College Football Playoff 2019: 16-team bracket simulation

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 07: Head coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers talks with Joe Burrow #9 in the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 07: Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) celebrates a touchdown during the Big 10 Championship game between the Wisconsin Badgers and Ohio State Buckeyes on December 7, 2019, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Ohio State vs. 10. Penn State

When you look at the regular-season matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions, you see a game that represents the first test of Ryan Day’s team on the season. They obviously passed when the game was over but a team that had blown everyone out emerged with only a 28-17 victory on their home field, staving off a comeback that featured 17-straight points from James Franklin’s team.

However, that’s over-simplifying what happened in that regular-season contest. Yes, Penn State was able to make some big plays in the third quarter to make things close but let’s not overlook the fact that Ohio State was dominant over Sean Clifford and the stout Nittany Lions defense for the first 34 minutes of action, jumping out to a 21-0 lead.

Another thing that you can’t forget is that Ohio State was their own worst enemy in allowing Penn State to mount their comeback attempt. A flurry of turnovers (namely fumbles) from both Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins, two players who have been quite turnover-averse this season, really set up the Nittany Lions with great opportunities. And while Penn State capitalized and deserves credit for that, it’s also possible those turnovers were an anomaly.

Having been a bit more battle-tested since that game, I expect Ohio State would clean things up in regards to those fumbles and perform about the same otherwise. If that’s the case, the rematch between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions would not even be as close as the first meeting. Ohio State would make a statement with a dominant showing.

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes