Panini’s NIL CFB Teams Inch Closer to Conference Championship Weekend

Written by: Connor Zimmerlee

The college football regular season continues to wind down, as there are just two games left before the start of conference championship games across the country. This past Saturday, Texas and Ohio State — both of which are represented under Panini’s NIL umbrella — fought for wins.

As the old saying goes, offense wins games and defense wins championships. For the Longhorns, their defense continued to be one of the best in the country. Against Arkansas, they were headlined by another dominant showing from cornerback Jahdae Barron. He not only anchored the secondary, grabbing his fourth interception of the season, but he also tallied six tackles and a sack to claim Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

On the other side of the ball, it was another strong showing for quarterback Quinn Ewers. His two best possessions came in the final frame. First, he orchestrated a 75-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a touchdown strike to extend Texas’ lead to 20-10. He got the ball back six plays later after a turnover and proceeded to march downfield again, chewing off the remaining 6:55 from the game clock and sealing the victory.

Fortunately for collectors, they can collect Panini NIL cards for both Barron and Ewers, giving them a chance to feel the same way the Longhorns do each time they make a big play. Not just them, though: Also available for purchase are the stars that helped Ohio State take down Northwestern, 31-7.

Going on the road didn’t impact Quinshon Judkins’ ability to take over the game. Slicing through the Northwestern defense with ease, the dynamic ball-carrier toted the rock 15 times for 76 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

And much like the Longhorns, the Buckeyes’ defense played a stellar game to limit Northwestern to just 251 yards of total offense. Leading the way was safety Sonny Styles, who disrupted passing lanes while bagging a team-high two sacks.