It’s late in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship, and the underdog team has one play left to win the game. The quarterback drops back into the pocket. He’s looking for an open receiver, but the defense is closing in, so he runs out of the pocket and buys more time…
He evades one or two more tackles then hurls a pass towards the end zone….
All 80,000 fans in attendance hold their breath and watch to see where the ball will land. BONK! The ball hits off the head of a defenseman, into the hands of a receiver and he runs into the endzone for a touchdown. Hooray! The crowd explodes with cheers and everyone watching is in awe. That is a sight not too uncommon for college football.
The College Football Playoffs are where the magic of college football really shines.
This year, the college football playoffs consisted of a 12 team playoff bracket that decides the winner of the CFP National Championship Trophy, and the best team in college football. The teams entered this year were Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Texas, SMU, Oregon, Indiana, Arizona State and Boise State.
With lots of teams, comes lots of fans!
Eighth grade student Brennan Buchanan said he’s supported Penn State for as long as he’s been alive. It runs in the family as his pap is also a Penn State fan. A very passionate and dedicated fan!
Penn State finished their season 11-2 with their only losses being to National Championship favorites Ohio State and Oregon in the Big Ten Conference Championship game.
Buchanan said, ”They played great, the offense performed way better than they did in the regular season and the defense made great plays.”
Atmosphere is a huge part of the college football experience. The top seeds got a home field advantage for the first round. All four teams who hosted, won their games. Many traditions can be found in the college football atmosphere such as the Penn State whiteout or Clemson’s famous “Howard’s Rock.”
Eighth grade American history teacher Elizabeth Bronson said, ”There’s nothing like going to a Penn State game, and of course whiteouts are a lot different but it’s super exciting and very fun. It’s just a different atmosphere.”
However, it all comes down to the big game. On Monday, Jan. 20 the two best teams in the nation play one last game to have their names etched in history, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Fighthing Irish of Notre Dame. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
