{"id":2386141,"date":"2025-01-03T13:21:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T18:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-college-football-playoffs\/"},"modified":"2025-01-03T13:21:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T18:21:36","slug":"jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-college-football-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-college-football-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus Christ Takes Center Stage In College Football Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-college-football-playoffs%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2386141&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article \u200cdiscusses how various college\u2064 football players have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-defense-officials-check-on-israel-as-political-crisis-fuels-civil-war-anxiety\/\" title=\"US defense officials monitor Israel amid political crisis, fearing escalation to &#039;civil war&#039;.\">publicly expressed gratitude<\/a> to Jesus Christ during the ongoing 2024-2025\u200b College Football Playoffs. Notable examples include Notre Dame\u200c quarterback Riley \u2064Leonard,who\u2064 credited Jesus for his\u200d team&#8217;s \u200bsuccess after a victory against Georgia,and Ohio State quarterback Will Howard,who similarly praised Christ following a win against Oregon. After thier\u200d games, both\u200d players emphasized their\u2062 reliance\u200c on faith \u2062for their achievements.Additionally, moments of prayer\u200d were observed \u200dbetween players \u2064from rival teams, highlighting a shared \u200dacknowledgment of\u2063 faith in\u200d athletics. The piece emphasizes that, \u2064regardless of wins or losses, players and coaches alike are committed \u200bto giving glory\u2063 to Jesus\u2064 Christ,\u200b showcasing \u2064the intersection of faith and\u2064 sports in college football.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-9ZWfKJiyKw\">IndyStar\/YouTube<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/03\/jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-this-years-college-football-playoffs\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Jesus%20Christ%20Takes%20Center%20Stage%20In%20This%20Year%E2%80%99s%20College%20Football%20Playoffs&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/03\/jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-this-years-college-football-playoffs\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Jesus%20Christ%20Takes%20Center%20Stage%20In%20This%20Year%E2%80%99s%20College%20Football%20Playoffs&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/03\/jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-this-years-college-football-playoffs\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/03\/jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-this-years-college-football-playoffs\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Jesus%20Christ%20Takes%20Center%20Stage%20In%20This%20Year%E2%80%99s%20College%20Football%20Playoffs&amp;body=Players%20from%20various%20college%20football%20teams%20have%20taken%20the%20time%20to%20praise%20Jesus%20Christ%20for%20the%20impact%20He's%20made%20on%20their%20athletic%20careers.%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/03\/jesus-christ-takes-center-stage-in-this-years-college-football-playoffs\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>The winner of the 2024-2025 College Football Playoffs may not be known for several more weeks, but many players have already decided who the real MVP of the tournament is. <\/p>\n<p>Throughout the past few days, players from various teams have taken the time to praise Jesus Christ for the impact He&rsquo;s made on their respective athletic careers. Following his team&rsquo;s Thursday win (23-10) over the Georgia Bulldogs, for example, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard used his postgame interview to glorify his Lord and Savior for putting the Fighting Irish in a position to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-799007894\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;First of all, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I wouldn&rsquo;t be here, we wouldn&rsquo;t be here as a whole group,&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just so grateful for this opportunity. This is a beautiful thing, and a dream come true.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"NKv2dWS9kDAC48btYZmcB1TGH3yfV7hxzjE0aPo5iLwpIeM6rQ\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is great. <\/p>\n<p>Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard gives thanks to Jesus on ESPN postgame after the Irish advance past Georgia. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Without Him, I wouldn&rsquo;t be here.&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/D2g09mwnA5\">pic.twitter.com\/D2g09mwnA5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sports_Spectrum\/status\/1875015881883066753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Notre Dame quarterback <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/game\/_\/gameId\/401677184\/notre-dame-georgia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threw<\/a> for 90 yards and one touchdown pass during Thursday&rsquo;s Sugar Bowl. He was subsequently <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/college-football\/sugar-bowl-makes-riley-leonard-announcement-after-notre-dame-georgia-game#:~:text=For%20his%20efforts%2C%20Leonard%20was,14%20times%20for%2080%20yards.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">named<\/a> Offensive MVP of the game for his performance. <\/p>\n<p>Leonard wasn&rsquo;t the only player to give the glory to Christ during his <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">playoff postgame interview<\/a>, however. <\/p>\n<p>Ohio State quarterback Will Howard took the time to praise Jesus following the Buckeyes&rsquo; dominating Wednesday victory (41-21) over the Oregon Ducks. Howard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/boxscore\/_\/gameId\/401677183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threw<\/a> for 319 yards and three touchdowns, ending the game with a total quarterback rating of 97.7. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;First and foremost, I got to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity to be on this stage and here in the Rose Bowl,&rdquo; Howard said. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"FXJwsLu50gDrZe\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&ldquo;First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord &amp; Savior, Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity&hellip;&rdquo;<br \/>&ndash; Ohio State QB Will Howard after their CFB Playoff win over Oregon <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LsCRuplEsG\">pic.twitter.com\/LsCRuplEsG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JonnyRoot_\/status\/1874852095188459775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Christ&rsquo;s presence was also felt during Wednesday&rsquo;s matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Arizona State Sun Devils. <\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of the former&rsquo;s overtime victory (39-31), Longhorns running back Nik Sanders joined Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo in kneeling for a postgame prayer. Skattebo was <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/college\/arizona-state-sun-devils\/arizona-state-star-cam-skattebo-made-peach-bowl-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">named<\/a> Offensive MVP of the Peach Bowl, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/boxscore\/_\/gameId\/401677182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">racking up<\/a> 143 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards, 42 passing yards, two rushing touchdowns, a passing touchdown, and a two-point conversion.<\/p>\n<p>Even in defeat, Boise State Broncos personnel eulogized Christ following the team&rsquo;s Tuesday loss (31-14) to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson <a href=\"https:\/\/churchleaders.com\/news\/503234-you-changed-my-life-boise-state-defensive-end-thanks-coach-for-sharing-the-gospel-with-him.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> media in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-time-to-give-russell-westbrook-the-respect-he-deserves\/\" title=\"It\u2019s Time To Give Russell Westbrook The Respect He Deserves\">postgame press conference<\/a>, &ldquo;No matter what &mdash; win, lose or draw &mdash; I&rsquo;m going to always give Jesus the glory.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so blessed to be the head coach here, and we do serve a champion. And I do know God never says oops,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;As hard as tonight is, as a competitor and as a coach, I do believe we learn and grow from everything.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Danielson notably gave Jesus &ldquo;all the glory&rdquo; after his team defeated the UNLV Rebels to secure the Mountain West Conference championship and first-round playoff bye last month. His profession of faith has seemingly rubbed off on some of his players, one of whom thanked Danielson for bringing him to Christ following Tuesday&rsquo;s loss to Penn State.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Coach D, you changed my life. You changed my life,&rdquo; Broncos defensive end Ahmed Hassanein <a href=\"https:\/\/churchleaders.com\/news\/503234-you-changed-my-life-boise-state-defensive-end-thanks-coach-for-sharing-the-gospel-with-him.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> Danielson during Tuesday&rsquo;s postgame presser. &ldquo;I did not know God until I got to Boise State.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/boise-state\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Boise State<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/college-football\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">college football<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/college-football-playoffs\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">college football playoffs<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/football\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">football<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/notre-dame\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Notre Dame<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/ohio-state\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Ohio State<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/peach-bowl\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Peach Bowl<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/riley-leonard\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Riley Leonard<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/rose-bowl\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Rose Bowl<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/sports-2\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">sports<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/will-howard\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Will Howard<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Players are praising Jesus as the true MVP of the 2024-2025 College Football Playoffs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2386142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Riley-Leonard.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35616,5250,35296,12422,3847],"class_list":["post-2386141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-college-football","tag-faith","tag-jesus-christ","tag-playoffs","tag-sports"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Riley-Leonard.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2386141"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2386145,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386141\/revisions\/2386145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2386142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2386141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2386141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2386141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}