By Richard Thompson

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard became the first quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards in the College Football Playoff after a strong first half against Notre Dame. By hitting the mark, Howard set the record for most passing yards in a CFP run.

Howard connected on his first 13 passes against Notre Dame, a championship game record, as the Buckeyes took a 21-7 lead into halftime. He passed the 1,000-yard mark with a 6-yard completion to wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in the second quarter to help set up a 9-yard touchdown run from running back Quinshon Judkins. Howard threw a pair of touchdown passes in the half.

The previous record for passing yards in a playoff run was held by LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in 2019. Astonishingly, Burrow threw for 956 yards in just two games, including 463 against Oklahoma in a quarterfinal for the all-time record.

Of course, the expanded College Football Playoff means twice as many postseason games for some teams, including Ohio State. The Buckeyes are playing their fourth postseason game. Heading forward, 1,000 yards passing in the CFP will be a new benchmark for title game quarterbacks. Still, Howard has elevated his game at the right time.

Howard averaged only 238.3 passing yards per game during the regular season. Thanks to three monster CFP performances, he's up to 306.3. The surge has coincided with the emergence of wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The freshman posted 290 yards and four touchdowns in his first two matchups.

The senior from Downington, Pennsylvania, transferred to Ohio State in 2024 after a four-year career at Kansas State. He led the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship. Now, he's only 30 minutes away from leading the Buckeyes to a title for the first time since 2014.

By Richard Thompson

Jack Sawyer became an Ohio State legend Friday night with his scoop and score at the expense of his former roommate.

On 4th and goal, Sawyer evaded blockers and forced a Quinn Ewers fumble, which Sawyer picked up and took 82 yards to the end zone to help the Buckeyes to a 28-14 win over Texas and a spot in the national championship.

When Ewers spent his lone season in Columbus before transferring to Texas, Sawyer was his roommate.

So, Ewers couldn't help but jab Sawyer when they spoke on the field.

"He was walking off, he said ‘screw you’ and started laughing," Sawyer told ESPN.

"That's my boy. Obviously, we were roommates when he was here. Got a lot of respect for him and the rest of the Texas team."

The Longhorns had a chance to tie the game, but a nightmare ensued. After getting stuffed on first down at the goal line, Quintrevion Wisner lost seven yards on a second-down toss, putting Texas in trouble. A third down pass fell incomplete. And Sawyer's scoop and score happened on fourth down.

Before the game, Ewers implied he expected to be playing in the NFL next season. So, it will be interesting to see if his plans change.

Now, the eighth-seeded Buckeyes will face No. 7 Notre Dame Jan. 20 in the national championship. Despite Ohio State's lower seed, sportsbooks have the Buckeyes as a favorite by over a touchdown.