Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith came into the Cotton Bowl as the breakout star of the College Football Playoff. In wins over Tennessee and Oregon, Smith exploded for 290 yards and four touchdowns as the Buckeyes won the matchups by a combined 45 points.

Jack Sawyer and Quinn Ewers came to Ohio State together in 2021. They were roommates. The defensive end and quarterback wound up in the same place on Friday, the Cotton Bowl a CFP semifinal. Only Sawyer was still a Buckeye and Ewers played for Texas,

The College Football Playoff semifinals feature four of the winningest programs in college football history. Notre Dame has already added to its total with an Orange Bowl win over Penn State. On Friday night,

This Big Ten vs. independent matchup means this is the second straight year that the Southeastern Conference will be shut out of the final.