touchdown run to give the lead back to the Bulldogs.  But Penn State bounced back, with a one yard TD run by Miles Sanders, then a 92 yard explosive burst by Barkley for the score.  Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship ended the half with a 55 yard field goal to cut the PSU lead to 24-17.  Early in the third, Georgia's Nick Chubb ran it in from 50 yards out to tie the game.  Nittany Lion DaeSean Hamilton's 24 yard pass from Trace McSorley put PSU back in front, but Michel's 38 yard TD run at the end of the third locked the game at 31-31.  Georgia's Fromm tossed a four yard pass to Javon Wims early in the fourth, but then two Penn State TDs gave them the lead as the clock wound down on regulation.  But with 55 seconds left, Chubb's two yard run tied it up at 45-45.  In the second play of overtime, Michel ran 27 yards for a touchdown.  On fourth down McSorley had an open man to tie up the game, but a Bulldog linebacker leapt to knock down the pass, and Georgia survived to play another day.

If that was close, #3 Oklahoma and #6 Wisconsin were going to take that to another level in the Fiesta Bowl.  Oklahoma started fast and Wisconsin seemed a bit subdued, and Sooner Marquise Brown caught a 13 yard pass from Baker Mayfield, and teammate Rodney Anderson's nine yard run provided a 14-0 first quarter lead.  Oklahoma added another 41-yard Anderson TD run early in the second, but then the Alex Hornibrook show began.  The Wisconsin QB tossed three unanswered TD passes (two to Danny Davis III and one to AJ Taylor), and the Badgers evened it up.  The Sooners answered with Mayfield receiving a two-yard pass from CeeCee Lamb for a 28-21 halftime lead.  In the third quarter, the Badgers slowed the Oklahoma momentum, holding them scoreless, and adding two field goals to pull within one point.  Oklahoma added a field goal, but a Hornibrook to Davis six yard TD pass gave the Badgers a 34-31 lead.  But Sooners tied it up, on Austin Seibert's 38 yard field goal.  In the first overtime, both Seibert and Wisconsin's Rafael Gaglianone connected on field goals.  But in the second OT, Gaglianone scored his field goal, but Siebert missed a 27-yard attempt, and Wisconsin, once down 21-0, emerged with a 40-37 2 OT victory.  They will next play Georgia in Houston in the Semi-Finals.

Houston's Semi-Finals included Central Florida versus Alabama and Georgia versus Wisconsin.  In the opener, Central Florida was coming off wins versus Auburn and Clemson, and their momentum continued against Alabama during the first half.  As UCF went to the halftime locker room, shockingly they led the Tide by one point.  Could the Knights do it again?  But in the second half, Jalen Hurts and the Tide turned up the heat, and pulled away for a 34-22 victory.  

The nightcap featured #2 Georgia, highly motivated to return to Atlanta, starting off strong against Wisconsin looking for another game against Alabama, this time for the championship.  Georgia and QB Jake Fromm was strong early, leading by ten at halftime, and maintaining a nine point lead going into the final frame.  But with less than a minute to go, Wisconsin had cut the lead to two, and Badger QB Alex Hornibrook had the ball back.  Like their previous game against Oklahoma, Wisconsin was up for a challenge.  But eventually the clock led to their demise.  As time expired Hornibrook completed a long pass to the Georgia 17-yard line, but no opportunities for laterals and no Bulldog penalty flags meant that the comeback was over.  Georgia emerged victorious, 30-22.  Atlanta awaits.

For a tournament full of excellent games and high drama, the championship game in Atlanta was the perfect topping and ending. To add another championship to the greatest dynasty college football has ever seen, Alabama turned to its quarterback of the future, and Tua Tagovailoa proved that his time is now.  The freshman quarterback, who had played mostly mop-up duty this season, came off the bench to spark a comeback and threw a 41-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith that gave #4 Alabama a 26-23 overtime victory against #1 Georgia for the national championship.

Tagovailoa entered the game at halftime, replacing a struggling Jalen Hurts, and threw three touchdown passes to give the Crimson Tide another national championship under coach Nick Saban.  "He just stepped in and did his thing," Hurts said. "He's built for stuff like this. I'm so happy for him." The Tide might have a quarterback controversy ahead, but first Alabama will celebrate another title.

What was Saban thinking as the winning pass soared this time?

"I could not believe it," he said. "There's lots of highs and lows. Last year we lost on the last play of the game and this year we won on the last play of the game. These kids really responded the right way. We said last year, `Don't waste the feeling.' They sure didn't, the way they played tonight."

Smith streaked into the end zone and moments later confetti rained and even Saban seemed almost giddy after watching maybe the most improbable victory of his unmatched career. After Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos missed a 36-yard field goal that would have won it for the Tide (13-1) in the final seconds of regulation , Georgia (13-2) took the lead with a 51-yard field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship in overtime.

Tagovailoa took a terrible sack on Alabama's first play, losing 16 yards. On the next he found Smith, another freshman, and hit him in stride for the national championship.