Part 2/7:
The first round of the playoffs showcased some surprising matchups, starting with Notre Dame’s historic Friday game, which marked the first time in the school's history that a game was held on a Friday. The Fighting Irish emerged victorious over Indiana with a score of 27-17. Barry pointed out that this matchup now appears to be the most competitive of the opening rounds.
The other games, however, revealed a different narrative. Penn State trounced SMU 38-10, Texas convincingly defeated Clemson 38-24, and Ohio State dominated Tennessee with a score of 42-17. These blowout scores raised questions about playoff selection criteria and the strength of schedules faced by those teams.