Ohio Stateโs run to its first national championship in a decade allowed the Buckeyes to dominate the Associated Press College Football Playoff team.
Since only four teams have won any playoff games this season (Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas and Penn State), all but one of the players on the playoff team come from those four schools.
Because some defenses operate in 4-3 schemes, others use a 3-4 and others go with a nickel-based defense, the AP covered all the bases by having a defense with four linemen, four linebackers and five defensive backs.
With that said, hereโs a look at this yearโs AP College Football Playoff team:
Quarterback Will Howard, Ohio State
Howard completed more than 75% of his passes for 1,150 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions in four playoff games. He was named the championship gameโs most valuable offensive player after going 17 of 21 for 231 yards with two touchdowns and rushing for 57 yards on 16 carries in a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame.
RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Henderson had two touchdowns in each of Ohio Stateโs first two playoff wins and then caught a pass well behind the line of scrimmage and turned it into a 75-yard score in the Buckeyesโ 28-14 win in the Cotton Bowl over Texas. He finished the playoff with 36 carries for 265 yards and four touchdowns, along with eight receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown.
RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
Before the championship game, the playoff team considered adding one of Penn Stateโs two standout running backs, Nicholas Singleton or Kaytron Allen, to pair with Henderson. But Judkins made his way onto the team with his standout performance against Notre Dame. He ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries and also caught two passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. Judkins finished the playoffs with 255 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns (6 rushing, 1 receiving).
WR Matthew Golden, Texas
Texas was on the brink of playoff elimination before Golden made a 28-yard touchdown reception on a fourth-and-13 overtime play in a 39-31 Peach Bowl quarterfinal victory over Arizona State. He totaled 11 receptions for 249 yards in addition to that touchdown in three playoff games. That included seven receptions for 149 yards against Arizona State.
WR Jadenโs Big House, Notre Dame
Greathouse totaled just 359 receiving yards in Notre Dameโs first 14 games before surpassing the 100-yard mark in each of the Fighting Irishโs last two games. He caught seven passes for 105 yards and had a 54-yard touchdown with 4:38 left in Notre Dameโs 27-24 Orange Bowl victory over Penn State. He then had six receptions for 128 yards, including touchdowns of 34 and 30 yards, to spark Notre Dameโs comeback in the championship game.
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
This Associated Press Second-Team All-America selection capped his sensational freshman season by catching 19 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns in four playoff games. He scored twice in a 42-17 first-round victory over Tennessee and followed with seven catches for 187 yards and two more scores in a 41-21 Rose Bowl rout of previously undefeated Oregon. Smith caught five passes for 88 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame, and his 56-yard reception on a third-and-11 play set up a decisive field goal.
TE Tyler Warren, Pennsylvania
The winner of the John Mackey Award as college footballโs top tight end scored two touchdowns in Penn Stateโs 31-14 Fiesta Bowl victory over Boise State. Although Penn State had no receptions from its receivers in the Orange Bowl, Warren boosted the Nittany Lionsโ offense by catching six passes for 74 yards and rushing for 21 yards on two carries. He totaled 16 receptions for 171 yards and three carries for 27 yards in three playoff games.
All-Purpose Skattebo Cam, State of Arizona
Skattebo, a first-team AP All-America running back, sparked Arizona Stateโs Peach Bowl comeback by rushing for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, catching eight passes for 99 yards and even throwing a 42-yard touchdown pass.
OL Kelvin Banks, Texas
Banks, a first-team AP All-America tackle, allowed one quarterback hurry and no sacks in Texasโ three postseason games, according to Pro Football Focus. He had an overall PFF block rating of plus-75 in a 38-24 first-round win over Clemson and against Ohio State. He had a pass blocking rating of 86.4 in the semifinal loss to the Buckeyes.
OL Carson Hinzman, Ohio State
After playing center in 2023, Hinzman moved to left guard this season to make room for Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin. But after McLaughlin injured his Achilles tendon in November, Hinzman returned to center and helped open many holes for Henderson and Judkins during the playoffs.
OL Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
Jackson made the AP All-America team as a second-team guard, but moved to left tackle when Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. He didnโt allow a single sack in any of Ohio Stateโs four playoff games, according to PFF.
OL Nolan Rucci, Pennsylvania
Penn Stateโs left tackle allowed no sacks and only one quarterback was rushed in three playoff games, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF graded Rucci over 70 overall in each of Penn Stateโs playoff games.
OL Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame
This right tackle provided stability to a Notre Dame offensive line that suffered multiple injuries during this playoff run. He allowed just one sack in four playoff games, according to PFF.
D. L. Abdul Carter, Penn State
Carter, an AP All-America First Team selection and AP Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, injured his shoulder against Boise State, but returned for the semifinal and collected five tackles and a sack against Notre Dame while playing injured. He also had three tackles and a sack against SMU.
DL Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
Dennis-Sutton totaled 4.5 sacks in Penn Stateโs three playoff games. He had two sacks and forced a fumble against Notre Dame, had a sack against Boise State and had 1.5 against SMU.
DL Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
Sawyer delivered one of the most memorable moments of this playoff by getting a sack and returning the fumble 83 yards for a decisive touchdown against Texas. He also had two sacks against Oregon and 1.5 against Tennessee.
DL J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State
Tuimoloau totaled 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in Ohio Stateโs four playoff games. He had two sacks each against Tennessee and Oregon, 1.5 against Texas and one against Notre Dame.
LB Drayk Bowen, Notre Dame
Bowen had eight tackles in each of Notre Dameโs last two games and also forced a fumble against Ohio State. He had 1.5 tackles for loss in Notre Dameโs 27-17 first-round victory over Indiana and had six total tackles and half a tackle for loss in the Irishโs 23-10 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.
LB Jack Kiser, Notre Dame
Notre Dameโs sixth-year senior linebacker had six tackles and a sack and forced a fumble against Georgia. He followed that up with a team-high 10 tackles against Penn State.
LB Cody Simon, Ohio State
Simon totaled 38 tackles in Ohio Stateโs four playoff games. He had 12 tackles in the first-round win over Tennessee and 11 tackles plus two sacks against Oregon.
LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Styles had nine tackles, three for loss, along with a sack and a forced fumble against Texas. He also recorded a sack against Notre Dame.
DB Jahdae Barron, Texas
Barron, a first-team AP All-America cornerback, helped in the coverage scheme that limited Smith to one catch for 3 yards in Texasโ semifinal loss to Ohio State. He had 11 tackles against Arizona State. He broke up two passes against Clemson and earned a 78.5 overall grade from PFF for that game.
DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State
This first-team AP All-America safety solidified Ohio Stateโs secondary during the postseason. His interception with less than two minutes left dashed Texasโ last hopes of a comeback in the Cotton Bowl semifinal.
DB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
The freshman took on a prominent role following a season-ending injury in AP All-America preseason second-team selection Benjamin Morrison and became Notre Dameโs top cornerback. PFF gave him overall defensive grades of 76.4 against Indiana and 78.5 against Georgia.
DB Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
Watts, a first-team AP All-America safety, made an interception in the red zone that prevented Indiana from taking an early lead in Notre Dameโs first-round playoff game. PFF graded him 70 or higher in three of Notre Dameโs four playoff games.
DB Zakee Wheatley, Pennsylvania
Wheatley had two interceptions in the playoffs: one against Boise State and one against Notre Dame. He had 16 tackles and a sack in the Notre Dame game. He made seven tackles and broke up one pass against SMU.
K Mitch Jeter, Notre Dame
Jeter had a 27-yard field goal attempt that bounced off the left upright in the fourth quarter of the championship game, but he also helped Notre Dame get there by making a 41-yard jumper with seven seconds left in the game. Orange Bowl. Jeter made 7 of 9 field goal attempts in the playoffs, including 6 of 6 from 40 to 49 yards.
P James Rendell, Notre Dame
Rendellโs 41.5 punting average in the playoffs may not seem particularly impressive on the surface, but he connected on seven of his 13 punts inside the opponentโs 20-yard line and didnโt have a single touchback.
KR Jayden Harrison, Notre Dame
Harrisonโs 98-yard touchdown return on the second-half kickoff in the Sugar Bowl was the best return by anyone in this playoff.
Information from The Associated Press.
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