Welcome to Glass Slipper! I know these clowns didn’t leave Kerby Joseph out of the Pro Bowl; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

1. An ovation for Ashton.

The best collegiate running back of my lifetime is walking out the door. It wasn’t the most satisfying series finale, but I will miss him dearly nonetheless.

Jeanty couldn’t quite catch Barry Sanders, and that’s okay. Give my guy a solid offensive line at the next level, and let him go chase Eric Dickerson.

2. The main character.

Tyler Warren is amazing. He finished inside the top five of my last Heisman ladder for a reason. To me, Warren is the best full-time receiver in the 2025 draft class.

There’s a larger trend worth mentioning, as well. If Penn State wins it all, that’ll be four straight national champions whose passing game was built around a tight end. Even Ryan Day - a notorious neglecter of the position - stepped into the portal and threw a bag at Max Klare. We’re seeing a clear rise in value here.

3. Thanks for reading.

Kenny Dillingham is a fan of Glass Slipper. Confirmed. Here’s what I wrote on Tuesday, before the Peach Bowl.

My new friend Kenny heard the message loud and clear. We did indeed get a Skattebo throw, as well as an incredibly gutsy fake punt. It was a soul-crushing loss for the Sun Devils, but their head coach is a gem. The future is bright in Tempe.

4. Sorry, Sam.

I was all ready to make fun of Sam Leavitt for his arrogance prior to the contest; instead, I owe that kid an apology. It wasn’t his cleanest performance, but he absolutely earned my respect. Leavitt looked totally unafraid in the biggest game of his life, which is far more than we can say about Kurtis Rourke, Kevin Jennings, or Maddux Madsen. ASU’s signal-caller will probably get some Heisman buzz ahead of the 2025 campaign, and he deserves it. This is a special competitor.

5. Someone stop ESPN.

I mean, you just can’t be this bad at broadcasting sporting events. It’s the start of double overtime in a monumental playoff clash, and the network cuts back from commercial in the middle of the Texas’s game-winning touchdown. Like, the ball had already been snapped. The score bug wasn’t even visible on the screen. That is flat-out unacceptable.

Let’s get these TV rights over to Fox as soon as possible. Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt need to be in the booth for the biggest matchups, anyway.

6. Here come the Bullets.

Sheesh. I’ve only witnessed two Ohio State performances that can hold a candle to the one we just watched. The infamous 59-0 special in the 2014 Big Ten title game, and Justin Fields’ 60-minute evisceration of Clemson. That’s it.

The Bucks are white-hot right now. I’m trying my best to remain calm.

7. Class act.

Pretend for a moment that your child is a five-star football recruit, and they’ve received an offer from every single school in America. The kid needs assistance with the final decision. To make this hypothetical more interesting, you’re not allowed to steer them towards your personal favorite college team. What’s the advice?

I’m sending them to Oregon, without any real hesitation. First of all, they’re coming home with a lifetime supply of exclusive Nike gear. But seriously, I just want them to be around Dan Lanning. That dude was in a 26-point hole at the half, and still had the courtesy to give Holly Rowe a smile. He then took complete accountability in his postgame presser, and tossed away any excuses. Look, I know the bar is low. But coaches in this sport - Steve Sarkisian and Brian Kelly, to name a couple - have a tendency to behave like petulant children. Lanning is the man I trust to help mold a mature adult.

8. The hard road.

Here’s Marcus Freeman’s full coaching history.

• 2010: Graduate assistant at Ohio State

• 2011-12: Linebackers coach at Kent State

• 2013-15: Linebackers coach at Purdue

• 2016: Co-Defensive Coordinator at Purdue

• 2017-20: Defensive Coordinator at Cincinnati

• 2021: Defensive Coordinator at Notre Dame

• 2021-25: Head Coach at Notre Dame

That’s 15 years of baby steps. Every single thing he’s gotten has been earned. I sincerely hope that Notre Dame fans understand how fortunate they are.

9. McQueen is fading!

Is this what Georgia’s downfall looks like? It’s a serious question. There are real, infrastructural problems here. I’m a better playcaller than Mike Bobo. The offensive line is passable at best. There isn’t a star weapon in sight. The defense lacks the trademark Dawgs hunger that once had the whole nation whispering about a full-fledged dynasty.

So, what’s the plan? If you run this group back in 2025, it’s a 10-2 ceiling. Unless Kirby Smart somehow executes a portal heist for the ages, I think another disappointing campaign is on deck in Athens.

10. Time to peek ahead.

The Final Four is here. Ohio State and Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Notre Dame and Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Whatever happens, a long title drought is getting snapped in 17 days.

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