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College Football Playoffs

Will Howard Shines for Ohio State

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – All Ohio State quarterback Will Howard ever wanted was a chance to show off his talents.

The spotlight was all his on Monday night.

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Howard built off a record-breaking first half to complete 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, lifting the Buckeyes to a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

It was after a 56-yard completion to Jeremiah Smith with 2:38 left in the game that reality seemed to set in for Howard, who took some time to showboat a bit by throwing his arms up while running downfield while Ohio State coach Ryan Day jumped for joy on the sideline and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James celebrated from box seats.

Such a moment was always the goal for Howard, a Kansas State transfer who had always dreamed of performing on college football’s biggest stage.

“If you were to ask a 19-year-old or 18-year-old Will Howard if he’d be at Ohio State playing in the national championship, I think he’d probably say, ‘You’re crazy, man,’” Howard said earlier this week.

Now, Howard is a champion, and teammates think that this is just the beginning for the 23-year-old.

“Just the type of quarterback he is, in my eyes he’s a first-round draft pick,” Smith said. “Will’s just a great leader — on and off the field.”

Howard made CFP championship game history by completing his first 13 passes on Monday, and he was 14-for-15 passing for 144 yards and two TDs before the break. Ohio State scored a touchdown on all three of its drives in the first 30 minutes of action to build a commanding 21-7 lead by intermission.

The Fighting Irish rallied but couldn’t find a way to get past Howard and the Buckeyes, with the Ohio State signal-caller being named Offensive MVP following the game.

“They’ve changed my life in more ways than I can say, man,” Howard told ESPN, referring to the impact that Day and his new teammates have had on him. “Coach Day and these guys here have completely, completely changed my life. … I can’t believe God gave me the chance to be a Buckeye.”

–Field Level Media

Oregon Jumps to No. 1

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Oregon vaulted to the top of the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time in 12 years on Sunday after its dominant win at Purdue and Texas’ home loss to Georgia on Saturday.

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The Ducks (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) avoided a letdown following their 32-31 home victory over then-No. 3 Ohio State on Oct. 12 by routing the host Boilermakers 35-0 on Friday. Oregon, which received 59 of the 61 first-place votes, moved into the top spot after the then-No. 5 Bulldogs knocked off the Longhorns 30-15 to end Texas’ two-week run at No. 1.

Georgia (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) moved up to No. 2 and received the other two first-place votes, while the Longhorns slipped to No. 5. Penn State and Ohio State bye weeks and remain at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.

The Ducks are the fourth team this season to hold the top ranking. No team has been No. 1 for longer than three straight weeks.

Tennessee made the biggest leap in the polls, jumping four spots to No. 7 after its 24-17 home win over then-No. 7 Alabama. The Crimson Tide suffered the biggest drop, falling eight spots to No. 15, their worst ranking since 2010.

Vanderbilt (No. 25) entered the AP poll for the first time since 2013 after its 24-14 home victory over Ball State. Meanwhile, defending national champion and then-No. 24 Michigan fell out of the rankings for the first time this season after losing 21-7 at Illinois, which moved up to No. 20.

Miami remained one spot ahead of the Volunteers at No. 6 after its wild 52-45 win at Louisville. LSU routed Arkansas 34-10 to remain at No. 8, while Clemson and Iowa State swapped spots in the rankings to round out the top 10 after both teams won.

The full AP Top 25 poll after Week 8:
1. Oregon
2. Georgia
3. Penn State
4. Ohio State
5. Texas
6. Miami
7. Tennessee
8. LSU
9. Clemson
10. Iowa State
11. BYU
12. Notre Dame
13. Indiana
14. Texas A&M
15. Alabama
16. Kansas State
17. Boise State
18. Ole Miss
19. Pittsburgh
20. Illinois
21. Missouri
22. SMU
23. Army
24. Navy
25. Vanderbilt

–Field Level Media

12-Team CFP to Begin Dec.20th

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The first 12-team edition of the College Football Playoff will begin on Dec. 20 and end exactly one month later, with the national championship game set to be played in Atlanta, it was announced Wednesday.

The expanded playoff format will start with four first-round games played at campus sites on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21. Two of those games will be broadcast on TNT, which has a sublicense with ESPN.

The quarterfinals begin on New Year’s Eve with the Fiesta Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by a trio of games on New Year’s Day. The Peach Bowl will begin at 1 p.m., the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. and the Sugar Bowl at 8:45 p.m.

Both semifinals will start at 7:30 p.m. The first, the Orange Bowl, will be played on Jan. 9, and the second, the Cotton Bowl, will take place on Jan. 10.

The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.