Van Fossen, Robbins set for College Football Playoff

During the first year of college football's early signing period in December 2017, Ty Van Fossen committed to a Cincinnati program coming off a 4-8 season under a first-year coach.

Brad Robbins' career at Michigan included missing almost two full seasons with an injury and enduring a 2020 season in which his team went just 2-4 and had its final three games canceled.

Despite what they have had to overcome the past few years, Van Fossen and Robbins will be among those who will compete Dec. 31 on their sport's biggest stage: the College Football Playoff.

Cincinnati, the only undefeated team in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 13-0, will face No. 1 Alabama in a semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. The Bearcats are the No. 4 seed.

Michigan (12-1) is ranked No. 2 heading into its semifinal matchup with No. 3

Georgia at the Orange Bowl.

Van Fossen, a junior linebacker, graduated from Desales in 2018. Robbins, a fifth-year senior punter, played his first three prep seasons at Worthington Christian before graduating from Westerville South in 2016.

Robbins, who has one year of eligibility remaining, punted in 10 games for Michigan in 2017 but endured a back injury that kept him out all of 2018 and for all but two games in 2019.

In addition to averaging 46.4 yards per punt, serving as the team's holder and earning honorable mention all-big Ten honors this season, Robbins created the “Pin Cancer Deep” campaign before the 2021 season to help raise money for cancer research.

He has donated $25 for every punt he's placed inside the 20-yard line and an additional $25 for every punt that's gone 50 yards or longer to the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center, raising more than $4,000 for the charity so far.