With the College Football Playoff down to eight teams, the level of competition should increase after four first-round contests. The quarterfinals feature interesting matchups and the opportunity for various players to fill important roles.
Some of the players who are ready to be the difference in the quarterfinals are visible; others, less. They all become a small part of their matchups.
Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. Penn State
QB Maddux Madsen, Boise State
While running back Ashton Jeanty’s historic rushing production is the obvious cornerstone of Boise State’s push into the playoffs, Maddux Madsen’s stability at quarterback has played a key role in the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak.
A defense that focused heavily on limiting Jeanty each week forced Madsen to keep opponents honest. He responded with 22 touchdown passes against just three interceptions and five rushing scores.
Penn State’s defense is the deepest and most talented Boise State has seen since visiting No. 1 overall seed Oregon back in Week 2. The Nittany Lions’ stifling run defense, which held opponents to just 3.1 yards per carry, is a stat to focus on. Jeanty.
Madsen’s early reaction, perhaps forcing Penn State defenders out of the box, will determine Boise State’s fortunes in the quarterfinals.
DT Zane Durant, Penn State
Penn State’s defensive line gives opposing offenses headaches from all angles, especially with Abdul Carter’s incredible ability to get into the backfield. A key part of freeing up the rush comes inside, where Zane Durant causes a lot of problems for blockers.
The combination of tackle size, speed off the line, and strength creates a mismatch that contributes to the rapid development of the Nittany Lions. Durant’s contributions weren’t limited to blocking attention, however, as he added a healthy 10 tackles for loss to Penn State’s 102 total as a team.
With Durant under center, Boise State could find it difficult to establish Jeanty on the floor, forcing the Broncos’ offense to operate without hashes.
Peach Bowl: Arizona State vs. Texas
RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
December 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) holds the WWE Big 12 Championship belt after the Sun Devils defeated the Iowa State Cyclones to win the 2024 Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Images by Jerome Miron-Imagn Just 75 yards from passing Eno Benjamin as the single-season rushing record holder at Arizona State, Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo has history ahead of him in the Peach Bowl. More important to the team’s goals, Skattebo carries the weight of the offense chasing an improbable national championship, bolstered by another of its attacking players.
Losing wide receiver Jordan Tyson in the regular season finale hurt the Sun Devils, with Tyson passing for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns including the bulk of Arizona State’s aerial offense.
Not having Tyson in the lineup didn’t slow the Sun Devils down in the Big 12 Championship Game against Iowa State, thanks in large part to Skattebo’s 170 rushing yards on 16 carries and two 38-yard receptions. Skatebo is Arizona State’s leading receiver in yards this season with Tyson sidelined, so his dual role in the run and pass game only increases his importance to the offense.
LB Colin Simmons, Texas
Freshman Colin Simmons has been impressive since his debut for the Longhorns and has only gotten better as the 2024 campaign has progressed. The rushing, hard-hitting line goes into the playoffs with four sacks in Texas’ last four games, including one in the SEC Championship game against Georgia.
Simmons also forced his third fumble of the season against the Bulldogs.
Having played some of his best games in the big spots for the Longhorns, coming up in key, postseason wins over Arkansas and Texas A&M, expect Simmons to step up to the team’s biggest spot yet.
The Longhorns’ defense should set the tone early against Arizona State’s dominant offense and end any hope the Sun Devils have of turning the Peach Bowl into a rallying cry.
Rose Bowl Game: Ohio State vs. Oregon
LB Cody Simon, Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) and linebacker Cody Simon (0) walk off the field during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Michigan won 13 -10. PHOTO USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES. In a meeting of two of college football’s highest-scoring teams, Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s role front and center, the Granddaddy of ‘Em All promises to trickle down to defensive playmakers.
The driving force behind the nation’s best scoring defense, Cody Simon leads Ohio State to what could be its best of four quarterfinals. Labeling a Rose Bowl game with such a name isn’t a stretch, either, considering these two similar teams played to a one-point difference when they met in October.
In that game, which Oregon won at home 32-31, Ducks running back Jordan James’ performance was key.
Simon, the key to the Buckeyes’ rushing defense, must prove that Ohio State has James, and the linebacker also sets the tone for putting pressure on Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
With a team-high 10.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, it’s a stretch to suggest that Oregon wouldn’t be where it is without Matayo Uiagalelei’s presence in the Ducks’ defense.
One game in particular, however, looms large as Oregon enters the Rose Bowl Game as the Playoff’s No. 1 overall seed: His lofted deflection off the line capped the Ducks’ gritty 16-13 win at Wisconsin Nov. 16.
That game was part of Uiagalelei’s seven-game streak in which he recorded seven sacks, one of which came in a win over Ohio State. That his mostly quiet effort coincided with Oregon allowing a season-high 37 points in its eight-point win over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game is hardly a coincidence.
Sugar bowl: Georgia vs. Notre Dame
QB Gunner Stockton, Georgia
December 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) was injured during the first half of the 2024 SEC Championship game against the Texas Longhorns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Photos The elbow injury Carson Beck suffered in the SEC Championship Game has cast Georgia’s quarterback into uncertainty ahead of the playoffs. As of this week, there is no certainty: Beck has undergone surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Whether that stretch of the campaign is three games or less depends on how tight end Gunner Stockton performs early against Notre Dame’s dominant defense.
Stockton went 12-of-16 against Texas but managed just 71 yards and an interception.
The turnover is significant compared to a Fighting Irish secondary that has been especially good all season in terms of production.
Stockton doesn’t need to be spectacular for Georgia to advance beyond the Sugar Bowl, but the Bulldogs will need him to be better than he was in the SEC Championship Game.
DL Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
With so many injuries plaguing Notre Dame’s defensive line, Howard Cross III’s return before the Fighting Irish’s first-round win over Indiana couldn’t have come at a better time. Notre Dame heads to New Orleans with Rylie Mills, Jason Onye, and Boubacar Traore all ruled out with injuries, leaving Cross to play a growing role against Georgia’s physical line.
Cross made 5.5 tackles for a loss with four sacks before missing the final three games of the regular season.
Falling back against Indiana, but the Irish will need a veteran to take the pressure off in the Sugar Bowl to solve the Bulldogs’ untested quarterback.