Marvin Harrison Jr details experience watching Pac-12 Championship game

After losing big to rival Michigan to cap off their regular season, Ohio State was left with nothing to do but sit there and pray some of the other College Football Playoff contenders lost in their conference title games. Well, the Buckeyes got their wish, as USC fell by 23 against Utah in the Pac 12 Championship, leaving the door wide open for OSU to slide in.

So what was that waiting game like? Where Ohio State players just had to sit there, twiddle their thumbs and hope for a USC loss. Star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. detailed the process of powerlessly watching Utah decide their fate:

“Yeah, I watched the game. Being a fan of college football as well, I can learn from it. USC has some good receivers over there too. We did watch the game, but obviously when they lost, we thought we might have a chance to go into the National Championship. Just watching the game as a fan.”

Apparently, Harrison was rooting for USC, not Utah, in the game.

“From our chances, I didn’t want Utah to win, but like I said, watching as a fan of the game and hoping we did get an opportunity to win.”

Strange strategy for Marvin Harrison there. He didn’t want Utah to win? Even though that meant that USC dropped out of the playoff, effectively making room for the Buckeyes to take their place. Maybe a mis-speak by the OSU wideout, because that Utah win kept their hunt for the national title alive.

Ryan Day explains respect he has for Kirby Smart

Both these coaches have built their programs to sustain success. Smart has only lost 15 games in his seven years at his alma mater and took the Bulldogs to their first national title in 40 years at year ago. Day, meanwhile, has five losses to his name in four years at the helm in Columbus, and he spoke about the amount of respect he has for Smart and how he built Georgia into a perennial College Football Playoff team.

“I have so much respect for what Kirby’s done and what he’s built,” Day said. “Winning the national championship last year and certainly his team has played unbelievably this season. When you look at the beginning of the year, you say to yourself where are we going to see ourselves in December, and this is the exact situation we saw ourselves in. We knew that Georgia would be right here, and they do an unbelievable job of recruiting and coaching and playing. So here we are.”

Kickoff between Georgia and Ohio State in the Peach Bowl is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The winner punches its ticket to the CFP national championship against the winner of No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU.