College Football Playoffs Analysis & Predictions

In roughly three years, the College Football Playoffs have become a universal attraction, as fans are more than passionate about the subject. Who should be in, out, on the bubble, and should there be more teams? As the season winds down, you have a good idea on who will be making it, but there may be some contention.

Losers: The first and probably biggest I’ll address is Ohio State, as they were upset recently for their second loss, and we all know how difficult it is to make the playoffs in the NCAA with two losses.

The next team that needs to be mentioned involves the Georgia Bulldogs. These guys were trending to the point where the committee even ranked them over Alabama at one point, which is huge. The Bulldogs were going into a rivalry game against a two-loss team in Auburn, and ended up taking loss, falling six spots from #1 to #7.

My third and final loser is Notre Dame, just because this was a team that was ranked third in the Nation, despite a loss, and was ranked over multiple undefeated teams, including the Miami Hurricanes. Unlike the Fighting Irish, the Hurricanes looked motivated, and made sure to keep their foot on the gas. Notre Dame proceeded to fall all the way down to ninth, which was a six-spot drop-off.

Winners: It seems only right to open up with the Alabama Crimson Tide, as the team remained undefeated and was almost untouchable throughout the year, but they recently showed they can sweat out the close ones against a surprisingly solid opposition from Mississippi State. With a previous loss from Georgia, Alabama is once again the #1 ranked team, climbing up from #2.

The next group is the Miami Hurricanes, as they went into a game with an opponent likely to make the playoffs, and dominated on both sides of the ball. All in all, Miami is beginning to look like legitimate contenders, and you shouldn’t sleep on them.

The Wisconsin Badgers don’t have a recent win that’s viewed as newsworthy, but have gained traction with a loss by Ohio State, and are sitting on the bubble at #5, placed behind two one-loss teams in Oklahoma and Clemson (both of which could’ve made this section) due to strength of schedule. If Wisconsin wins out, they have a legitimate case.

Who Should Be In: The Miami Hurricanes have two somewhat easy games left, and then #4 ranked Clemson. Even if they dropped that game, it wouldn’t bump them down much. by the end, I have Miami winning that battle and maintaining their #2 slot.

The Alabama Crimson Tide have one gimme game left, and then they are onto the Iron Bowl. Auburn has one upset over a team that was ranked #1, placing them on the bubble, but I don’t see two in the near future.

The Baker Mayfield-led Oklahoma Sooners have two games left vs an unranked Kansas, and a #24 ranked West Virginia, both of which they should win against in order to retain their spot. You’ll be seeing the Sooners likely match up against Alabama or Miami.

The Wisconsin Badgers have been looking for a spot to squeeze in the playoffs for awhile now, and they will find it at the very last minute. As I previously mentioned, I have Miami defeating Clemson, which will leave the Tigers with two losses. I firmly believe the Badgers can win out, and even if they lose one somehow, they still have less baggage than a two-loss Clemson roster. The Badgers look to match up more likely against the Miami Hurricanes, but possibly the Crimson Tide of Alabama.

Who should be out: The first will be the Clemson Tigers, because with a projected loss to Miami, the Tigers would likely fall out of contention, and may give in to the hungry Wisconsin Badgers (standings-wise).

Many wonder if the Georgia Bulldogs can storm back into the playoffs, and I personally don’t think so. They have two easy games left, but if there’s a conference championship game, they’ll take a second loss to Alabama and spiral downwards at #5. On the bright side, the Bulldogs have a great recruiting class and will bounce back next year.

Who will win it all?: I’m going to make the easy choice here and say the Crimson Tide win it all. They have a lethal defense as always, Bo Scarbrough is always a factor, and the teams contains a naturally talented sophomore quarterback. The Tide will win this year to bounce back from last year’s loss, but they won’t be uncontested.

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