Ranking the final 8 teams in the College Football Playoff
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Ranking the final 8 teams in the College Football Playoff

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

The first round of the College Football Playoff was filled with decisive victories in all four games. The team that received the most criticism, especially from SEC fans, the Indiana Hoosiers, lost by the narrowest of margins in their game against Notre Dame over the weekend.

Each of the home teams held serve in round one, with the Texas Longhorns, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes advancing to the quarterfinals.

Texas will face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Boise State faces Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon and Ohio State will face off in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame will face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

The second round of the College Football Playoff will likely feature more competitive matchups. So how do the remaining eight teams fare heading into the quarterfinals?

8

Boise State Broncos (12-1)

Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Boise State boasts one of the best players in the country in Ashton Jeanty, but will they have enough talent to defeat a formidable Penn State defense in the Fiesta Bowl?

7

Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2)

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Arizona State and star running back Cam Skattebo will face a Texas defense that ranked 13th in the nation in rushing yards allowed. It’s a matchup between last year’s Big 12 champion, the Longhorns, and this year’s Big 12 champion, the Sun Devils.

6

Georgia Bulldogs

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia has the defense to make a breakthrough in the College Football Playoff, but Gunnar Stockton will be able to lead the offense to a victory over a good Notre Dame team.

5

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-1)

Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

With just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame took a 27-3 lead and put on a dominating performance over the Indiana Hoosiers. With a good defense and an offense that can make life difficult for the opposing defense, they have as good a chance as anyone to win the whole thing.

4

Penn State Nittany Lions (12-2)

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings had a really strong season for the Mustangs. He proved to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the country. And the Penn State Nittany Lions completely confused him. The Nittany Lions’ defense held him to 20 of 36 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. Penn State recorded three interceptions, including two pick-sixes. The pass rush was relentless, resulting in three sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

3

Texas Longhorns (12-2)

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns had probably their best performance of the season with their win over the Clemson Tigers. Texas answered Clemson’s first drive touchdown with a touchdown of its own, going on a 21-0 run. They led 28-10 at halftime, and after Clemson got within seven points, Jayden Blue answered with a 77-yard touchdown run to pull away in the fourth.

2

Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2)

Adam Cairns-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes dominated in their win over the Tennessee Volunteers. Will Howard was an incredible 24 of 29 for 311 yards and two touchdowns, and the Buckeyes totaled 473 yards and averaged 10.3 yards per play.

1

Oregon Ducks (13-0)

Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks are the only team that made it through the season unscathed. The top seeds in the playoffs have a rematch in the quarterfinals when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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