HARRIS COUNTY - HSA
Houston to host 2024 college football playoff national championship
Melanie Hauser
Nov 1, 2017, 3:53 pm
Melanie Hauser writes for The Harris County - Houston Sports Authority Check out the website here.
Harris County Houston Sports Authority Press Release
EMBARGOED UNTIL: Wednesday, November 1, 2017, 2:20 pm CONTACT: Jules Rice, Harris County – Houston Sports Authority jrice@houstonsports.org or 713-308-5918
Houston to Host 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship
The College Football Playoff (CFP) announced today that Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2024. “Having hosted a Super Bowl and a World Series this year alone, and NCAA basketball playoffs and championships in recent years, Houston and Harris County are now uniquely prepared to play host to one of the nation’s most exciting and closely watched sports events – the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship,” said Harris County Judge Emmett. “So thank you to all the people who helped make this possible, and let the countdown to 2024 begin!” There are an anticipated 72,015 fans expected to attend the College Football Playoff National Championship, which will be held at NRG Stadium January 8, 2024. “It is a very exciting day for everyone in our community,” said Janis Burke, chief executive officer for the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority. “This was truly a team effort, and we could not have secured this bid without the support of Harris County, the City of Houston, NRG Stadium and Houston First. We are looking forward to welcoming college football’s finest in 2024.” “There is no better city than Houston to host the 2024 CFP. Our world-class venues, hotels, restaurants, and citizens are ready to welcome fans from around the country for this premiere sporting event,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner, City of Houston. “Houston is one of the most venue-rich cities in the country with a great, modern stadium, multiple convention centers/arenas and a downtown park that will make for a terrific festival setting for our attendees,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP. “The community has demonstrated its mettle for college sports by hosting two outstanding Final Fours and very successful Super Bowls.” The CFP postseason determines the national champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football in the United States. This will be the tenth national championship game of the CFP era. The first game was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 12, 2015.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!