Frozen Four: Ohio State and Wisconsin set to meet in final

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2 years ago

March 19, 2023

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Mar 15, 2023

The NCAA women’s national title game is set, with defending champion Ohio State looking to make it back-to-back titles against Wisconsin.

On the heels of the first national title in program history in 2022, the top-seeded Buckeyes beat Northeastern 3-0 to advance to the final on Sunday, setting up the chance to repeat. Ohio State will be joined in the final by Wisconsin, another WCHA team. The Badgers outlasted Minnesota in overtime, winning 3-2 on a goal from Caroline Harvey.

It all comes down to this. ?#WFrozenFour pic.twitter.com/0nMvs6oaeL

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 18, 2023

The national title game is Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU and the ESPN app.

Subscribe to watch select games of the NCAA women’s hockey tournament, including the Frozen Four.

Below is a look at the final two teams, analysis by women’s college hockey experts Kelly Pannek and Clay Matvick, players to watch and a recap of the regional round.

Frozen Four schedule

All times Eastern

Semifinals, Friday
at Amsoil Arena, Duluth, Minnesota

Ohio State 3, Northeastern 0
Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2 (OT)

National championship game, Sunday
at Amsoil Arena, Duluth, Minnesota (4 p.m., ESPNU)

Ohio State vs. Minnesota

Teams at a glance

Ohio State (33-5-2)

How they got here: Coming off a loss to Minnesota in the WCHA final, the defending national champs fell behind Quinnipiac 1-0 in their regional before snapping back into form in the second period. Fifth-year senior Gabby Rosenthal scored midway through the period to tie it and Lauren Bernard gave Ohio State the lead at the 16-minute mark. Patty Kazmaier Award finalist Sophie Jaques scored two goals in the third period, including an empty-netter, to secure the 5-2 win, sending the Buckeyes to their third straight Frozen Four.

In the semifinal, Ohio State jumped out to an early lead just 1:16 into the game against Northeastern on a goal by Sloane Matthews. Ohio State would add second-period goals from Makenna Webster and Hadley Hartmetz on the way to the 3-0 win. Goalie Amanda Thiele made 15 saves, recording her fourth shutout of the season.

Key stats: Ohio State finished with 44 shots on goal against Quinnipiac and outshot the Bobcats 24-3 in the second period. … Jaques scored her ninth power-play goal of the season, most in the nation, and set the WCHA record for career goals by a defenseman (61). … In the semifinal, the Buckeyes outshout the Huskies 53-15 … Northeastern didn’t have a shot on goal for the first nine minutes of the game.

Wisconsin (28-10-2)

How they got here: The Badgers had to win twice to make it back to the Frozen Four, following a 9-1 rout of Long Island in the first round with an impressive 4-2 win at No. 3 seed Colgate. In a matchup of two of the best offenses in the country, Wisconsin’s defense stole the show as the Badgers outshot Colgate 35-15.

In the semifinals, Wisconsin outlasted WCHA rival Minnesota, winning 3-2 on an OT goal from freshman Caroline Harvey. Minnesota held an early 1-0 lead before two third-period goals (Laila Edwards and Sophie Shirley) put Wisconsin in front. But Grace Zumwinkle tied the game for the Gophers with just over a minute left, sending it to an extra frame.

Key stats: This will be the fifth meeting of the season between Wisconsin and Ohio State, with the Buckeyes holding a 3-1 edge. Ohio State outscored Wisconsin 15-8 in the four games, with two of them decided in OT. … Two of Wisconsin’s three goals in the semifinal were scored by freshmen (Harvey and Edwards).

Two players to watch in the final

It seems like every team has at least two or three highly skilled players who will stand out to anyone watching, but these five players are key to their team’s success in the tournament.

Ohio State graduate defenseman Sophie Jaques. For the last two years, Jaques has led the nation in scoring by defensemen with numbers that rival those of the top forwards. She was held without a point in her last two games, and as a key to the Buckeyes’ league-leading power play, getting her on the scoresheet means good things for OSU.

Wisconsin junior forward Casey O’Brien. On a team with multiple Olympians, players with senior national team experience and a highly touted freshman class, O’Brien has consistently been one of the Badgers’ best players all season. Like so many others on her team, she has a ton of speed and can shoot the puck as well as anyone, but I feel she is at her best when she adds a tenacity and grit that makes her really fun to watch and is critical to her team’s success. — Kelly Pannek

Experts roundtable

Kelly Pannek, who helped Minnesota win two national titles (2015 and 2016), is a two-time Olympian, member of the U.S. national team and a PWHPA All-Star. ESPN’s Clay Matvick will be calling the Frozen Four broadcasts on ESPN+ and ESPNU.

What most impressed you from the regional round?

Kelly Pannek: Northeastern goaltender Gwyneth Philips had an impressive performance against the Yale Bulldogs to lead her team back to the Frozen Four. Phillips made 38 saves, with 17 of those saves coming in the 3rd period. When a goalie can have that type of performance in one of the biggest games of the season, it has to bring so much confidence to her team.

Clay Matvick: The continued defensive excellence of Northeastern. The Huskies haven’t allowed more than one goal in their last seven games. Their goaltending has been absolutely outstanding all season with Gwyneth Philips playing as well, and sometimes better, than her predecessor, Aerin Frankel. For coach Dave Flint, this is the last go-round with Alina Mueller, Chloé Aurard and Maureen Murphy. It’s a great chance for this group to go out in style.

Who is your pick to win the national title?

Pannek: I have to go with Minnesota. It is no secret that defense wins championships and I really like the way they have committed to the defensive side of the game throughout the playoffs. It also doesn’t hurt that they are getting scoring throughout their lineup and not just relying on one or two players to produce.

Matvick: Minnesota seems to be the team playing the most complete hockey right now. Offensively, they have an embarrassment of riches with the reigning Patty Kazmaier Award winner Taylor Heise and U.S. Olympians Abbey Murphy and Grace Zumwinkle, who is third in the country with 61 points. Five of their six defenders are seniors and Skylar Vetter has been a steady and sometimes electric goaltender. With Duluth right up the road from Minneapolis, the Gophers should have a lot of fan support too, so they’ll be very tough to beat.

Who is your pick to win the Patty Kazmaier Award?

Editor’s note: Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques was named the Patty Kaz winner Saturday.

Pannek: Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques. She has shown over the last two years how big of a threat she is, even as a defenseman. She has put up forward-like numbers offensively, while playing a ton of minutes against the opposition’s best players in a really strong league. Frankly, after the past two seasons, if she doesn’t win, I’m not sure what it would take for a defenseman to take home the award.

Matvick: Northeastern’s Alina Mueller has won a lot of awards and she’s accomplished a great deal both as collegiate player and Olympian. However, despite being a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award a record five times, she’s never won it. Mueller is the all-time leading scorer in Hockey East and she’s won the conference player of the year three times while guiding the Huskies to three straight Frozen Fours. After another spectacular year, in which she’s fourth in the country in goals and points, I think it’s her turn to win the Patty Kaz.

Regional results

All times Eastern

Regional semifinals, March 9
Quinnipiac 3, Penn State 2 (3 OT)
Wisconsin 9, Long Island 1
Minnesota Duluth 2, Clarkson 0

Regional finals, March 11
No. 5 Northeastern 4, No. 4 Yale 1
No. 6 Wisconsin 4, No. 3 Colgate 2
No. 2 Minnesota 3, No. 7 Minnesota Duluth 0
No. 1 Ohio State 5, No. 8 Quinnipiac 2

The field

Statistics entering the NCAA tournament

Ohio State

Why strength of schedule affected Ohio State’s Frozen Four seeding

Angela Ruggiero and Kendall Coyne Schofield discuss why Ohio State’s tougher schedule propelled it to the No. 1 seed in the Women’s Frozen Four.

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Minnesota 3-1 in WCHA final)

Numbers to know: The dominant Buckeyes are second in the country in scoring offense (4.39 goals per game) and eighth in scoring defense (1.78). Ohio State’s power play has converted at a .344 clip, best in the NCAA. This is the second straight 30-win season for the defending national champs.

Kelly Pannek’s take: Ohio State has played all season like a team that is ready to defend its national championship. The Buckeyes are a strong, physical team with skill and speed to match. They are coming off a loss in the WCHA tournament championship, but I have no doubt that they will find a way to use that in their favor. They are the team to beat.

Minnesota

How they got in: WCHA tournament champion

Numbers to know: Minnesota has the best offense in the country, scoring nearly five goals (4.71) per game. Taylor Heise, the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner as national player of the year, leads the NCAA with 29 goals and 1.77 points per game and also has a .635 faceoff percentage. The Gophers were 3-1-1 against No. 1 seed Ohio State this season.

Pannek’s take: This feels like a must-win year for the Gophers, with their last national championship coming seven years ago. They have all the firepower up front and just showed they are willing to do the dirty work on defense in winning the WCHA tournament. If Minnesota can continue to back up its potent offense with stingy defense, it will be a tough team to beat.

Colgate (32-5-2)

How they got in: ECAC tournament champion

Numbers to know: Colgate is 2-0 against Yale, handing the Bulldogs their only two regular-season losses. Senior Danielle Serdachny leads the nation with 43 assists and 65 points.

Pannek’s take: With statement wins on its way to clinching the ECAC tournament title, Colgate may be peaking at the right time. The Raiders have played a tough schedule all season and are stronger for it. With Colgate showing great balance on both sides of the puck, and some early postseason success added to the mix, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders in Duluth.

Yale (28-3-1)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Clarkson 4-3 in ECAC semifinal)

Numbers to know: Junior Elle Hartje leads the nation with 1.19 assists per game (37 in 31 games). Sophomore goalie Pia Dukaric is second in the country with a 1.29 GAA and third with a .939 save percentage. Yale is fourth in scoring offense (4.13 goals per game) and second in scoring defense (1.32).

Pannek’s take: Yale has been a top team all year in a strong ECAC conference. People forget that this team was a Frozen Four team last season and the Bulldogs have backed it up with their performance this year. With a semifinal loss to Clarkson in the ECAC tournament, the Bulldogs need to get the momentum back early in the NCAA tournament.

Northeastern

How they got in: Hockey East tournament champion

Numbers to know: Northeastern has allowed only 30 goals in 35 games, with senior goaltender Gwyneth Philips leading the nation in goals-against average (0.83) and save percentage (.960). Graduate student Alina Mueller has a plus-45 plus/minus, and the Huskies are 28-0-0 this season when she scores a point.

Pannek’s take: Making its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, Northeastern is the team to beat in Hockey East. This group has a strong veteran core, led by three-time Hockey East Player of the Year Alina Mueller. With lots of playoff experience and leaders who are hungry to get the program’s first national championship, this may be the year Northeastern breaks through.

Wisconsin

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Minnesota 4-2 in WCHA semifinal)

Numbers to know: This is Wisconsin’s 10th straight NCAA appearance, the longest active streak in the country. The Badgers were 2-0-2 in the regular season against league champion Minnesota. Wisconsin is top five in the country in both scoring offense (third, 4.17) and scoring defense (fifth, 1.61).

Pannek’s take: Halfway through the season it looked as if Wisconsin may not even make the NCAA tournament, but with a strong finish to the regular season, the Badgers are back to being the type of team we expect to see in Madison. Wisconsin is loaded with talent, and it looks like they may be reaching their fullest potential at the right time to make a strong NCAA run.

Minnesota Duluth (25-9-3)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Ohio State 2-1 in WCHA semifinal)

Numbers to know: Minnesota Duluth was 1-4 this season against top seed Ohio State, but all five games were decided by one goal (two in overtime). The Bulldogs have 13 shutouts on the season, tops in the country.

Pannek’s take: UMD always makes noise come playoff time, and I anticipate this NCAA tournament to be no different. Graduate Emma Soderberg is one of the best and most experienced goaltenders in the country, and in front of her is a mature team that has made deep tournament runs. With Duluth being the host of this year’s Frozen Four, I have no doubt that the Bulldogs will do everything they can to be there.

Quinnipiac (29-9-0)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Colgate 5-1 in ECAC semifinal)

Numbers to know: Quinnipiac is fourth in the nation in scoring defense (1.51) and fourth in team faceoff percentage (.559). The Bobcats are 6-6 over their last 12 games.

Pannek’s take: Quinnipiac has turned its program around in the past few years and is making its second straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Bobcats started the season off strong with a 10-game win streak, but haven’t shown the same consistency in the second half. One thing that is crucial to Quinnipiac’s tournament success is its penalty kill, which is second in the country at 92%.

Penn State (27-8-2)

How they got in: CHA tournament champion

Numbers to know: Kiara Zanon is tied for fourth in the country with 25 goals and has an NCAA-best five short-handed goals. This is Penn State coach Jeff Kampersal’s third NCAA appearance (Princeton, 2006, 2016).

Pannek’s take: Penn State is making its NCAA tournament debut after promising regular-season showings the past couple of years. The Nittany Lions are led by highly talented forwards junior Kiara Zanon and freshman Tessa Janecke, and junior goalie Josie Bothun can steal games. The Nittany Lions may have a tough road to the Frozen Four, but they have a chance to solidify themselves as a perennial challenger.

Clarkson (29-10-2)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Colgate 8-2 in ECAC final)

Numbers to know: Clarkson goalie Michelle Pasiechnyk is fourth in the country with a 1.45 GAA. The Golden Knights scored two big late-season wins, beating Quinnipiac to end the regular season and knocking off Yale in double overtime in the ECAC tournament.

Pannek’s take: Although it has been a few years since their last trip to the Frozen Four, the Golden Knights are no stranger to postseason success (11 NCAA appearances). In comparison to other teams in the field, Clarkson is toward the bottom for both offensive and defensive statistics, so to make a push, it will need to be firing on all cylinders — as the Knights were in beating Yale in the ECAC tournament.

Long Island (20-13-3)

How they got in: NEWHA tournament champion

Numbers to know: In its fourth season of competition, Long Island posted its first 20-win season. Goalie Tindra Holm has the fifth-best save percentage in the country at .937.

Pannek’s take: As the team representing the newest league in Division I women’s hockey, Long Island will have its work cut out for it here. The Sharks will need an extraordinary performance between the pipes from sophomore Holm and capitalize on any opportunities they get in the offensive end if they want to keep their run going.

Players to watch

It seems like every team has at least two or three highly skilled players who will stand out to anyone watching, but these five players are key to their team’s success in the tournament.

Minnesota sophomore goalie Skylar Vetter. Vetter has shown stretches of dominance this season on her way to being a top-three finalist for WCHA goalie of the year. On a team with the highest scoring offense in the tournament but one of the worst goals against per game average, Vetter has the opportunity to set the defensive tone for her team.

Colgate senior forward Danielle Serdachny. The leading scorer in the country, Serdachny is coming off an outstanding ECAC tournament performance where she recorded four goals and five assists in five games. A well-rounded center with a ton of skill, Serdachny is a player you expect to see shine in big moments.

Northeastern graduate forward Maureen Murphy. Playing on a line with Alina Mueller, Murphy doesn’t always get the recognition she deserves as a key piece to her team’s success. Murphy is a gritty forward who skates well and can finish. She has scored some big goals for Northeastern in past seasons, and I’m sure she’s ready to add more.

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Notre Dame could have ‘gone sideways,’ instead it’s still fighting

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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Notre Dame could have 'gone sideways,' instead it's still fighting

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterJan 10, 2025, 02:26 AM ET
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- Senior college football writer
- Author of seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On Sept. 7, Notre Dame fell to Northern Illinois, a 28-point underdog, in one of the most stunning defeats in the program’s storied history.

The then-No. 5 Fighting Irish not only lost to the Huskies at home, but they were manhandled by a Mid-American Conference program that had never beaten an AP top-10 opponent. Northern Illinois outgained the Irish 388-286 in total yardage, converted twice as many first downs, allowed just two plays longer than 19 yards and blocked two field goals.

For the Fighting Irish, who had won 23-13 at Texas A&M in their opener a week before, their season could have been over as it barely started.

“It could have gone sideways fast,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said.

Four months later, the Fighting Irish are somehow one victory away from capturing their first national championship in 36 years.

Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 on Mitch Jeter‘s 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday night.

The No. 7 Fighting Irish will play the winner of Friday’s other semifinal between No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in the Jan. 20 CFP National Championship presented by AT&T.

The team that couldn’t beat a four-touchdown underdog at home has now won 13 consecutive games — with a chance for one more, the biggest of them all.

“I often tell them, in your lowest moments you find out the most about yourself,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “We’ve had low moments, but we had a really low moment Week 2, and these guys battled. We’ve got great leaders. We’ve got great players that chose to put this university and this football program in front of themselves.”

Notre Dame’s coaches and players credit Freeman, who turned 39 at midnight after the game, with keeping the Irish on track after their stunning loss to Northern Illinois. It was an arduous task for a former defensive coordinator who had never been a head coach until he was promoted on Dec. 3, 2021, to replace Brian Kelly, who left for LSU.

“He handled it magnificently,” Golden said. “Just being in that situation, being in that chair like that, that’s tough. There’s no escape from it, but it never got to the locker room. It never got to the team meeting room. He handled all the stress and all the pressure internally, and was the leader that we all needed at that moment.”

Freeman didn’t want the Fighting Irish to wipe the pain of losing to Northern Illinois from their memory. He wanted them to embrace the adversity to remember that they can never take anything for granted.

Freeman’s message to his team was simple: Keep the pain. Don’t let it go.

“I think it really caused us to lock the locker room door and say, ‘Hey, it’s just us. The people in this room are the only things that matter,'” linebacker Jack Kiser said. “I think Coach Freeman’s message and mentality through the rest of the year kind of echoed that.”

The day after the loss to Northern Illinois, defensive tackle Howard Cross III huddled with Freeman and quarterback Riley Leonard.

“It’s the second game of the season,” Cross told them. “I’m not going to go belly up in the second game of the season. We need to keep pushing.”

The Irish won their next 12 games by an average of 27.5 points. Only one of them, a 31-24 victory over Louisville, was decided by fewer than 10.

After reaching the CFP, Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17 in a first-round game on Dec. 20, then Georgia 23-10 in a quarterfinal game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.

“I think you learn the most about your team and the guys around you at the lowest points, and we showed who we were after that game,” said receiver Jordan Faison. “After that loss, it was devastating. Everyone felt bad about it, but being able to bounce back kind of shows the team and the grit we’ve got.”

The scar tissue from 124 days ago is what helped the Irish overcome season-ending injuries to several of their best players, including All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison and star pass rusher Rylie Mills.

It’s what helped them overcome injuries in their victory over Penn State. With the Irish trailing 10-0 late in the first half, Leonard had to leave the game after he was hit by defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas on an incomplete pass. They lost two starting offensive linemen, left tackle Anthonie Knapp and right guard Rocco Spindler, to injuries as well.

While Leonard was being examined for a potential concussion, backup quarterback Steve Angeli came off the bench and led the Irish on a 13-play scoring drive. Jeter kicked a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make it 10-3.

Angeli had attempted only 28 passes this season before Thursday. He completed 6 of 7 attempts for 44 yards on his lone possession.

“We had a lot of confidence in Steve and what he can do, and we weren’t just going to put him in there to hand the ball off,” Freeman said. “We were going to go to try to score, and we ended up scoring three points.”

Leonard cleared concussion protocol at halftime and returned in the second half. He scored on a 3-yard run on the opening drive to tie the score at 10.

The Irish went ahead 17-10 on Jeremiyah Love‘s 2-yard run on the third play of the fourth quarter. But then Penn State tied the score on Nicholas Singleton’s 7-yard run with 10:20 to play.

After Leonard threw his second interception on the next play, Singleton scored again to give the Nittany Lions a 24-17 lead with 7:55 to play.

With less than five minutes remaining, Leonard threw a 54-yard touchdown to Jaden Greathouse, who was wide open after cornerback Cam Miller fell down. Greathouse juked safety Jaylen Reed and ran into the end zone to tie the score at 24.

Leonard completed 15 of 23 passes for 223 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half.

“He’s a competitor, and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does,” Freeman said. “That’s what this team does.”

It seemed like the game was headed to overtime after both teams punted in the final minutes.

But with 35 seconds left, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar tried to throw a pass away. Safety Jaylen Sneed hit Allar as he threw, and cornerback Christian Gray intercepted the ball at the Penn State 42 to set up Jeter’s winning field goal.

“That’s what Christian Gray does,” Freeman said. “He makes plays when it matters the most.”

The Fighting Irish will have to make a few more big plays against Ohio State or Texas if they’re going to win their first national championship since 1988. They’ll likely be underdogs in Atlanta, especially if they’re playing the high-powered Buckeyes, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“To see how far we’ve come after the hiccup early on, just to know that we have one more guaranteed, one last one guaranteed, it’s just so exciting,” Kiser said.

The Fighting Irish believe they wouldn’t be playing for a national title if they hadn’t been tested like few other teams.

The team that wouldn’t quit somehow keeps winning.

“The time you’re tested the most is when you’re at your lowest point,” Freeman said. “We lose to Northern Illinois and you’ve got a decision: Do I want to be selfless, or am I going to put individual glory ahead of myself? I hope the nation sees no matter what the situation was, this team continues to put Notre Dame in front of [itself].”

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Notre Dame outduels Penn St. to reach CFP final

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4 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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Notre Dame outduels Penn St. to reach CFP final

Associated Press

Jan 9, 2025, 11:30 PM ET

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said he was trying to throw the ball into the ground. Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray dove for it anyway and — luck of the Irish — the ball ended up right in his hands.

A few seconds later, Gray and Notre Dame found themselves with a spot in the national title game after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.

Gray’s snag of Allar’s ill-advised pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions’ 42 with 33 seconds left set up a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter‘s winning 41-yard field goal.

The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring their 12th title and first since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent will be the winner Friday night of the Texas-Ohio State semifinal in the Cotton Bowl.

“Just catch the ball. Just catch the ball,” Gray said about his interception. “That was going through my mind, and I knew I was going to make a play.”

Allar explained he saw his first two options covered on the play, then wanted to throw the ball into the turf. But the throw, under pressure and across his body, didn’t have enough zip on it to reach either receiver Omari Evans or the ground before Gray slid in.

“Honestly, I was trying to throw it at his feet,” said the junior quarterback, considered by some to be a first-round pick if he leaves for the NFL. “I should’ve thrown it away when I saw the first two progressions were not open. I didn’t execute.”

It was the most memorable play of a game that was the best of what has been a sleepy few weeks of playoff football. It featured three ties, three lead changes and 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.

In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black head coach to win the title at college football’s highest level. Freeman, whose mother is South Korean, also is the first coach of Asian heritage to get this far.

“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most,” Freeman said. “In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.”

Penn State coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions against teams ranked in the AP Top 10.

“Everyone wants to look at a specific play,” Franklin said. “But there’s probably eight to 12 plays in that game that could have made a difference. I’m not going to call out specific plays or specific players. There are a ton of plays where we could have done better.”

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off a hit late in the second quarter that sent him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion. He came back and led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half, including the last one.

“He’s a competitor and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does,” Freeman said. “That’s what this team does.”

Leonard finished with 223 yards passing, including a key 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse to convert third-and-3 on the last drive. Leonard also had 35 yards rushing, and passed and ran for a score each.

With 4:38 left in the game, the senior quarterback hit Greathouse for a 54-yard score to tie it at 24 after a defender slipped.

The game started slow, but Riley’s injury injected life into things. He led Notre Dame on TD drives of 75 and 72 yards in the third quarter to take a 17-10 lead.

At that point, the fun was just getting started.

Penn State had its chances, and Allar, along with all those Nittany Lions fans, will spend the offseason reliving that last throw — or trying to forget it.

Penn State forced a Notre Dame punt and looked assured of at least going to overtime when it took over at their 15 with 47 seconds left.

After a gain of 13, Allar dropped to pass and had pressure coming. He threw across his body to the middle of the field, where Gray dove for the pick.

A review showed it was a catch, and the Irish were onto the next step on a road that looked all but impossible when they fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois back in September.

Nick Singleton ran for 84 yards and all three Penn State touchdowns. Off target for much of the day, Allar finished 12 for 23 for 135 yards with the interception.

“He’s hurting right now. He should be. We’re all hurting,” Franklin said.

The quarterback didn’t duck questions about the play or his role in the loss.

“We didn’t win the game so it wasn’t good enough, it’s plain and simple,” Allar said. “I’ll try to learn from it, do everything in my power to get better and just grow from it.”

When Leonard went out, backup Steve Angeli came in and injected life into the Fighting Irish offense on the way to its first score.

Angelli went 6 for 7 for 44 yards and moved Notre Dame to field goal range to trim its deficit to 10-3 just before halftime.

“We have a lot of confidence in Steve,” Freeman said when asked why he allowed the Irish to play aggressively when he entered.

The kickoff temperature was 56 degrees, unseasonably cool for South Florida — and making it the second-coldest Orange Bowl ever, next to the Georgia Tech-Iowa game in 2010 that started at 49 and felt like the upper 30s.

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Horns’ Ewers leads ‘new era’ of college football

Published

6 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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Horns' Ewers leads 'new era' of college football

Jan 9, 2025, 06:02 PM ET

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that quarterback Quinn Ewers, with the emergence of name, image and likeness and the transfer portal, has become the face of this “new era of college football.”

Ewers initially committed to Texas, but he then opted to skip his senior year of high school and reclassify to the 2021 recruiting class before enrolling a year early and joining Ohio State during preseason practice.

Still the nation’s No. 1 ranked overall prospect, Ewers landed one of the first marquee NIL deals worth $1.4 million.

Ewers, who lasted one season with the Buckeyes before transferring to Texas, will square off against Ohio State on Friday night in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl with a trip to the College Football Playoff national championship on the line.

“It’s not been an easy journey for him,” Sarkisian said Thursday. “There’s been ups, there’s been downs, there’s been injuries, there’s been great moments, there’s been tough moments. … But at the end of the day, he’s always stayed true to who he is. The guy’s been a steady sea for us.”

Ewers has been making college football headlines since Ohio State offered him a scholarship when he was just in middle school. This week, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day recalled meeting Ewers for the first time when he was an eighth-grader visiting a Buckeyes football camp.

“He was a boy at the time really, who just had a tremendous release,” Day recalled. “And I remember grabbing him and grabbing his dad and said, ‘Man, you got a bright future ahead of you. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but we’re going to offer you a scholarship to Ohio State.'”

C.J. Stroud, who has since led the Houston Texans to the NFL playoffs, emerged as a star quarterback for the Buckeyes then, prompting Ewers to transfer to Texas.

“Boy, it was strange how it all shook out,” Day said. “He decided he really wanted to play. And it was disappointing for us, but we certainly understood. From afar I’ve watched him. He’s a really good player. He comes from a great family, and he’s had a great career at Texas and a lot of people here still have good relationships with him and think the world of him.”

At Texas, Ewers has started in 27 wins and led the Longhorns to back-to-back playoff appearances. This season, he has thrown for 3,189 yards and 29 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

Ewers noted that the “coolest part” of the NIL era is being able to provide for his parents. He has even hired his mom, making her CFO of his finances while giving her a salary.

“Which is nice just because all the effort and work they put into me growing up,” he said. “I mean, when we were living in South Texas, they both quit their jobs and moved up to Southlake [to support Ewers’ budding athletic career].”

Whatever happens in the playoff — whether it be a loss Friday or a national championship victory against the winner of Notre Dame–Penn State on Jan. 20 — Ewers’ career at Texas figures to be coming to a close.

Though Ewers still has one season of eligibility remaining, blue-chip quarterback prospect Arch Manning appears primed to finally take over in Austin next season.

Manning, the nephew of NFL quarterback greats Peyton and Eli Manning, who could become the No. 1 overall prospect for the 2026 NFL draft, has backed up Ewers for two seasons waiting for his opportunity. Sarkisian even momentarily benched Ewers in favor of Manning during Texas’ 30-15 loss to Georgia on Oct. 19.

Still, Ewers figures to have options.

ESPN football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks him as the No. 6 quarterback prospect eligible for the upcoming draft. Rumors have also emerged recently that Ewers could put off the NFL for another year and transfer to a third school for millions more in NIL money.

Amid those distractions, Ewers has thrived in the playoff bouncing back from oblique and ankle injuries from earlier in the year to complete 69% of his passes with four touchdowns in Texas’ two victories.

In the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl quarterfinal, Ewers tossed 29- and 25-yard touchdown passes in the overtimes, lifting Texas to the 39-31 win over Arizona State.

“I’ve just been proud of him,” Sarkisian said, “because he’s found a source for him that has been a motivating factor, where he can play free and play loose and play confident.”

Ewers added that, whatever the future holds, even contemplating it now would be “selfish,” with a national title still in reach for him and the Longhorns.

“I owe my teammates the best version of me right now,” he said. “I can’t be looking forward or I’ll trip on the rock that’s sitting right in front of me. I’ve got to be locked in on what’s right here.”