The College Football Playoff semifinals are set to showcase a defensive battle, with four teams boasting elite defenses. Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, and Notre Dame all rank among the nation's top defensive units. The Cotton Bowl features a matchup between the Buckeyes and Longhorns, both known for their stifling defenses. The Orange Bowl pits two other powerhouses, Notre Dame and Penn State, against each other, with both teams having shown an ability to shut down potent offenses. The defensive prowess of these teams is expected to make for an exciting and potentially low-scoring showdown.
The expanded College Football Playoff has a decidedly old-school feel: Smothering defenses have carried the last four teams still in the hunt for the national championship. If you want offense, look elsewhere this weekend. The defenses, with All-Americans spread throughout the lineups, are the story of the semifinals. Ohio State , Texas , Penn State and Notre Dame all rank among the top eight defenses nationally this season. The No. 8 seed Buckeyes (12-2) meet the No.
5 Longhorns (13-2) in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night. The Buckeyes are No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. Texas is ranked third and fourth, respectively. The Orange Bowl matchup Thursday night between No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) and No. 6 Penn State (13-2) feature run-stuffing defenses that shut down Georgia and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, the nation’s top running back, in the quarterfinals.Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, who was 0-3 against Texas when he was at Kansas State before transferring, summed up the Longhorns defense this way: “They got some dudes, man,” Howard said.Longhorns senior cornerback Jahae Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. Edge rusher Colin Simmons has a team-high nine sacks and won the Shaun Alexander Award as the nation’s top freshman. Barron leads a deep, experienced and physical secondary that has punished receivers and anchored a defense that has produced turnovers in 23 consecutive games, the longest streak in the country. In the quarterfinal win over Arizona State, safety Michael Taaffe’s late-game hit on a receiver on the final drive of regulation was reviewed for targeting before it was determined to be legal, and Andrew Mukuba sealed the victory with an interception near the goal line in the double overtime thriller that ended 39-31, the most points Texas has allowed this season. “I think our defense has been tremendous all year,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian sai
College Football Playoff Defenses Semifinals Ohio State Texas Penn State Notre Dame
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