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New Year's Day rundown: Takeaways from Saturday's biggest bowl games

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The College Football Playoff semis were one-sided blowouts, but the New Year's Six games provided some incredible entertainment.

An epic Oklahoma State comeback got things started before Utah and Ohio State blew up the scoreboard in an explosive Rose Bowl.

Here are four takeaways from the first two New Year's Six bowl games on Saturday.

Ohio State might score every drive next year

Ohio State owned the No. 1 offense in the country this season, but the Buckeyes could be even more explosive next campaign despite the fact they'll lose two wide receivers who'll likely be first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. That speaks to the talents of C.J Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Ngijba, TreVeyon Henderson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Julian Fleming, and Emeka Egbuka.

Playing without Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, Smith-Njigba had a Rose Bowl for the ages, breaking countless receiving records in a historic performance as Ohio State beat Utah 48-45.

Stroud set an Ohio State passing record for most yards in a game with a whopping 573 to go along with six touchdown passes - including three to freshman Harrison Jr. The California native consistently torched Utah's defense on a field just 39 miles from his hometown.

Stroud and Smith-Njigba will be among the favorites for the Heisman Trophy next season and showed Saturday that the Buckeyes won't be taking a step back.

Pac-12 bowl woes continue

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Utah delivered an incredible performance in the opening half against Ohio State but couldn't hold the explosive Buckeyes off long enough to get the win. Due to the late loss, the Pac-12's issues in bowl games will continue for another year. It seems almost unbelievable, but the conference hasn't won a bowl game - any bowl game - since the 2019 season.

COVID-19 severely limited the Pac-12's participation in bowl games last campaign, but the conference had five chances this year to get a victory and failed in each contest. That record, combined with UCLA's cancelation against NC State, ensures it'll be at least another year before the streak breaks.

Disaster strikes Notre Dame in 2nd half

Marcus Freeman currently doesn't look a day over 35, but if the rest of his head coaching career goes anything like Saturday's Fiesta Bowl did, he's going to age quickly.

The start to the new Notre Dame frontman's tenure presented a wide range of emotions as the Fighting Irish raced out to a 28-7 lead before allowing 30 unanswered points to Oklahoma State in a 37-35 loss.

The first contest following Brian Kelly's departure began as the Jack Coan show. The signal-caller threw four touchdowns in the opening half, much to the delight of former Notre Dame quarterbacks Malik Zaire and Deshone Kizer.

Oklahoma State entered play with the nation's fifth-best scoring defense at just over 16 points per contest. Notre Dame surpassed that number less than five minutes into the second quarter. It was a near perfect start for Freeman.

But it didn't take long for that feeling to evaporate as a completely different scenario unfolded in the second half in Arizona.

Entering play, Notre Dame was 79-0 in games they led by at least 21 points since 2004, according to David Bearman of ESPN. That streak is now over but another, more dubious one lives on for the Irish. Saturday's loss was the 10th straight in a major bowl game since the program's win at the 1994 Cotton Bowl.

The defeat was a quick reality check for Freeman.

Sanders delivers for Oklahoma State

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Spencer Sanders at his best is good enough for Oklahoma State to compete for Big 12 titles. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the talented quarterback's penchant for turnovers can often spell doom for his team.

The junior passer was at his best in the Fiesta Bowl, leading the Cowboys back from a 28-7 deficit to finish with a whopping 496 total yards and four passing touchdowns. While he did have a fumble late, Sanders avoided throwing any picks to the Irish, a noted improvement from his four-interception performance in the Big 12 title game.

Sanders repeatedly answered the bell for Mike Gundy in the epic comeback and will carry plenty of momentum into his senior season in Stillwater.

Corral's injury shows why players opt out

There's been plenty of debate over players opting out of bowl games, and Matt Corral's injury Saturday should serve as a reminder why nobody should ever criticize someone for sitting out.

The Ole Miss star quarterback decided to play in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor but suffered an ankle injury on a sack in the first quarter. He was in visible pain as he was helped off the field before being carted to the locker room. Corral would eventually return to the sideline in street clothes with crutches.

Ole Miss would go on to lose the game 21-7, but the result was overshadowed by the injury.

Corral's decision to play should be respected. Kenny Pickett, another quarterback projected to be a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, opted against playing in Pitt's bowl game, and he should be supported for his decision as well. No one should ever question a player's love for football based on whether or not they suit up for a bowl game.

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