College Football Playoff: Hot 2nd quarter powers Texas past Clemson

After the College Football Playoff began on Friday with No. 7 Notre Dame handling No. 10 Indiana, Saturday gives us an entire day of action with three games wrapping up the first round of the 12-team format.
Penn State took care of business in Happy Valley to start the day, using two early pick-sixes to pull away with a 38-10 win against an overmatched SMU. Later, in Austin, Texas had its way with Clemson in a 38-24 game that was not as close as the final score would indicate. Let’s hope the nightcap between Ohio State and Tennessee has a bit more suspense.
Follow all the action below.
Time: 8 p.m. ET | TV: ABC/ESPN | Line: Ohio State -7.5 | Total: 46.5
Ohio State enters the playoff on a mission while coming off a painful loss to hated rival Michigan. Can coach Ryan Day get his team back on track? As the over/under indicates, this will not likely be the offensive shootout that many would have predicted before the season began. These two teams have offenses that can hit for a big play at any moment, but both teams have relied on excellent defenses.
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For the CFP nightcap we head to Columbus, where Tennessee fans are making their presence known:
The Longhorns earn a spot in the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.
Arch Manning fumbles the snap and fails to convert what would have been the game-clinching first down for the Longhorns. One last gasp for the Tigers here.
Texas is methodically moving the chains and keeping the clock moving.
We’re at the 2-minute timeout and the Longhorns still have the ball. This one is all but over.
The Tigers get stopped on two straight runs at the 1.
Massive stop for Texas, which takes over with 7:24 to play.
Cade Klubnik is throwing it all over the yard and he’s led the Tigers inside the 5-yard line, but Clemson just burned a timeout before facing a 3rd and goal.
Longhorns RBs today:
Jaydon Blue: 12 carries, 146 yards, 2 TDs
Quintrevion Wisner: 12 carries, 110 yards, 2 TDs
Jaydon Blue unleashes a 77-yard TD run!
Instant answer for the Longhorns, who are right back to a 2-TD lead.
Cade Klubnik finds T.J. Moore in the end zone on a 4th and 6 pass. The clutch play makes it a one-score game. We’ve got a ballgame here in Austin early in the 4th!
Texas 31, Clemson 24
A Longhorns drive makes it into Clemson territory by Quinn Ewers throws incomplete on 4th and 2.
Clemson takes over with a chance to cut further into the lead.
That happened fast. Two big pass plays and the Tigers are in the end zone.
Cade Klubnik fired it to Jarvis Green for a 25-yard score, and Clemson has life!
Texas 31, Clemson 17
Cade Klubnik took an ugly sack, fumbling it away before his teammate eventually recovered, and that pretty much killed another drive for the Tigers.
Texas gets it back.
Only so many more chances for Clemson to try to get back into this game.
Bert Auburn hits from 22 yards to extend the Longhorns’ lead.
Texas got near the goal line after a PI call, but unable to get into the end zone.
Manning had already entered the game earlier for a handoff, but this time he drops back to pass and ends up scrambling for a first down on a 3rd-and-1 play.
Texas receives the 2nd-half kickoff and will try to extend its lead here.
The Texas offense is putting on a clinic so far. Can Clemson do anything to stop it in the second half or are we looking at a third straight playoff blowout?
Quinn Ewers fires it to Gunnar Helm for a 19-yard TD toss. Big answer for the Longhorns following the turnover. And they extend their lead right before halftime.
Texas 28, Clemson 10
Nolan Hauser knocks it in from 32 yards and Clemson cuts into the lead a bit.
Texas 21, Clemson 10 | 1:33 in 2nd
Quinn Ewers’ pass is picked off by Clemson’s R.J. Mickens after the ball bounced off a receiver’s hands.
The ball was actually returned to the end zone, but the touchdown was called back on an illegal blindside block.
Either way, a huge play for Clemson, which takes over at its own 46.
Ever since its opening-drive TD, Clemson’s offense hasn’t been able to do much.
Here’s how its drives have ended since then:
Punt
Punt
Interception
Punt
Clemson gets a defensive stop it desperately needed, stuffing Jaydon Blue on a 4th down run at the 18-yard line.
Cade Klubnik’s pass is deflected into the air and Texas’ Collin Simmons comes down with it.
The momentum is VERY much with the burnt orange right now.
Texas already has 122 net rushing yards, averaging 7.7 yards per rush.
Longhorns have 3 rushing TDs on 3 offensive drives so far.
It’s Quintrevion Wisner into the end zone again, this one from 16 yards out. The O-line opened up a gaping hole for him to run through.
Longhorns are cooking so far, and running the ball at will.
Texas 21, Clemson 7
This time the Longhorns move quickly as Jaydon Blue busts a 38-yard TD run down the sideline.
That was a 5-play, 65-yard drive on ALL RUNS.
Just like that the Longhorns lead 14-7.
The Tigers opted to kick it away on 4th and about a foot from their own 34-yard line.
Playing it safe early in this one.
Longhorns match the Tigers with a long TD drive of their own.
Quintrevion Wisner finishes it with a 3-yard run.
It’s all tied up 7-7.
Cade Klubnik finds Antonio Williams on a 22-yard catch and run for the score on 3rd down.
What a start for the underdog Tigers here!
Clemson 7, Texas 0
Cade Klubnik and the Tigers have a nice drive going to start this game.
It’s first down at the Texas 25 as Clemson burns its first timeout.
Texas kicks off to start things off in Austin. Clemson will begin with the ball.
The Longhorns will be without one of its top receiving weapons today.
Game 2 of the Saturday playoff tripleheader is just minutes away in Austin.
The winner of No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson will face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.
The Mustangs have punted it back to the home team with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game.
PSU was smarter with its next possession, running the ball and milking the clock a bit before giving it back to SMU on a punt.
There’s 2:46 left now.
The Mustangs are finally in the end zone after a 28-yard TD throw from Kevin Jennings to Roderick Daniels Jr.
There’s 7:30 left in this one.
PSU 38, SMU 10
Welp. Instead of running the ball, PSU opts for a Ethan Grunkemeyer pass and it’s tipped into the hands of SMU’s Brandon Crossley.
The Ponies will have the ball at the PSU 40-yard line.
The Nittany Lions have the ball back and will presumably bleed as much time off the clock as possible with this drive. Backup QB Ethan Grunkemeyer is in the game for Drew Allar
There’s 10 minutes left in the game.
This thing is all but over now. The Nittany Lions moved the ball with ease as Kaytron Allen capped off a 9-play, 75-yard drive with a short TD run.
PSU 38, SMU 3
The Ponies are going to need a miracle now.
The Nittany Lions are over midfield and nearing the red zone now as the third quarter winds down.
The Mustangs made it all the way down to the 2-yard line, but several miscues backed them all the way back to the 25-yard line and Collin Rogers’ FG attempt came up just short.
The Ponies are moving the ball and in the red zone after a long Kevin Jennings completion. They desperately need to get into the end zone on this drive.
The Nittany Lions are back up 28 after a short drive ends with a 40-yard field goal by Ryan Barker.
PSU 31, SMU 3