The 12-team College Football Playoff opened with a first round that saw four winners advance to the quarterfinals, including Ohio State, Miami, Oregon, and Ole Miss.
Miami’s 10–3 road upset of No. 7 Texas A&M was the weekend’s signature defensive struggle, while Oregon and Ole Miss both won convincingly.
The bracket now shifts to the quarterfinal matchups, with No. 2 Ohio State drawing No. 10 Miami at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, No. 4 Texas Tech facing No. 5 Oregon at Hard Rock Stadium, No. 9 Alabama meeting No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl, and No. 6 Ole Miss taking on No. 3 Georgia in the Caesars Superdome.
Less than a week after the CFP’s opening weekend, veteran college football voice David Pollack pegged one historic program as the team he’d back to win the national title.
“I learned my lesson last year with Ohio State. I think Ohio State’s got a really good chance to win this whole thing. I think they’re the team to beat, actually,” Pollack said.
“Ohio State’s defense, to me, I just think is a little too much for a (Miami) offense that’s too (Malachi) Tony dependent,” Pollack added. “I just got a feeling that 10’s going to be taken away. Who are those other guys that can make plays? I want to see those guys win outside because I think Ohio State’s going to challenge everyone and make sure they take away.”
Ohio State closed the regular season 12–1 and atop the Big Ten, returning to the CFP as the defending national champions and the second-ranked team in the country.
Offensively, the Buckeyes posted balanced production behind freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, who has thrown for 3,323 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 78.4 percent of his passes, a mark that leads the nation.
He has been supported by an elite receiving corps led by sophomore Jeremiah Smith, who has recorded 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns on 80 catches, along with a rushing attack that has produced 2,116 team yards, headlined by freshman running back Bo Jackson with 1,035 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 168 carries (6.2 yards per carry).
However, Ohio State’s defense is the unit that distinguishes them, ranking No. 1 nationally in total defense at 213.5 yards allowed per game and No. 1 in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 8.2 points per game.
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Miami (11–2) advanced after a low-scoring 10–3 win over Texas A&M, a game that showcased the Hurricanes’ defensive identity and raised questions about how Ohio State’s offense will handle a rugged front and playmakers like Malachi Toney (992 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 89 catches).
Miami’s defense is not as stingy as Ohio State’s, but it still ranks 11th nationally in yards allowed (281.5 per game) and sixth in scoring defense (13.0 points per game), and its first-round performance reinforced its ability to control tempo and generate turnovers.
With the nation’s top-ranked defense and a high-ceiling offense, Ohio State enters the quarterfinals as the consensus betting and media favorite, a stance Pollack has now reinforced.
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