It is officially playoff time in the National Club Football Association.
Ohio State Club Football is set to host Oakland University on Sunday, Nov. 15 in the Great Lakes Conference semifinals. The Buckeyes secured home-field advantage in the conference tournament with a 49-20 win over Toledo last weekend, which gave Ohio State the Great Lakes East title.
The Golden Grizzlies are 5-2 this season, their best regular season finish since 2019 when they reached the NCFA National Championship Game, losing to the Buckeyes, 36-9. Oakland’s only two losses came to Toledo by a score of 41-20 and to Michigan State, 48-16. The Grizzlies are currently ranked No. 5 in the NCFA and secured their spot in the postseason with a 28-22 win over Loyola Chicago two weeks ago.
The game between the Buckeyes and Grizzlies will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the NCFA this season. Ohio State quarterback Corbyn Aleshire and Oakland quarterback Jayden McCarthy are atop the league’s leaderboard in touchdown passes and total touchdowns. Aleshire leads the NCFA with 21 touchdown passes in seven games, while McCarthy has thrown 14 in six games, good for second in the NCFA. Aleshire has added seven scores on the ground and McCarthy has contributed six rushing touchdowns. Combined the two signal callers have accounted for 48 total touchdowns to just eight combined interceptions.
Both quarterbacks also have the top statistical wide receivers in the league at their disposals. Ohio State’s Ricardo Washington leads the NCFA in receptions (30) and receiving yards (547) and is second in the NCFA in receiving touchdowns with seven. Oakland’s Alex Harwood is second in receptions (28) and yardage (517) and leads the league in receiving touchdowns with eight.
McCarthy leads his team in rushing on the year, as the 6’0, 230 pound quarterback has carried the ball 44 times for an even 300 yards. His primary running mate in the backfield, running back Miguel Garcia, has toted the ball 45 times for just 198 yards across five games. On the other side of the field, Ohio State is coming off arguably its best rushing performance of the season against Toledo in which the Buckeyes rushed for 246 net yards on 39 carries. Milan Jackson leads the Buckeyes with 540 yards on 57 carries and eight touchdowns. Teammate Ethan Young is coming off of his best performance as a Buckeye after he carried 17 times for 106 yards and a touchdown against the Rockets. On the year, Young has accumulated 284 yards on 53 carries and eight touchdowns of his own.
Defensively, Ohio State is coming off of an odd statistical performance against the Rockets. The Buckeyes did not force a turnover and surrendered a season-high 20 points against Toledo, but also posted a season-best nine sacks. Elijah Lowden leads the team with nine total sacks on the season while linebacker Evan Riggs leads the team in total tackles with 44 in six contests. Riggs has also blocked a pair of extra points this season and two punts as well.
Despite not forcing a turnover against the Rockets, the Buckeyes still lead the NCFA in takeaways, having collected a whopping 22 interceptions in seven games, including five pick-sixes. Safety Vann Riordan and cornerback Stosh Niezgoda are tied for the team and NCFA lead with four interceptions apiece.
Oakland’s defense has had a roller coaster season. They surrendered just 36 combined points in their victories over Pittsburgh, Purdue Fort Wayne, Wright State and Loyola Chicago, including a shutout victory over Purdue Fort Wayne. However, in their two losses to Michigan State and Toledo, the Grizzlies were outscored 89-36. They are led by linebacker Thomas Shallal, who is tops on his team with 40 total tackles this season. Oakland has accumulated just seven sacks in six games this season, divided amongst five separate players.
The playoff matchup between the Buckeyes and Grizzlies will be the 10th matchup in series history. Ohio State leads the all-time series 5-4, including a five-game winning streak. The two programs have plenty of history between them, combining for six NCFA National Championships. The two teams last met in the 2023 regular season opener, a 69-0 victory for the Buckeyes.
The winner between Ohio State and Oakland will advance to the Great Lakes Conference Championship Game to take on the winner of Toledo vs. Michigan State. The Rockets and Spartans met earlier this season, with Michigan State squeaking out a 20-19 win over Toledo at home. The Spartans will again host the Rockets in the conference semifinals, with kickoff set for Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m.
Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Grizzlies is set for Noon on Sunday, Nov. 15 at Lincoln Tower Park in Columbus, Ohio. Admission is free, but fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets as bleacher seating is extremely limited and only available at field level.
