Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes’ four games in the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State has been purposely pacing itself on offense all season.

Quinshon Judkins ran for two touchdowns before Jack Sawyer forced a fumble by his former roommate and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers that he returned 83 yards for a touchdown with 2:13 left as Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl.

Ohio State players had been thinking about a rematch with Oregon long before the Buckeyes crushed Tennessee in a first-round playoff game.

Will Howard threw two touchdown passes to freshman Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State routed Tennessee 42-17 on Saturday night in a first-round College Football Playoff game, setting up a New Year’s Day rematch with No. 1 Oregon at the Rose Bowl.

Will Howard tossed three touchdown passes, but No. 4 Ohio State needed an interception by cornerback Jordan Hancock’s with 1:16 left to seal its 21-17 win over Nebraska.

With many players NFL eligible and others following unhappy starting quarterback Kyle McCord into the transfer portal, Ohio State football looked to be in for an unhappy winter.

Jaxson Dart passed for 379 yards and three touchdowns, including two to tight end Caden Prieskorn, and ran for a score as No. 11 Mississippi bullied No. 10 Penn State’s proud defense 38-25 in the Peach Bowl.

Quinshon Judkins rushed for 205 yards, Jaxson Dart passed for three touchdowns and No. 15 Mississippi beat Texas A&M 31-28.

Jayden Daniels ran for three touchdowns and passed for two scores, and LSU roared back from an early two-touchdown deficit to hand No. 7 Mississippi its first loss this season, 45-20.