Last year, I painted a pretty clear picture of why college football needs an eight-team playoff. I stand by that argument – eight is the way…no more, no less. So, I’ve started a new weekly column looking at what the College Football Playoff would look like under my format. I think it’s a reasonable way to determine a National Champion without leaving deserving candidates out, but making sure everyone has an equal chance to get in. With that said, let’s dive right in to my weekly College Football Playoff projections…
BIG NATURAL’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC Champion) – The Mercer game served as a veritable scrimmage for the Crimson Tide, and they certainly rolled. See what I did there? Anyway, the Tide remain undefeated going into the biggest Iron Bowl since the Kick Six in 2013. If they can manage to win out, they’re going to be the #1 team in the playoffs.
2. Miami Hurricanes (ACC Champion) – This ‘Canes team remains undefeated after a scare against Virginia. Say what you will about the quality of opponent, Mark Richt’s boys showed some heart in coming back from early struggles. After convincing wins over ranked Virginia Tech and Notre Dame teams, this Miami team is in control of where it ends up.
3. Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12 Champion) – Baker Mayfield continues to be rowdy as hell, but he’s like Attitude Era Jeff Jarrett – “DON’T PISS ME OFF” – I mean, seriously, the Kansas Jayhawks neglected to shake his hand and he proceeded to whoop their asses. Plain and simple, he’s electric. This Sooners team is in prime position to steal a playoff spot.
4. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Champion) – Big win over Michigan this week as the Badgers continue to roll. At this point, if you’re still holding Wisconsin out of the playoffs, you’re just a hater. If this team goes 13-0, they deserve a playoff spot.
5. USC Trojans (Pac-12 Champion) – I still like Washington State a lot, but with 10 wins, I can’t deny the Trojans at this point. They have the best record in the conference, and until they prove otherwise, they’re going to land in this spot.
6. Clemson Tigers (Wild Card #1) – The Tigers are plain and simple the best team not currently atop their conference. That gets them one of the wild card spots, and the only way they lose this spot is if they lose to South Carolina and/or Miami.
7. Auburn Tigers (Wild Card #2) – I don’t know how long the Tigers can ride the momentum of that Georgia win, but if they end up beating Alabama, it’s going to be hard to keep them out of the playoffs.
8. UCF Golden Knights (Group of Five Representative) – Next week, we get the biggest game of the American conference season. UCF vs. South Florida. Though Memphis may have something to say about it, this game could determine who ends up in the Peach Bowl.
So, that gives us…
(1) Alabama vs. (8) UCF
(2) Miami vs. (7) Auburn
(3) Oklahoma vs. (6) Clemson
(4) Wisconsin vs. (5) USC
Catch y’all next week.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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