What's at stake for each team in CFP quarters

The College Football Playoff first round is done and dusted, with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day setting the backdrop for some intriguing quarterfinal matchups.

There's plenty at stake for the six remaining teams playing Wednesday, but one standout narrative exists for each as they attempt to advance to the semifinals and beyond.

Notre Dame: Show it belongs in the big-time

Blow the dust off a history book, and it's clear Notre Dame is one of the most successful programs in college football history. However, most of that work was done long ago, with 1988 representing the last claimed national title. Current coach Marcus Freeman was a 2-year-old when the Fighting Irish were last atop the sport. While there have been plenty of wins - especially over the past 15 years - Notre Dame has failed time and again when facing the behemoths of the sport.

The proving ground doesn't get any bigger than Georgia in the playoffs. The Irish should actually feel fairly comfortable with a Bulldogs team they've faced twice since 2017, with a pair of narrow losses by a combined seven points. Win, and the Irish can rightfully claim their place back among the nation's elite. Lose, and it's yet another missed chance against a top opponent to end a season that also featured a home loss to Northern Illinois.

Ohio State: Ryan Day's job security

It sounds outrageous that a coach in the quarterfinals could be facing a must-win for his job security, but normal isn't a word we would use to describe Ryan Day's situation at Ohio State. The first-round Tennessee blowout provided a momentary respite from the endless criticism of Day following the stunning Michigan loss. However, should the Buckeyes fall to Oregon, the dam might just break for good on Day's tenure in Columbus.

Sure, his 67-10 overall record is sparkling, but a New Year's Day defeat would make him 0-6 in his last six games against Michigan and Oregon. While the Ducks' losses alone might be forgivable, the glaring problem with the team up north certainly isn't. The veteran coach told Joel Klatt of Fox Sports that the two goals this season were winning the rivalry game and the national championship ... in that order. He's already 0-1 in that pursuit, and a second setback to Oregon would mean he's unsuccessful on both fronts.

Ohio State put $20 million toward the roster this season to bring back future NFL pros and dominate recruiting in both the transfer portal and high school ranks. Both Chip Kelly and Jim Knowles are making at least $2 million as coordinators - ranking among the highest-paid assistants in the country. That type of investment certainly isn't for a three-loss team that didn't make the Big Ten title game or the CFP semis.

Or the Buckeyes could play like they did against Tennessee, run the table, and win the program's ninth national championship. No pressure, Ryan.

Oregon: Pursuit of perfection

Oregon has been the lone constant throughout the chaotic 2024 season. Each time the Ducks have taken the field, they've walked off as a winner, despite a few close calls along the way. The closest was the one-point triumph over Ohio State - a game that could have ended very differently had Will Howard put his backside on the ground one second earlier.

Dan Lanning's been nothing short of brilliant in his three seasons with the program, and the Rose Bowl presents a perfect opportunity to flex his coaching chops. The first matchup with the Buckeyes was as even as it gets, with two fumbles by the visitors essentially the deciding factor. What type of adjustments will Lanning's Ducks make for Wednesday to ensure the game is decided long before the final clock hits zero?

Three more wins and the Ducks won't only complete the first perfect season in the 107-year history of the program but also become the first team to win 16 games in a college football season.

Texas: Final step toward being "back"

Raise your hand if you imagine ESPN's Joe Tessitore yelling "Texas is back!" every time the Longhorns win a big game. There have been plenty of those in the past two seasons as Steve Sarkisian's revived the former powerhouse program. The Longhorns have been blessed with a very comfortable path to the semis and made no mistake with a double-digit win over Clemson in Round 1. The quarterfinal actually sets up as an even easier matchup on paper, with Texas almost a two-touchdown favorite in the neutral-site contest.

Sarkisian is the only coach from last year's semifinal still with the same program following Nick Saban's retirement, Jim Harbaugh's move to the NFL, and Kalen DeBoer's departure to Alabama. There'll be no question who the top program in the nation has been over the past two years should Sarkisian complete the playoff push and follow up last year's semifinal appearance with a national title. That's a pretty strong argument that the Longhorns are back.

Oh, and Tessitore happens to be on the call for Wednesday's game.

Georgia: Kirby Smart legend status

There's no question Kirby Smart is already a legend in the state of Georgia, but a third national title in the last four years would cement the 49-year-old's legacy across the entire sport. Only 15 men have won that many NCAA football championships in history. That shrinks to just five in the last 50 years as the sport changed drastically. Should he finish the job this time around, it would be his most impressive feat in his time with Georgia.

The Bulldogs are still loaded with talent, but it's a fair argument to call them the weakest of Smart's teams in the past five years. Georgia has further been handicapped by the absence of starting quarterback Carson Beck after elbow surgery following an injury in the SEC title game. That means Smart will go into battle against Notre Dame with Gunner Stockton making his first career start.

If Smart can somehow claim a third national title with a backup quarterback, his name belongs in any conversation of the top coaches in the last half-century of college football.

Arizona State: Justify the record

Arizona State posted a combined 6-18 record in 2022 and '23 before its sparkling 11-2 mark this season. College Football Playoff, meet Cinderella. There's no question the Sun Devils are the plucky underdogs that neutral fans can get behind. Now the monumental task is upon Kenny Dillingham and the Big 12 champs: Keep the slipper on the foot and make sure the ball doesn't end Wednesday.

Arizona State is playing with house money at this point, with virtually nobody expecting the Sun Devils to knock off Texas. They have an identifiable star in Cam Skattebo who plays an appealing style of football, but the Longhorns' run defense is one of the top units in the playoff. The 2024 season has been full of chaos, so perhaps there's one final shocker on hand in Atlanta.