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) – It almost isn’t fair. Alabama is head and shoulders above the rest of the college football landscape. It’s really only a debate from #2 on.
2. Clemson Tigers (ACC Champion) – Do I think the Tigers are the 2nd best team in college football? No. Don’t let that #16 ranking fool you. That NC State team wasn’t shit. Let’s face it – the ACC is down this year, but Clemson is going to run the table. If they do, there’s no way they don’t make
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Wild Card #1) – You can slide ’em around from #2 to #4 all you want, but can we all please agree that Notre Dame is one of the four best teams in the country right now? Like Clemson, they should run the table, and if they do, there’s no denying this is a playoff team.
4. Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten Champion) – The Wolverines get the big win in a big rivalry game and while I’d love to see the two head coaches get into a literal fist fight, Michigan put away Michigan State in the metaphorical fist fight. Thing is, the way they’re playing right now, I think Michigan truly is the best team in the Big Ten. Ohio State showed that if you get physical with them, they absolutely can’t match that intensity. Right now, the Wolverines have a physical defense. The Buckeyes can’t roll the ball either. Where we sit right now, this looks like a gross mismatch in favor of the fighting khakis.
5. Texas Longhorns (Big 12 Champion) – The Big 12 has an interesting trio of teams at the top. It wouldn’t be a shock to see any of Texas, West Virginia, or Oklahoma end up on top. I still think the Sooners are the best team in the conference, but for this week, the Longhorns are still at #1.
6. Washington Huskies (Pac 12 Champion) – It looks like the Pac-12 could be decided by the Apple Cup at season’s end. Though Washington State is the only team in the conference that has yet to suffer its second loss, the Huskies are still on top of the standings. That said, Utah could have a lot to say in the Pac-12 race if they run the table and get a second crack at either of these teams in the conference championship.
7. LSU Tigers (Wild Card #2) – Another big time dominant defensive performance. I’ll reiterate how much I thought Mississippi State was being overrated in the preseason, but still…this defense looks like one of the best in the entire FBS. We’re going to find out just how good they are in two weeks when they play Alabama. The Tigers have a chance to make the CFP race very interesting.
8. UCF Golden Knights (Group of Five Representative) – Cincinnati has fallen, so this is coming down to South Florida or bust. Otherwise UCF is taking that New Year’s Six bowl from the Group of Five.
So, that gives us…
(8) UCF at (1) Alabama
(5) Texas at (4) Michigan
(7) LSU at (2) Clemson
(6) Washington at (3) Notre Dame
Real Talk
The SoBros team had an interesting talk over the weekend about putting politics aside and just taking the four best teams in college football. Who would those four teams be? I’d say:
1. Alabama
2. Notre Dame
3. Michigan
4. LSU
Is it going to finish that way? Hell no – it’s going to go ‘Bama, Clemson, LSU, and Notre Dame. But, would anyone be surprised to see something zany out of the CFP committee, though? The same group of people who had Texas A&M at #4 when they had no business even being in the top 10. I’m just saying – don’t be surprised if Michigan ends up in the top four.
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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