With the College Football Playoff committee’s final seeding selections coming out on Tuesday, the college football world is in a frenzy. Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a cheat-sheet with everything you need to know about who has a chance to get in, who is actually getting in and who is going to win every game. You can take these to the bank.
Virtual Locks (Baring Catastrophe):
Alabama: Win and they’re in. A 12-1 SEC champ will probably be the No. 1 seed.
Oregon: They’re in the same boat as the Tide. Avenging an early season loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 title game will clinch a spot for the Ducks.
Florida State: Despite an overwhelmingly unimpressive regular season, they remain undefeated and a win over Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game will send them through.
On the Bubble:
Baylor: The only real difference between their resume and TCU’s is their head-to-head win over the Frogs. If both teams win out, that could end up being huge for the Bears.
TCU: They should be rooting hard for Kansas State to beat Baylor, because if all the games play out as the chalk indicates this weekend, they could be passed over by the committee if it has to choose between them or the Bears.
Ohio State: The most intriguing team left in my opinion. A win in the Big Ten title game would make them a 12-1 major conference champion, but will the committee perceive them as weaker than a one-loss Baylor or TCU? On top of that, their quarterback JT Barrett is out for the season, so they’ll be going with third stringer Cardale Jones for the rest of the way. How will that affect how the committee views their competitive value?
Outside Chance (Need a Miracle):
Arizona and Missouri: Though a bit of a stretch, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that one or both of these teams could win their way into the playoff. The committee would have to seriously consider an 11-2 SEC champion and an 11-2 Pac-12 champion with two wins over Oregon. Both have to pull off huge upsets this weekend to have a shot.
My Predictions:
1-seed: Alabama. Sorry Mizzou, but no upset here.
2-seed: Oregon. (Marcus Mariota will win the Heisman, too.)
3-seed: Florida State. Georgia Tech will challenge, but the Seminoles will win late once again.
4-seed: Baylor. Ohio State will lose to Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, and Baylor will get the playoff nod over TCU.
National Semifinals:
Alabama vs. Baylor: Nick Saban with a month to prepare will just be too much for the Bears. 42-24, Alabama.
Oregon vs. Florida State: In a battle of the last two Heisman trophy winners, Big Game Jameis outduels Mariota and the Seminoles finally play up to their talent level, sending them to a second straight title game. 35-31, Florida State.
National Championship:
Alabama vs. Florida State: The Tide find their groove early behind big plays from Amari Cooper and first half Winston mistakes, and this time the Seminoles can’t climb their way back in the second half. Nick Saban wins his third national title at Alabama. 34-24, Alabama.
Well, there you have it. Obviously these are subject to change. I feel like we’re due our one, big crazy upset for the year and that could come this weekend. Let’s all just hope the committee gets it “right,” Skeptics are already questioning whether this change is for the betterment of college football or not, so picking the teams in a way that makes sense this first time is very important to set the precedent for future years. Bad selections would just fuel the fire that the playoff committee is really no better than the hated BCS formula.
