As the College Football Playoff quarterfinals conclude, one significant question arises: Is there any team capable of stopping Ohio State?

After an impressive victory over Tennessee in the first round, Ohio State built a commanding 34-0 lead and ultimately secured a 41-21 victory against Oregon, which had previously held an unbeaten record, during the Rose Bowl. Following their fourth consecutive loss to Michigan, the Buckeyes have transformed back into an unstoppable force.

Ohio State’s next challenge is Texas, a team that relied on Quinn Ewers’ clutch performance to narrowly defeat Arizona State with a 39-31 double overtime win in the Peach Bowl after leading 24-8 in the fourth quarter. To triumph over the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl, Texas will need to deliver a more consistent performance than in their last outing against the Sun Devils.

Penn State triumphed over Boise State with a score of 31-14 in the Fiesta Bowl, managing to contain standout running back Ashton Jeanty. The Nittany Lions have outscored two playoff teams by a combined total of 69-24.

Penn State will face Notre Dame, which secured a 23-10 victory against Georgia after an explosive 54-second stretch when they scored 17 points in the Sugar Bowl, postponed a day due to a tragic event in New Orleans on Wednesday morning.

The national semifinals are set to start on January 9, with Ohio State favored to win the national championship. But before we look ahead, here are the highlights of the winners and losers from the quarterfinals:

Oregon was the undisputed top seed in the playoffs. While this setback may not require a complete reassessment of their strategy — after all, they were the top team during the regular season, achieving victories against the Buckeyes, Broncos, and Nittany Lions — it is certainly a disappointment that will prompt some reflection in Eugene during the offseason.

Georgia

A series of surprising mistakes crushed Georgia’s chances of victory with backup quarterback Gunner Stockton stepping in for the injured Carson Beck. Considering the circumstances, Stockton performed reasonably well, completing 18 of 29 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. However, his fumble after a sack with less than a minute remaining in the first half allowed Notre Dame to score their first touchdown. Additionally, running back Trevor Etienne’s fumble late in the first quarter halted a promising 71-yard drive that took more than eight minutes. Georgia also suffered a critical offsides penalty, prolonging Notre Dame’s crucial drive late in the fourth quarter. Yet, beyond these self-inflicted wounds, the stark reality is that Notre Dame was simply the superior team in the Sugar Bowl, and the difference was significant.

Arizona State

There likely isn’t overwhelming disappointment at ASU following their impressive run to the Big 12 championship and an establishing double-overtime loss to the Longhorns. In fact, had Texas lost, the heartbreak would have been felt even more on the other side. The achievements from this season are likely to position the Sun Devils as favorites for the Big 12 next September and as serious contenders for a playoff return. However, there were missed opportunities to defeat the Longhorns, coupled with a hint of controversy when officials did not penalize Texas defensive back Michael Taafe for targeting on a key third-down completion during ASU’s final drive in regulation, which could have led to a potential game-winning field goal for them.

Ashton Jeanty

Ashton Jeanty’s achievement of 104 rushing yards against one of the top defenses in FBS deserves recognition, even though this total fell short of his previous season’s low by 23 yards, and despite the Nittany Lions holding the Heisman Trophy runner-up from scoring. Unfortunately, Jeanty narrowly missed breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record. Nevertheless, this does not overshadow what was one of the most impressive seasons for a running back in FBS history.