CFB Playoff Rankings: Where did Alabama land?

Alabama comes in as the best team in the nation, according to the College football playoff Committee’s first rankings of the 2020 CFB season

The College Football Playoff is entering season No. 7 of it’s existence. Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are no strangers to being selected as one of the top-four teams to make the postseason.

Alabama has made five of the previous six playoffs, winning two.

In the first release of the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings, Alabama comes in on top at the No. 1 spot.

Here’s how the top four currently looks:

  1. Alabama
  2. Nore Dame
  3. Clemson
  4. Ohio State

With the next two out being: Florida (6), Texas A&M (5)

The National Championship game will be played in Miami, Florida at Hard Rock Stadium, with the Semi-final Bowl games being the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

 

Gators News: Football is returning, men’s golf has season-best round

Both of Florida’s men’s and women’s golf teams played on Monday, with the men having a season-best round while the women placed 4 in top-10.

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We are one day closer to the return of Florida Gators football and on this lovely autumn Tuesday the Gator Nation continues to prepare for the excitement the weekend promises to bring.

Checking out the football front first, USA TODAY Sports still projects the Gators to play the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Peach Bowl this postseason while Kyle Trask hangs on to his Heisman hopes by a thread.

In other Gators sports news, both the men’s and the women’s golf team took to the links yesterday, with the former playing through their second round at the Vanderbilt Legends Collegiate in Franklin, Tenn., while the latter participated in the East Lake Cup held in Atlanta, Ga.

The men recorded a season-low 11-under par 273 in the second round on Monday, jumping up to fourth place heading into the last round today. The Lady Gators were not quite as successful, finishing 4-over par on the day, but managed to place four athletes in the top-10 individually; competition continues today and tomorrow for the women.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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ESPN experts predict Alabama’s 2020 bowl game

ESPN college football experts make thir guesses at predicting where Alabama and others will play their 2020 Bowl games.

As Week 3 of the SEC season came to a close, and the BIG 10 is one week closer to their start date, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach offer their 2020 college football bowl game predictions.

Their predictions range all the way from the New Mexico Bowl, which they predict will feature Nevada and UTSA, to the College Football Playoff, and eventually, the National Championship.

Bonagura and Schlabach offer their top four that will make the College Football Playoff. Those teams are Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia.

The one-seed Clemson Tigers will face off against the four-seed Georgia Bulldogs in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Playoff Semifinal in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California will feature two-seeded Alabama and three-seed Ohio State in a rematch of the 2015 College Football Playoff semifinal Sugar Bowl where the Buckeyes got the best of the Crimson Tide.

The prediciton is finalized with an infamous National Championship matchup that fans have seen time and time again. Held in Miami, Florida, Nick Saban will try to earn National Championship ring No. 7 against Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers, according Bonagura and Schlabach.

What lacks from the projection is a winner. However, when it comes to the history behind the Alabama-Clemson matchup, it’s safer to flip a coin than to try to predict the outcome of that game.

USA TODAY Sports projects New Year’s Six matchup for Gators in 2020

The Gators make an appearance here, projected to make a return trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl, which they won over Virginia last season.

Predicting end-of-season bowl matchups is a bit of a guessing game right now. The number of FBS squads competing this fall has shrunk from 130 to 76, meaning that not all 43 bowl games will be able to be filled.

The lack of participation from the Big Ten and Pac-12 will also impact conference tie-ins for these matchups, making it extremely difficult to project postseason matchups.

USA TODAY Sports tried its hand, however, releasing predicted matchups for this season’s College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six Bowl games.

The Gators make an appearance here, projected to make a return trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl, which they won over Virginia last season. This time around, college sports editor Erick Smith foresees a matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are usually a football independent but will be competing in the ACC this fall.

With the smaller field of teams, the SEC has a good representation in these predictions, with two squads (Alabama and Georgia) projected to make the College Football Playoff, and three more (Florida, LSU and Texas A&M) slated for the NY6.

Alabama is predicted to win its semifinal over Oklahoma and face Clemson, not the Bulldogs, in the National Championship. Meanwhile, LSU is given a date with Virginia Tech in the Peach Bowl, while Texas A&M faces Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.

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CBS Sports predicts Alabama’s 2020 bowl game

CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm predicts Alabama will face off against Oklahoma in the 2020 CFP semifinal Rose Bowl game to compete for a title.

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team are used to being selected to high-profile bowl games. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm predicted the 2020 bowl game selections for Alabama and other programs across the country.

In fact, 2019 was the team’s first time not being selected to a College Football Playoff semifinal bowl game since it’s creation, instead being named to face Michigan in the Citrus bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Palm believes the Crimson Tide will get to compete for title No. 18 as he predicts them to face Oklahoma at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

He explains his reasoning, and mentions that Alabama and Georgia are his picks to win the SEC West and SEC East, respectively.

“At the top, I am predicting No. 1 Clemson and Big 12 champion Oklahoma are joined by Alabama and Georgia, which I have meeting in the SEC Championship Game,” writes Palm. “I also have two AAC teams in the New Year’s Six, each of which are projected to have one loss. If that happens, it will be the first time a Group of Five team receives an at-large berth to the New Year’s Six.”

 

LOOK: Texas players, staff receive Alamo Bowl rings

The 2019 Alamo Bowl rings have arrived.

When you defeat a highly-ranked team in the Alamo Bowl, you have to show off the ring.

That’s exactly what players and staff began to do on Wednesday via Twitter.

Bob Shipley, father of former wide receivers Jordan and Jaxon, has had a wide variety of job titles in regards to Texas football. Currently, he serves as a football analyst. In the past, he was the director of high school relations.

It’s clear that the entire Shipley family bleeds burnt orange, it’s no surprise that he’s one of the first to show off a proud accomplishment. As a staff member, he received a 2019 Alamo Bowl ring after Texas defeated No. 11 Utah 38-10 on Dec. 31.

Over the past two seasons, the Longhorns have dominated both Georgia and Utah in the Sugar Bowl and Alamo Bowl. Tom Herman is now the first Texas head coach to win his first three bowl game appearances.

It’s certainly not their primary goals of the Big 12 title, appearing in the college football playoff, or winning the National Championship. Even if you fall short of those goals, you at least hope to play in one of the New Year’s Six (NY6) bowls that are the top major NCAA Division I bowl games.

However, the dominating fashion in which they’ve handled well-respected opponents is worth showing off. The ring showcases the Longhorns logo in the middle of the bling, with the Texas tower and respective last name on the side.

Bowl Projections: Texas returning to the NY6 against an unfamiliar foe

Sporting News came out with their summer bowl projections with the Longhorns staying in Texas to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Yes, college football is 90 days away from returning but that doesn’t stop the bowl projections from being announced. In recent weeks the Sporting News came out with their summer projections.

Big 12 Bowls:

  • Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl: Baylor vs Mississippi State
  • Cheez It Bowl: TCU vs Florida State
  • Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs USC

Then there were the New Year Six (NY6) Bowl games. The Longhorns played in the Valero Alamo Bowl a season ago but this time around they are projected to play in one of the six premier bowl games to take place as part of the NY6 even though their game would be played on December 30th.

According to Bill Bender, the Longhorns would stay home in Texas and participate in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Their opponent would be one that they have never played.

The Longhorns would play the Boise State Broncos based on the latest projections. The Longhorns have never played the Broncos. For Texas this would mark the first time playing in the Cotton Bowl Classic since 2003. That year the Longhorns defeated the LSU Tigers 35-20 in the Cotton Bowl Stadium on the Texas Fairgrounds.

The Longhorns very first Cotton Bowl came in 1943, it was also their first ever bowl game. They defeated the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets 14-7. A return to the Cotton Bowl Classic should give you a relatively good idea of how the expectation level are for Texas. Likely would need to be the runner up in the conference to receive that bowl bid.

The remaining bowl projection has the Oklahoma Sooners making the College Football Playoffs once again only to get bounced in round one by the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.

 

247Sports Bowl Projections: Texas Back Into the New Year’s Six

247Sports has given their bowl projections before spring ball has begun and they have Texas as one of the at-large teams in the Big 12.

In what seems to be a yearly tradition surrounding the Texas program, expectations are once again extremely high going into the 2020 season. Not only are the Longhorns expected the compete for the Big 12 championship, but they are expected to play in one of college football’s most pristine bowl games, one of the New Year’s Six bowl games.

Usually, for the Big 12, that game is the Sugar Bowl, as the best team in the Big 12 and SEC face off against each other in New Orleans every year on New Year’s Day. However, for the upcoming season, the Sugar Bowl is one of the playoff venues this year, so Big 12 teams will be considered at large bids.

247Sports has given their bowl projections before spring ball has begun and they have Texas as one of those at-large teams in the conference. The projection also has the Longhorns playing their bowl game in the state of Texas, facing off against Boise State in the Cotton Bowl, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

If the two teams were to face off, it would be the first time the programs ever faced each other in football. While they may be stuck in a non-power five conference, the Broncos are one of the most dangerous teams in the country. Since 2000, they have had 16 seasons of 10 or more wins, including a 3-0 record in BCS /New Year’s Six Bowl games.

Both Texas and Boise State have only been to one NY6 bowl game since its rebranding in 2014. Each has a 1-0 record as the Broncos defeated Arizona in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl and the Longhorns upset Georgia in the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

As for the rest of the Big 12, Oklahoma is the only other team projected in an NY6 game, facing off against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. 247Sports does not project a team from the Big 12 to make the playoff, instead having two SEC teams (Alabama and Florida) playing Clemson and Ohio State respectively.

If the Longhorns can make a quality bowl game like the Cotton Bowl, it would be considered a successful season. While Boise State may not be the most flashy opponent to face, playing another game within the state of Texas would create an amazing atmosphere for another big-time bowl game under Tom Herman.

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Here are the rosters for the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

Here are the game day rosters for the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

NFL draft hopefuls will participate in the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. MT (NFL Network). The following players will suit up for the American Team:

And the following players will suit up for the National Team:

Last year, 19 players who participated in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl were selected in the NFL draft. The American squad won 10-7 in 2019.

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Here are the rosters for the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl

Here are the rosters for the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl.

NFL draft hopefuls will participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl at Tropicana Field on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. MT (NFL Network). The following players will be on the East roster:

#

Position

Last Name

First Name

School

HT   /   WT

4 K Rothe Cooper Wyoming 5’11” / 181
7 QB Stevens Tommy Mississippi State 6’5″ / 229
10 WR Perry Malcolm Navy 5’9″ / 190
11 QB Davidson Kevin Princeton 6’4″ / 225
12 QB Morgan James Florida International 6’4″ / 230
13 WR Kinsey Mason Berry 5’10” / 191
14 WR Overton Diondre Clemson 6’4″ / 210
16 WR Swain Freddie Florida 6’0″ / 199
17 WR Wright Isaiah Temple 6’1″ / 214
18 WR Hammond Josh Florida 6’4″ / 194
19 WR Dillon Derrick LSU 5’11” / 185
22 RB Feaster Tavien South Carolina 5’11” / 222
26 RB Killins Jr. Adrian Central Florida 5’7″ / 164
32 RB LeMay Benny Charlotte 5’8″ / 216
35 RB Dowdle Rico South Carolina 5’11” / 216
47 TE Wolf Eli Georgia 6’4″ / 240
50 OG Onwenu Michael Michigan 6’3″ / 350
53 OC Williams Darryl Mississippi State 6’2″ / 306
59 OC Juriga Luke Western Michigan 6’3″ / 296
61 OG Clark Cameron Charlotte 6’4″ / 300
64 OG Murphy Kyle Rhode Island 6’3″ / 290
66 OC Pollard Sean Clemson 6’5″ / 319
68 OT Ksiezarczyk Evan Buffalo 6’6″ / 312
69 OG Cervenka Gage Clemson 6’3″ / 324
70 OG Phillips John Boston College 6’6″ / 308
73 OT Benzinger Jake Wake Forest 6’7″ / 308
74 OG Gonzalez Steven Penn State 6’4″ / 346
75 OT Runyan Jon Michigan 6’4″ / 319
77 OT Womack Matt Alabama 6’7″ / 335
78 OT Driscoll Jack Auburn 6’4″ / 300
80 WR Parker Aaron Rhode Island 6’2″ / 205
81 WR Gavin Keith Florida State 6’2″ / 208
82 WR Reed Joe Virginia 6’1″ / 215
85 TE Ricci Giovanni Western Michigan 6’3″ / 245
88 WR Bradley Ja’Marcus Louisiana 6’1″ / 195
89 TE Wilcox Mitchell South Florida 6’4″ / 245

DEFENSE

#

Position

Last Name

First Name

School

HT   /   WT

3 P Townsend Tommy Florida 6’2″ / 190
20 S Dinson Jeremiah Auburn 5’11” / 192
21 CB Swann Isiah Dartmouth 6’0″ / 195
23 CB Riley Elijah Army 6’0″ / 205
24 CB Hill Lavert Michigan 5’11” / 181
27 CB Motley Parnell Oklahoma 5’11” / 180
29 CB Reid John Penn State 5’11” / 194
31 S Dorn Myles North Carolina 6’1″ / 198
33 S Clemons Rodney SMU 6’0″ / 206
37 S Carter Shyheim Alabama 5’11” / 192
39 CB Thomas-Oliver III Stantley Florida International 6’1″ / 185
41 CB Clarke Nevelle Central Florida 6’1″ / 185
42 LB Smith Rashad Florida Atlantic 6’2″ / 225
45 LB Divinity Jr. Michael LSU 6’1″ / 243
51 DT Alufohai Auzoyah West Georgia 6’5″ / 328
54 DE Coleman Kendall Syracuse 6’3″ / 251
55 LB Quarterman Shaquille Miami 6’1″ / 238
56 LB Pinckney Michael Miami 6’0″ / 225
71 DT Wharton Tershawn Missouri S&T 6’1″ / 275
90 DT Marino Garrett Alabama-Birmingham 6’1″ / 290
91 DE Smith-Williams James North Carolina State 6’3″ / 255
92 LB Gill Cameron Wagner 6’2″ / 234
93 DT Agim McTelvin Arkansas 6’3″ / 300
94 DE Danna Michael Michigan 6’2″ / 257
95 DE Highsmith Alex Charlotte 6’3″ / 244
97 DE Gaziano Joe Northwestern 6’4″ / 267
98 DE Edwards Austin Ferris State 6’3″ / 280

And the following players will be on the West’s roster:

OFFENSE

#

Position

Last Name

First Name

School

HT   /   WT

1 QB Huntley Tyler Utah 6′ 1″ / 205
2 K Eberle Dominik Utah State 6’1″ / 190
6 QB Fine Mason North Texas 5’10” / 191
7 QB Bryant Kelly Missouri 6’4″ / 225
10 WR Finke Chris Notre Dame 5’9″ / 184
12 WR Johnson Johnathon Missouri 5’8″ / 179
13 WR McCray Jordan Oklahoma State 6’6″ / 190
14 WR Patmon Dezmon Washington State 6’4″ / 223
15 WR Westbrook Nick Indiana 6’3″ / 215
16 WR Hightower John Boise State 6’2″ / 185
19 WR Victor Binjimen Ohio State 6’4″ / 199
22 RB Bellamy LeVante Western Michigan 5’9″ / 171
25 RB Robinson James Illinois State 5’9″ / 219
26 RB Corbin Reggie Illinois 5’9″ / 205
30 RB Jones Tony Notre Dame 5’11” / 225
50 OT Good-Jones Julian Iowa State 6’5″ / 314
54 OG Throckmorton Calvin Oregon 6’5″ / 316
56 OC Shackelford Zach Texas 6’3″ / 301
57 OC Cabral Cohl Arizona State 6’5″ / 292
58 OT Richmond Drew Southern Cal 6’5″ / 315
59 OC Mauigoa Frederick Washington State 6’3″ / 303
60 OG Higby Tyler Michigan State 6’4″ / 303
63 OC Fruhmorgen Jake Baylor 6’6″ / 305
64 OT O’Donnell Carter Alberta 6’6″ / 315
65 OG Wallace-Simms Tre’Vour Missouri 6’4″ / 339
70 OT Durant Yasir Missouri 6’6″ / 340
71 OT Hilbers Jared Washington 6’6″ / 305
72 OG Iwuagwu Cordel TCU 6’3″ / 322
75 OG Dotson Kevin Louisiana 6’4″ / 324
76 OT Bowen Branden Ohio State 6’7″ / 315
77 OT Paulo Darrin Utah 6’5″ / 315
79 OG Dixon Daishawn San Diego State 6’4″ / 319
81 TE Ellefson Ben North Dakota State 6’4″ / 245
82 TE Houston Parker San Diego State 6’2″ / 251
84 TE Wood-Anderson Dominick Tennessee 6’4″ / 259
86 WR Johnson Juwan Oregon 6’4″ / 231

DEFENSE

#

Position

Last Name

First Name

School

HT   /   WT

11 P Pechin Alex Bucknell 6’0″ / 210
23 S Lee Austin BYU 6’0″ / 200
24 S Dequay Marc-Antoine Montreal 6’2″ / 195
27 CB Williamson Chris Minnesota 6’0″ / 198
28 CB Washington II Keith West Virginia 6’0″ / 177
29 S Glasgow Jordan Michigan 6’0″ / 226
31 CB Barcoo Luq San Diego State 6’1″ / 175
32 CB Acy DeMarkus Missouri 6’0″ /197
33 S Nelson Patrick SMU 6’0″ / 216
34 S Kirk Luther Illinois State 6’1″ / 192
36 S Dowell David Michigan State 6’0″ / 206
37 CB Whittaker Jace Arizona 5’10” / 185
40 LB Houston Jr. John USC 6’3″ / 220
42 LB Olson Dante Montana 6’3″ / 241
44 LB Tezino Kyahva San Diego State 6’0″ / 233
47 LB Harding Dele University of Illinois 6’1″ / 230
51 LB Toohill Casey Stanford 6’3″ / 245
52 DT Penisini John Utah 6’1″ / 324
53 LB Walker Mykal Fresno State 6’3″ / 225
55 DE Huff Bryce Memphis 6’2″ / 255
91 DE Tuszka Derrek North Dakota State 6’4″ / 246
92 DE Hamilton Ladarius North Texas 6’2″ / 252
93 DT Williams Chris Wagner 6’3″ / 308
94 DT Davis Khalil Nebraska 6’0″ / 305
96 DT Davis Carlos Nebraska 6’1″ / 312
97 DT Sterk Bryce Montana State 6’3″ / 257
98 DT Williams Raequan Michigan State 6’4″ / 302
99 DT Roy Bravvion Baylor 6’1″ /333

To view a list of seven players to watch for in the bowl game, click here.

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