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Ralphie Report: CFP Update: Buckeyes emerge as a powerhouse, Ducks and Dawgs flounder

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 01 CFP Quarterfinal Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Texas vs Arizona State

Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Big 12 eliminated, Oregon blown-out, and more

This New Year’s, we witnessed an action-packed quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoffs unfold. In a week where the lower seeds rolled and SEC floundered, we’ll break down who survived and who was eliminated. Here’s what went down over the past few days:

Fiesta Bowl: Penn State vs. Boise State​


Spoiler: Boise State and Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty struggled greatly when facing off against teams better than UNLV and Utah State. Big shocker!

Penn State’s defense suffocated Jeanty, holding him to just over three yards per carry. Without being able to rely on Jeanty to move the chains consistently, Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen was forced to take on more responsibility through the air. Unfortunately for the Broncos, this led to three costly interceptions from Madsen and an inability to establish any offensive rhythm. On the other side of the football, PSU’s Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and Tyler Warren faced little resistance marching down the field against the Broncos, dropping 34 points against the MWC champs.

It’s not all rainbows and happiness for the Nittany Lions. Superstar edge-rusher Abdul Carter suffered an apparent left arm injury and was forced to leave the game. It’s unclear if he will be available for Penn State in the semi-finals.

Penn State will prepare to face Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl next Thursday night.

Peach Bowl: Texas vs. Arizona State​


The Peach Bowl was easily the most exciting game of the round. This matchup had a little bit of everything: double overtime, a Big 12 team looking to upset a former Big 12-now-SEC powerhouse and nonstop drama throughout regulation.

For much of the game, it looked like Arizona State might be out of it, as the score stood at 17-3 in Texas’ favor at halftime. However, the Sun Devils rallied in the second half, courtesy of running back Cam Skattebo.

Before the Peach Bowl, Skattebo talked his talk, telling the media that he thinks he’s the best back in the country. After an incredible performance, he’s left little doubt that he’s correct.

Skattebo finished the game with 143 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns, 99 receiving yards, and a 44-yard passing touchdown. Now THAT’S a stat line! This guy can seriously do it all. Just look at this play.


Cam Skattebo with a 42 yd passing TD!! What can’t this guy do…heart and soul of this ASU team.
pic.twitter.com/WR6klt1ZmA

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) January 1, 2025

Led by Skattebo, Arizona State would score two touchdowns and two-point conversions in the fourth quarter to claw back into the game and tie it up.

Texas had multiple chances to ice this game after quarterback Quinn Ewers led the Longhorns on lengthy drives, but two costly missed field goals by UT’s Bert Auburn sent the game to overtime.

After both teams scored in the first OT period, Texas would score on the very first play of 2OT and ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt threw a pick on the Sun Devil’s chance to tie it up, sealing a Longhorns win.

Many Buffs fans may have been rooting for the Big 12 to find success in the College Football Playoff, and Arizona State and Cam Skattebo gave them plenty to be proud of. Texas will now move on to face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl next weekend.

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon​


The Buckeyes entered this game with a chip on their shoulder and it showed from the opening snap. Despite traveling to the West Coast to face an undefeated Oregon team and playing without the benefit of a bye round, Ohio State looked like the best team in the country.

In fact, Ohio State was favored heading into this matchup, and they proved why. This game was never particularly close, as the Buckeyes sustained their momentum throughout and left the Rose Bowl with an emphatic 41-21 victory.

OSU true freshman Jeramiah Smith solidified his status as one of the best receivers in college football, taking over the first half and finishing with 187 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The Buckeyes running back duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins proved to be worth every penny Ryan Day spent on them, combining for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State’s defense also shined, as they were after Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel all night, sacking him 8 times in Pasadena.

As the time-honored tradition goes, the Ducks have choked away one of their best teams in school history and will sit out and watch the rest of the playoffs unfold. A quick reminder that the Colorado Buffaloes have more national championships than Oregon (1:0) and also more Heisman winners. (2:1)

Oregon football! Rooted in substance!


(Yes, I’m taking my opportunity to get in some cheap shots at Dan Lanning’s expense.)

Ohio State’s next test will be against Texas, a matchup in which the Buckeyes are expected to be favorites.

Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Georgia​


Many people consider Georgia’s recent run of success to be one of the most dominant stretches in college football history, with their defense often being the hallmark of their victories. That’s why it was shocking to see Notre Dame’s offense manage well over 100 rushing yards against them in a playoff game.

Notre Dame looked dominant throughout the contest, playing a complete game on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Riley Leonard led the offensive charge with an efficient passing performance and an unexpected 80 rushing yards. On defense, the Fighting Irish were impenetrable, holding Georgia to just 10 points.

Granted, Georgia was without starting quarterback Carson Beck and some sideline shannanigans by walk-on cornerback Parker Jones erased a likely touchdown from the board for the Dawgs, but that doesn’t change the fact that they were dog-walked by the Irish in the Superdome.

This game was a testament to how far Notre Dame has come in just a few months. From losing to Northern Illinois earlier in the season to competing in the semi-finals, their turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. Now, they’ll have a chance to compete for a National Championship. Catch their next game on January 9th, when they take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl.

by Jacob.Thompson
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CU At The Game: CUATG Podcast: 2024 Season Review

So ... Who was your favorite player on defense (not named Travis)? ... Which of CU's four road wins was the most impressive? ... Which part of CU's Awards Week was the most memorable? ... Let's compare your choices with ours ...

Stuart
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Ralphie Report: NFL standings changes shift Shedeur Sanders’ draft outlook

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 28 Valero Alamo Bowl - BYU vs Colorado

Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It looks as though Colorado’s QB isn’t headed to Vegas or New York anymore.

Even though the college football season has come to an end for the Colorado Buffaloes, a hectic offseason is only getting starting for CU’s best.

Two Buffs are projected to be picked in the top-five of the NFL Draft, as Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders is projected to be a top-three pick when the draft rolls around in April. Sanders is currently projected as the heavy favorite to be the first overall pick, but after some recent wins and losses around the league, everything may be up in the air for him.

Up until the last ten days ago or so, it seemed like a sure thing that Shedeur was destined to be either a Las Vegas Raider or a New York Giant. The hype surrounding Shedeur becoming a Raider started a while ago now, but within the last month, Shedeur has played his own role in feeding into the narratives surrounding him being both a Raider and a Giant.

First, Shedeur posted a video to his Instagram story of the Las Vegas Raiders Stadium and titled it with his trademarked “Legendary” phrase.


Shedeur Sanders isn’t even hiding the fact he wants to be a #Raider

pic.twitter.com/PqDSpDmPWq

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 6, 2024

More recently, Sanders has teased interest in becoming a New York Giant, with many fans noticing Giant’s cleats in his locker at the Alamo Bowl this past Saturday.


: A close-up look at Shedeur Sanders's custom New York #Giants-inspired cleats for tonight's game:

"We know where we are going...You'll see them in the cleats later on this week”- Sanders 3 days ago.

It looks like he's going to be drafted by New York.

pic.twitter.com/rSV7gZlFfs

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 28, 2024

These antics are fun and all, but the unfortunate thing for Shedeur is that these teams are no longer likely to have the top picks in the draft and some other QB-needy teams have leaped ahead of them now in the draft order. With the Raiders and Giants both winning this past Sunday, these teams will likely now hold the eighth and fourth picks respectively. The teams suspected of needing a quarterback that have jumped ahead of New York and Las Vegas are the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns with the third and second picks.

It isn’t a stretch to think that Shedeur may be less enthused with these locations, as Cleveland and Nashville can struggle to provide to sparkle and media spotlight of bigger cities like Las Vegas and New York. Historically, there is a precedent set for quarterbacks to refuse to play somewhere if they don’t feel like they’ll have success, like Eli Manning and John Elway.

Manning and Elway may have never won their two super bowls had they not done everything he could to get out of playing in San Diego and Baltimore, althrough there’s nothing alluding to the fact that Sanders will take the same route. This year shaping up to be one of the most interesting top 5 draft picks in recent memory, as the Patriots hold the rights to the number one pick right now and are mocked to pick fellow Buffalo Travis Hunter. If the Giants or Raiders decide to come up in the draft order for the quarterback despreately need, they’ll need to strike a bargain with the Pats and likely pay a hefty price.

Be sure to tune into the action this Sunday, as we will find out the draft order for the top 18 picks. This order could change dramatically this weekend and could have a dramatic effect on the future of Sanders’ NFL career.

Weigh-in down below, where do you guys think Shedeur will be heading?

by Jacob.Thompson
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CU At The Game: Big 12 Notes

Television ratings: ABC dominates college football; CU dominates the Big 12 ... How did former Buffs fare in 2024 at their new schools? ...

Stuart
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Ralphie Report: Buffaloes give #3 Iowa State scare in Boulder

NCAA Basketball: Iowa State at Colorado

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Buffs are getting better.

It may not count for anything in the win column, but the Buffaloes gave the third-ranked Iowa Cyclones a scare in Boulder on Monday night to open Big 12 play.

The Buffs and ‘Clones faced off one month ago in Maui, which didn’t end well for Colorado, when ISU handed Colorado their second loss of the season via a decisive 99-71 thumping. This time, in the Buffaloes’ house, Colorado wasn’t going to let that happen again.

Tad Boyle had the Buffs ready to go, as they played stereotypical Colorado basketball, forcing turnovers and working the defensive boards. Those turnovers allowed the Buffs to keep Iowa State in check early, but they still needed to score against the Cyclones’ suffocating defense.

That’s where Julian Hammond and RJ Smith come in. Just when Iowa State seemed to snag a bit of momentum. Colorado’s new-found spectacular scoring tandem almost singlehandedly kept the Buffs on pace with ISU, combining for 20 points and shooting 61% (8-13) from the field in the first half.

Both teams went shot for shot throughout the first, as no team built up a lead larger than six points throughout the first 20 minutes of play with a whopping eight lead changes. Colorado went into halftime down 37-31, only six points and 20 minutes short of dethroning the Big 12 favorites at home.

The second half got off to a rocky start for the Buffs allowing ISU to build their lead to 12 points via four quick Dishon Jackson points. With their backs against the wall, the Buffs turned to RJ Smith, who drilled back-to-back three-point jumpers to get his squad back into their groove.

Two more Colorado threes by Hammond and Sebastian Rancik, along with a nice slam by Elijah Malone, cut Iowa State’s lead to only one point with 14:37 to play. After a Josuah Jefferson layup to extend ISU’s lead to three, Colorado ripped off an 8-0 run, with four points by Trevor Baskin, to take a 53-48 lead.

CU and the ‘Clones continued to go shot-for-shot for the next five minutes of the clock, with an Assane Diop layup giving Colorado a 57-56 lead with 9:17 left to play. Unfortunately, that would be the Buffaloes’ final lead of the night.

Colorado never left the game out of their grasp, pulling within one point with 4:49 to play, but clutch buckets from ISU’s Tamin Lipsey and free throws by Curtis Jones would ice the game for the Cyclones. The Buffaloes would fall by a final score of 79-69.

Iowa State won because they are the better, deeper team, but that doesn’t mean what Colorado did on Monday night was any less impressive. The Buffs went toe-to-toe with the third-best squad and the nation and gave them a legitimate scare, showing just how much they’ve improved since their loss to the ‘Clones in Maui.

Julian Hammond finished the contest with a game-high 21 points, while RJ Smith lagged slightly behind him with 14. Both Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak showed up defensively, finishing with two blocks and a steal each. Elijah Malone would clock out with three steals of his own.

This Iowa State game doesn’t count as a win, but it certainly counts as progress. CU will look to build off that progress and momentum when they travel to Tempe to take on the Bobby Hurley-led Sun Devils this Saturday, January 4th, at 4:00 pm MT.

by RylandScholes
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