Ohio State and Notre Dame are proof that expanding the field was a good idea
Listen, sometimes weird things happen in college football.
Think back to September: Northern Illinois – which finished 8-5, 4-4 in the MAC – beat that Fighting Irish team that just pushed the national champs to the limit on Monday. Ohio State in November simply wilted under the pressure of beating their archrival and, as the cliché says, the records can be thrown out when OSU and Michigan go up against each other.
Both of those losses would have eliminated the Irish and Buckeyes from competing in the playoffs in the past. Instead, they got a chance to regroup and show their class during their stellar playoff runs.
College football has long had zero margin for error when it comes to competing for гей порно the sport’s top prize. But sometimes that kept the best teams from playing in the biggest games because of one fluky regular season loss – something that does not exist in literally any other American sport.
Allowing room for redemption made for a storyline-rich national championship game and an exciting contest. The things that allowed Notre Dame to make its second half charge and fight back against the onslaught of Ohio State offense – toughness, resiliency and talent – are the traits that define football to begin with.
Home playoff games were incredible
From the moment the ball was kicked at Notre Dame Stadium, it was clear that bringing the opening round of the playoffs to on-campus venues was a master stroke.
The electric atmosphere belied the freezing temperatures and the game between the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers felt like a massive deal. The next day in Happy Valley, Austin and Columbus echoed that vibe – loud, wonderful college football atmospheres.In chilly University Park, Pennsylvania, the tailgating scene was expansive and rocking hours before game time despite the snow on the ground and the freeze in the air. Once the 107,000 or so Penn State fans got into Beaver Stadium, the press box was literally shaking with the noise and vibrations of fans jumping following big plays in the rout of SMU.
Similar scenes took place in Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio, though the vibe at Ohio Stadium was decidedly different than might be expected. After a loss to Michigan on November 30, Buckeye fans were feeling down and out as Tennessee Volunteer fans invaded The Horseshoe. Tens of thousands of orange-clad fans were mixed in with the scarlet and gray, an unprecedented scene in a place that is usually one of the most difficult places to play in college football.
It was unique, it was special, it was fun. And that’s what college football is all about.