I swore I wouldn’t do this column anymore. No one read it last year – seriously, I would get maybe 20 hits on a good week. After that, I said, “there’s no point in doing these anymore,” and I canceled the column. Well…I couldn’t keep it at bay any longer…I’ve decided to resurrect the beast. Luck be a lady tonight and that’s showbiz, baby. LFG.
Two years ago, 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…
So, this is it – this is what the playoff teams would look like for 2018 under my format…
BIG NATURAL’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC Champion) – Do I really need to explain this one? It seems this 2018 Alabama team has fielded an offense as good as its defenses have been in years past. They are averaging 54.2 points per game. Until further notice, the Tide rules.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten Champion) – A 27-26 win over #9 ranked Penn State keeps Ohio State atop the Big Ten, but you certainly wonder how they’d fair against a more high-powered offense like Alabama, Oklahoma, or even Georgia.
3. Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12 Champion) – That blip against Army aside, this Sooners team is absolutely rolling. If they can withstand Texas this week, they have a pretty easy path until a trip to Morgantown at the end of the season.
4. Clemson Tigers (ACC Champion) – With near losses to Texas A&M and Syracuse on the season now, this Tigers team certainly looks beatable. However, it damn sure isn’t going to matter if they keep winning games. I mean, who really scares Clemson out of the ACC right now?
5. Washington Huskies (Pac 12 Champion) – The Huskies certainly look like the Pac-12’s last shot at the CFP. And, if they want to be one of the four finalists, they’re going to need a ton of dominoes to start falling. You can’t help but wonder what would have to happen for currently undefeated Colorado to make a run. But, for all intents and purposes, it sure looks like the Pac 12 is going to sit the CFP out again this year.
6. Georgia Bulldogs (Wild Card #1) – The Bulldogs are quietly having a big year in the shadow of Alabama in the SEC. They have Vanderbilt this week, and after that, they play four consecutive games against ranked SEC opponents. We’ll find out what this Georgia team is made of then. For now, they certainly look like the 2nd best team in the country.
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Wild Card #2) – The Irish have crept into the playoff discussion both in my fake system and the real one. Ian Book gives that team a dynamic they haven’t had, and they’re starting to put up some serious points. This team could run the table.
8. UCF Golden Knights (Group of Five Representative) – At this point, Cincinnati and South Florida are the only two teams that can possibly take this spot from UCF, and they play both of those teams to close the season. This one will literally play itself out by season’s end.
So, that gives us…
(8) UCF at (1) Alabama
(5) Washington at (4) Clemson
(7) Notre Dame at (2) Ohio State
(6) Georgia at (3) Oklahoma
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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