Tag: college football playoff prediction

Several CBS analysts predict Texas to win fifth national title

Texas and Alabama are CBS’ favorites to win the College Football Playoff.

The Texas Longhorns are receiving more national title optimism from national media. Several CBS college football analysts see the team as a legitimate contender to win the program’s fifth national championship.

The site’s 11 analysts each predicted how they saw the playoff unfolding. Eight of them advanced Texas over the Washington Huskies to the national championship game in Houston. Dennis Dodd, Barrett Sallee, David Cobb, Adam Silverstein and Jack Crosby predicted Texas to win it all.

From the 11 playoff predictions, the Longhorns received the most predictions to win it all with five. Four picked Alabama to win the title while two picked Washington. Only Cobb and Crosby predicted a Michigan semifinal victory over Alabama.

Dennis Dodd shared why he believes Texas will bring home its fifth title this season.

“See, what we’ve done above is set up a Texas-Alabama rematch. Both teams are better than they were during the first meeting Sept. 9. Milroe has learned how to take care of the ball. Texas’ defense is much improved. This time, the ‘Horns make it a sweep winning the program’s first national championship since 2005. Is Texas back? Before answering, order up. Vince Young will be buying the first round.”

For what its worth, Dodd had Oklahoma pulling off a surprising upset over Texas earlier this season. We’ll see if he gets his Texas prediction correct.

What is evident is that the analysts acknowledge not only Alabama’s improvement since the Week 2 matchup with Texas, but the Longhorns’ vast improvement since that game. Texas is one of the favorites to win a national title in just over a month. They’ll look to make it past Washington on New Year’s Day.

College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Committee Should Rank The Top 25, Week 2

College Football Playoff rankings – How should the committee rank the next top 25?

The second College Football Playoff rankings of 2022 will come out Tuesday night, November 8th. How should the committee put together the top 25?

The College Football Playoff committee didn’t do a horrible job with the first round of rankings.

There might have been a misfire when it came to the Pac-12 teams – USC was too high, UCLA too low – and there are a few other minor tweaks, but putting Tennessee No. 1 was the right move at the time, and it all was relatively fine from there.

Remember, the College Football Playoff rankings are a snapshot of the moment until the final batch. The committee goes through each spot pick by pick debating the merits of all the teams available, and in the end the top 25 was at least thought out, even if it doesn’t always seem right.

And then it’s all wiped away and everything starts from scratch the next week.

Since the committee obviously doesn’t have the Pac-12 Network and hasn’t actually watched USC’s defense or most of the late night games – I’m joking, of course … sort of – I’ll give everyone a little bit of help.

Go here for what we expect the next round of rankings to be. Here’s how the College Football Playoff committee should put together the top 25.

College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Top 25 Should Be Done, November 8

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College Football Playoff: Helping The Committee With The Top 25
Top 4 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25
Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings 1-131 | Rankings by Conference
AP Poll | Coaches Poll | Predicting CFP Top 25
Bowl Bubble: Bowl eligible teams, who needs a win?
Ranking the 12 teams realistically in the CFP hunt

25. UCF Knights (7-2)

College Football Playoff Ranking, Week 1: 25

The Case For This Spot: The 41-19 win over SMU looks better and better, the win over Cincinnati was great, and getting by Memphis on the road offsets an ugly 34-13 loss to East Carolina a little bit. Don’t worry about this ranking. Beat Tulane this week, go on to win the AAC championship, get a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.

Win That Matters: UCF 25, Cincinnati 21

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: East Carolina 34, UCF 13

Up Next: at Tulane

24. Liberty Flames (8-1)

College Football Playoff Ranking, Week 1: Not Ranked

The Case For This Spot: This will be interesting. How much credit does Liberty get for beating Arkansas? Heck, Texas A&M did that, too. The 37-36 loss to Wake Forest is good, and the 41-14 win over BYU is great, but there’s a TON of fluff on the slate to get up to eight wins.

Win That Matters: Liberty 21, Arkansas 19

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Liberty 21, Gardner-Webb 20

Up Next: at UConn

23. Kansas State Wildcats (6-3)

College Football Playoff Ranking, Week 1: 13

The Case For This Spot: The committee putting Kansas State six spots ahead of Tulane – the Green Wave won 17-10 in Manhattan – was sort of wrong, but that will be changed this week. Losing at TCU isn’t bad, and dropping a date to Texas is okay. Blowouts over Missouri and Oklahoma State are enough to keep the Wildcats from falling too far, but they shouldn’t be in the top 20.

Win That Matters: Kansas State 48, Oklahoma State 0

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Tulane 17, Kansas State 10

Up Next: at Baylor

22. Texas Longhorns (6-3)

College Football Playoff Ranking, Week 1: 24

The Case For This Spot: Basically, the College Football Playoff committee watched the Alabama game, saw Texas beat Oklahoma 49-0, and it seems like it didn’t notice much else. The Oklahoma State loss a few weeks ago now looks really, really rough, and losing to Texas Tech isn’t okay. However, beating Kansas State should be enough to bump up closer to the top 20. Beat TCU this week, and Texas will prove to be as good as the CFP thinks it is.

Win That Matters: Texas 34, Kansas State 27

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Texas Tech 37, Texas 34

Up Next: TCU

21. Washington Huskies (7-2)

College Football Playoff Ranking, Week 1: Not Ranked

The Case For This Spot: Since the committee proved last week that it doesn’t watch the Pac-12, it might miss that the Huskies have been very, very shaky. However, the win over Oregon State – then ranked 23rd in the CFP – was a good one, losing at UCLA was fine, and beating Michigan State is okay. The loss to Arizona State hurts, but beat Oregon this week, and the ranking shoots up.

Win That Matters: Washington 39, Michigan State 28

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Arizona State 45, Washington 38

Up Next: at Oregon

College Football Playoff: Helping The Committee With The Top 25
Top 4 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25
Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings 1-131 | Rankings by Conference
AP Poll | Coaches Poll | Predicting CFP Top 25
Bowl Bubble: Bowl eligible teams, who needs a win?
Ranking the 12 teams realistically in the CFP hunt

NEXT: College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Top 25 Should Be Done, Top 20

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Committee Should Rank The Top 25

The first batch of College Football Playoff rankings are coming out Tuesday night. How should the committee rank the top 25?

The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2022 will come out Tuesday night, November 1st. How should the committee rank the top 25?

College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Top 25 Should Be Done, November 2

The College Football Playoff committee will release its first round of rankings on Tuesday night.

It’ll spend the day debating the merits of each of the 25 spots, there will be a few arguments, and the spread of delightful meats, cheeses, and other snacks will be adequate.

I know, because I’ve been through the process in Grapevine, Texas. I know how this works, and I know how this should all go.

And I know that this group could use a little bit of help.

These rankings are meticulous. The committee will debate the merits of the teams that should be in the No. 25 slot, come to an agreement, and then go to 24, then 23, and so on. There’s a proprietary stat system to help the cause, strength of schedule matters, and after all the data and all the facts, this group will still mostly go by the old eye test.

Remember …

1. This is just an exercise. It’s practice, and not really. The College Football Playoff committee is doing this to get up to speed, generate national interest, and provide ESPN some sweet programming candy for those who need a break from the World Series. However, it’s like practicing for a Par 3 hole for some tournament without knowing the distance or configuration needed because …

2. If precedent holds, go unbeaten or 12-1, win your Power 5 championship, and you’re in. The only time that didn’t get you into the CFP was in 2018 when 12-1 Ohio State was left out for 12-0 Notre Dame. No way, no how, no chance an unbeaten Power Five team is left out, so Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, TCU, and Clemson win out and you’re in.

3. There aren’t any rules. The committee can pick anyone it wants to. And …

4. RELAX after these first rankings, and the second version, and the third. All that matters is that final top 25 that comes out after the conference championships.

For now, the goal here is to break down how the committee needs to put together this first batch of rankings. I’ll be fair and go by what they like, which means big wins matter more than losses, and there won’t be enough credit given to a good loss over a strong team.

So here’s how the College Football Playoff committee should put together the top 25 rankings.

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College Football Playoff: Helping The Committee With The Top 25
Top 4 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25
Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings 1-131 | Rankings by Conference
AP Poll | Coaches Poll | Predicting CFP Top 25
Bowl Bubble: Bowl eligible teams, who needs a win? 

25. UCF Knights (6-2)

The Case For This Spot: The Knights took control of the race to get the New Year’s Six bowl slot as the top Group of Five champion with a great win over Cincinnati. Rolling by Georgia Tech helps, and the loss to Louisville isn’t that bad. The East Carolina loss will bring down the ranking.

Win That Matters: UCF 25, Cincinnati 21

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: East Carolina 34, UCF 13

Up Next: at Memphis

24. Liberty Flames (7-1)

The Case For This Spot: The only loss was in a 37-36 fight at Wake Forest. There isn’t a win over a Power Five program, and there aren’t many great victories over anyone who’ll do much on the bowl scene, but 7-1 at this point is 7-1.

Win That Matters: Liberty 41, BYU 14

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Liberty 21, Gardner-Webb 20

Up Next: at Arkansas

23. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-2)

The Case For This Spot: The great battle in the 51-45 win over Clemson will do the job for the committee’s eye test, but the turnover-fest loss to Louisville last week was a killer. Beating Florida State matters, and giving Liberty its only loss is a big deal.

Win That Matters: Wake Forest 31, Florida State 21

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Louisville 48, Wake Forest 21

Up Next: at NC State

22. NC State Wolfpack (6-2)

The Case For This Spot: The losses to Clemson and Syracuse were acceptable in the ACC big picture, and the wins over Florida State and Texas Tech will be just enough to put the Pack safely in the top 25. However, there are too many close call wins over mediocre teams.

Win That Matters: NC State 19, Florida State 17

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Syracuse 24, NC State 9

Up Next: Wake Forest

21. Syracuse Orange (6-2)

The Case For This Spot: The Orange might struggle to push for the top 20 with a slew of injuries – that matters to the committee – but a blowout win over Louisville and victories over NC State and Purdue were strong. The close fight against Clemson will be a boost.

Win That Matters: Syracuse 24, NC State 9

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Notre Dame 41, Syracuse 24

Up Next: at Pitt

College Football Playoff: Helping The Committee With The Top 25
Top 4 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25
Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings 1-131 | Rankings by Conference
AP Poll | Coaches Poll | Predicting CFP Top 25
Bowl Bubble: Bowl eligible teams, who needs a win? 

NEXT: College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Top 25 Should Be Done, Top 20

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Former Florida coach Dan Mullen makes CFP prediction

Former Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen predicted who will win the College Football Playoff. Does UGA make his CFP?

Former Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen has projected the College Football Playoff ahead of Week 1 of the college football season. Mullen predicts NC State, Alabama, Ohio State and Utah will make the college football playoff.

Mullen believes Alabama linebacker Will Anderson is the Heisman favorite. He projects Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud to be a finalist along with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

Mullen thinks the Alabama Crimson Tide will defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes to win the national championship. The former Florida coach predicts Georgia will win the SEC East, but he doesn’t think the Bulldogs will make the playoffs.

Mullen likely expects Georgia to have a regular-season loss and projects the Bulldogs will lose in the SEC championship to Alabama. He predicts NC State will win the ACC Atlantic division. The Wolfpack return a lot of talent this season, but it is pretty bold to project them to make the playoffs.

Dan Mullen will serve as a college football analyst for ESPN this year. The former Florida and Mississippi State coach knows a lot about the current state of college football, so his predictions carry some weight.

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ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit makes CFP prediction

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit thinks Georgia will make the College Football Playoff.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit thinks some familiar teams will make the College Football Playoff. And who can blame him?

Only six college football teams have multiple CFP appearances: Georgia (2), Alabama (7), Oklahoma (4), Ohio State (4), Clemson (6), and Notre Dame (2). Only seven other teams have made the CFP.

Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama are all among the favorites again this year. Who does Kirk Herbstreit think will make the CFP and who does he pick to win the national championship?

College Football Playoff Rankings: Helping The Committee With The Top 25

The first batch of College Football Playoff rankings are coming out Tuesday night. How should the committee rank the top 25?

The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2021 will come out Tuesday night, November 2nd. How should the committee rank the top 25?

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College Football Playoff: Helping The Committee With The Top 25
Top 4 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20
Predicting the first CFP Top 25
College Football Playoff Chase: Who’s alive?

The College Football Playoff rankings season is finally here.

The committee will get together, there will be snacks, they’ll do what they do – all without the slightest bit of transparency – and then the top 25 will be unveiled.

Finally, these are the rankings that matter … sort of. This is all just a fun exercise until the final College Football Playoff rankings come out right after the conference championships.

I’ve been in the room in Grapevine, Texas, I’ve been through the process, and I’ve worked with this operation and know how this group makes the sausage. For all the criticism, and hollering, and anger from the fan bases, start with this …

The process is meticulous, and everyone is 100% totally sincere in trying to create the best ranking possible.

This isn’t like the other ranking systems that are thrown together on a late Saturday night. The committee debates and discusses each and every one of the spots, starting at 25 all the way down to No. 1. There will be mistakes, and there will be inconsistencies, but at the very least there’s a rationale behind every slot.

No, there is no agenda like some think there is. They legitimately want the four best teams in the College Football Playoff, no matter what.

Now, is this silly that college football bases its playoff system on the whims of a panel of judges? Of course. But for now, this is what we’ve got.

I’m going to tell the College Football Playoff committee what the top 25 should be – by the way, it’s beyond ridiculous that there’s no media member or someone who follows college football for a living on the panel.

Before getting going and before these come out for real, remember …

1. These rankings are just a snapshot. They’re thrown out and done all over again next week.

2. There aren’t any rules. The committee can pick anyone it wants to. And …

3. And I can’t stress this enough, DON’T GET INTO A TWIST over the rankings. Again, wait until the entire season is done. At that point the committee cares about two things – did you win your Power Five conference championship, and did you do it with no more than one loss? That’s the baseline for everything else.

These isn’t the prediction and projection of the first round of College Football Playoff rankings – that’s this. This is me telling the committee what to do – no, this group hasn’t seen all the teams and all the games because they have real lives and jobs that actually matter.

I do, however, try to keep this within the framework of how the commitee rolls. It LOVES big wins, and while it doesn’t punish losses to great teams, it doesn’t give enough credit to Team A for playing Alabama on the same day that Team B played Central Cupcake Tech.

One last thing – the committee uses its own proprietary stat system. Other rankings and other metrics don’t exist in their world.

So if I may be so forward, College Football Playoff committee, this is what your first top 25 should be.

College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Top 25 Should Be Done, November 2

25. Pitt Panthers (6-2)

The Case For This Spot: There actually isn’t anything that great to point to, and the 44-41 loss to Western Michigan is an anchor, but there’s something to be said for being the first team since 2014 Georgia Tech to beat Clemson by double-digits in the regular season.

The Panthers also won at Tennessee, and the wins at Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech are good enough to matter.

Win That Matters: Pitt 27, Clemson 17

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Western Michigan 44, Pitt 41

Up Next: at Duke

24. Houston Cougars (7-1)

The Case For This Spot: Here’s the deal I’ll make with you, College Football Playoff committee. I’ll indulge your love of rewarding teams with one big win – Houston just handed SMU its first loss of the season – if you’ll at least listen to my argument about 17, 19, and 20.

The Cougars lost to Texas Tech by 17 and haven’t beaten anyone other than an SMU team that beat absolutely no one other than a bad TCU.

Win That Matters: Houston 44, SMU 37

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Texas Tech 38, Houston 21

Up Next: at USF

23. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2)

The Case For This Spot: There’s enough there with wins over Iowa State and Maryland on the road and the home victory over Penn State to put the Hawkeyes somewhere in the top 25.

However, the offense is bad when the defense isn’t taking the ball away, and losing to Purdue and Wisconsin by a combined score of 51-14 over the last two weeks is the sort of trend-down thing the committee doesn’t dig.

Win That Matters: Iowa 23, Penn State 20

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Purdue 24, Iowa 7

Up Next: at Northwestern

22. Wisconsin Badgers (5-3)

The Case For This Spot: The Badger offense has been BRUTAL at times, but the committee is going to give credit to the nation’s No. 1 defense – at least statistically – against, technically, one of the nation’s toughest schedules.

The losses to Notre Dame, Michigan, and Penn State will be slightly forgivable, and the wins over Army, Purdue, and Iowa will trend the team up just enough that it should slip into the top 25.

Win That Matters: Wisconsin 27, Iowa 7

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Penn State 16, Wisconsin 10

Up Next: at Rutgers

21. Fresno State Bulldogs (7-2)

The Case For This Spot: This is my ultra-pretentious How Much Does The College Football Playoff Committee Actually Know test, Part 1

Fresno State lost at Hawaii – which in and of itself is always a quirky road game, finishing about 3 am ET – but it was way banged up before getting a two-week break. The other loss? At Oregon 31-24.

That loss, though, to the Rainbow Warriors with a backup quarterback is enough to put Fresno State a bit lower. However, it just handed San Diego State its first loss of the season, and it beat a fabulous Nevada team the week before that. Throw in the win over UCLA on the road, and this is a sneaky-good top 20ish team.

Win That Matters: Fresno State 30, San Diego State 20

Loss (or bad performance) That Matters: Hawaii 27, Fresno State 24

Up Next: Boise State

NEXT: College Football Playoff Rankings: How The Top 25 Should Be Done – Top 20

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Ohio State vs Alabama: CFP National Championship Final Thoughts, What Will Happen

The final thoughts, a few predictions, and some investment advice for Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship.

The final thoughts, a few predictions, and some investment advice for the Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship to make your life a heck of a lot better than it currently is. 

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– Contact/Follow @PeteFiutak

This is all just for spits, giggles, and entertainment purposes only. However, just in case you dabble …

In any normal time I’m in Miami right now doing this either 15 minutes before hitting the bar or way, way after in the wee hours of the AM. Either way, I’d be warm instead of being stuck in this snow-infested place I’m forced to live in because of various people in my house who don’t leave, and …

By the way, tonight I’m doing my annual Stream of Consciousness Game Notes as it all goes on. Check back, be entertained, and then move on.

– 2017 Georgia vs. Alabama Game Comments
– 2018 Clemson vs. Alabama Game Comments
– 2019 LSU vs Clemson Game Comments

I’ve been obnoxious about this, and I’m going to keep bringing it up until the College Football Gods hear my cries. We need a good game.

No, we need an epic national championship, because the bowl season was SO awful and SO boring and SO worthless – at least to the general public – compared to how amazing the NFL Wild Card weekend was. This is our chance to take the big sports narrative back. Ohio State and Alabama, save our 2020-2021 college football bowl season.

By my rough count, 15 of the last 16 radio/video/TV appearances I’ve done ended up devolving into an argument about talent level, as if Alabama is about to take on Akron.

This is OHIO FREAKING STATE. You know, tons of superstars, beats Michigan every year, joyless fan base … OHIO STATE. This isn’t some rising star program or Little Engine That Could story. This is one of the baddest of the bad boys on the block, and it has every bit as much talent across the board as Bama.

There aren’t any excuses. If the Tide lose, I don’t want to hear Alabama fans whining about Ohio State only playing seven games before this. This is really Game 2 for the Buckeyes – the team was never right all season, and it still isn’t. It’s still getting used to playing with all of its parts – I’ll rephrase that … nah. Alabama go win this.

If Ohio State loses, I don’t want to hear about Justin Fields’ ribs, or that Player X couldn’t go, or because there was some sort of delay, or there should’ve been one, or whatever. Ohio State, go win this.

What are we missing? LSU over Clemson last year was obvious. Notre Dame getting whacked around by Bama in this season’s CFP semifinal was obvious. Clemson obliterating Alabama in Santa Clara … not obvious. Ohio State rolling past Clemson in this season’s CFP semifinal … not obvious, but we should’ve seen that coming.

What’s one thing we’re missing? Ohio State is going to be every bit as laser-focused – if not more so – than lives-on-process-and-focus Alabama.

Give Ryan Day this as a head coach. Since he started, he has made certain that his team doesn’t let up for a moment – he wasn’t going to let the Buckeyes suffer the types of letdowns that were so costly in the two years before he took over.

That’s been rougher to do this year, but be shocked if Ohio State doesn’t look and play with the same Sugar Bowl attitude it had against Clemson.

What’s the one thing we might not see coming? Alabama has yet to have any semblance of a clunker. What happens if and when Mac Jones gets rattled around a bit? What happens if Ohio State’s Shaun Wade really is able to show off his NFL corner skills on DeVonta Smith and slow him down? Bama handled a little adversity against Florida, but not really.

I feel like we’re all prepared for anything but Ohio State rolling with a dominant performance. No matter what, I feel like my postgame column will start, “How Did We All Possibly Miss (blank)?”

A 9-6 defensive slugfest. I’m not prepare for that. I demand 52-46. I want a repeat of the SEC Championship.

The line opened at Bama -7, and it got hammered almost instantly to get it up to -8.5. I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t start rolling back down to about 7.5 before game time.

I like the over on the 75. You like the over on the 75. We all love the over on the 75 because it’s what we want. It’s what we expect out of these two offenses. That’s still a massive number to hit no matter what. This could be a whole lot of fun and still finish 38-34.

Back to what we’re all missing … Alabama vs both Ole Miss and Florida. It’s not like the Tide faced a ton of high-powered offenses. Sure, LSU had its moments, and Georgia had a certain charm before JT Daniels took over, and Texas A&M had its style and talent, but Ole Miss and Florida were the two teams with some firepower, and they each put up good numbers against the Tide.

The Ohio State defense doesn’t get enough credit. Yes, the pass defense is statistically bad. The run defense has been terrific, and this group can apply a whole lot of pressure, even if it doesn’t bring the sacks.

Trivia time, and almost no one gets this outside of the most die-hard of Bama types. Name the star winning quarterbacks in each of the College Football Playoff national championships.

Going backwards … Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, I’ll allow for Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa, Deshaun Watson, and then … there’s your road block.

Jacob Coker. He took Alabama to the national title to end the 2015 season, and Cardale Jones did it the year before for Ohio State. The point?

Justin Fields is the best player on the field. Argue this all you want, but he’s almost certainly the first guy from this game to be taken in the NFL Draft. This has to be his moment. He has to be The Guy. He has to be Joe, and Trevor, and Tua, and Deshaun.

Alabama can win this with Mac Jones being Jacob Coker, even though Jones really is good enough to be The Guy.

By the way, that’s not fair. Coker threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns with no picks in the national title win over Clemson in Glendale – he made big play after big play. He had some Derrick Henry guy to hand off to, but he was still fantastic. Cardale Jones only threw for 242 against Oregon, and Tua and Jalen combined for 187 against Georgia.

Alabama should be so lucky for Jones to have the day Coker had. However, Jones might have to hit 400 to win this.

Gut feeling … the big underdog role works with this Ohio State team. As if being in the national championship isn’t enough, after that emotional win over Clemson, this is just the sort of thing that can be that oomph to keep that all going.

The SEC Championship spooked me. That Ole Miss game spooked me. I think Bama is way overdue for a letdown that’s not Santa Clara, but enough to be on the wrong side of the fight.

I won’t argue in any way, shape or form if you think Alabama is going to win. There’s no real argument in the toughest call for a national championship in the College Football Playoff era. Even the ones I missed – Clemson over Bama for its two titles – didn’t have a whole lot of drama in the decision, even though the picks were wrong.

I can be swung either way, and I won’t be shocked by any outcome at this point. So my oh-too-tortured call …

Ohio State wins outright in a showcase of offensive fireworks that will make this the new standard of fun national championships.

I hope … at least on the fun national championship side. I just want a really, really, really good game. We all deserve it.

– CFN Ohio State vs Alabama Preview, Prediction

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College Football Expert Picks: Ohio State vs Alabama, CFP National Championship

CFN Experts Picks on the College Football Playoff National Championship between Ohio State and Alabama.

College Football Playoff National Championship experts picks and predictions: Who will win the national title when Ohio State and Alabama go at it on Monday night?

Ohio State vs Alabama: College Football Playoff Championship Experts Predictions

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Date: Monday, January 11
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Network: ESPN

Gill Alexander: @beatingthebook, VSIN
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 10-15

Alabama -8: Alabama
Ohio State -75: Over

Patrick Conn:@PatSportsGuy, LonghornsWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 11-14, ATS 13-12

Alabama -8: Alabama
Ohio State -75: Under

Jeff Feyerer: @JeffFeyerer, FightingIrishWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 15-10, ATS 13-12

Alabama -8: Alabama*
Ohio State -75: Under

Pete Fiutak: @PeteFiutak, CFN
Bowl Picks: SU 18-7, ATS 13-12

Alabama -8: Ohio State
Ohio State -75: Over

Dan Harralson: @danharralson, VolsWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 18-7, ATS 15-10

Alabama -8: Ohio State
Ohio State -75: Under

Phil Harrison: @PhilHarrisonBW, BuckeyesWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 8-17

Alabama -8: Alabama
Ohio State -75: Under

Jeremy Mauss: @MWCWire, MWwire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 16-9, ATS 15-10

Alabama -8: Alabama
Ohio State -75: Under

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Big Game Ben Niewoehner: CFN
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 17-8

Alabama -8: Alabama*
Ohio State -75: Under

Kegan Reneau: @KeganReneau, SoonersWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 16-9, ATS 14-11

Alabama -8: Ohio State
Ohio State -75: Over

Johnny Rosenstein: @JohnnyParlay11, SportsBookWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 15-10, ATS 14-11

Alabama -8: Ohio State
Ohio State -75: Over

Nick Shepkowski: @Shep670, FightingIrishWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 15-10, ATS 10-15

Alabama -8: Alabama
Ohio State -75: Under

Scott Steehn: @Steehnroller, WinnersandWhiners.com
Bowl Picks: SU 14-11, ATS 13-12

Alabama -8: Alabama*
Ohio State -75: Under

Keith Stewart: WinnersandWhiners.com
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 13-12

Alabama -8: Ohio State
Ohio State -75: Over

Brian Stultz: @BrianJStultz, AuburnWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 17-8, ATS 16-9

Alabama -8: Alabama
Ohio State -75: Under

Clucko The Chicken (a coin flip)
Bowl Picks: SU 12-13, ATS 15-10

Alabama -8: Alabama
Ohio State -75: Under

CONSENSUS PICK
Bowl Picks: SU 14-11, ATS 13-12

Alabama -8: Alabama*
Ohio State -75: Under

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Alabama vs Ohio State: CFP National Championship Early Prediction, First Thoughts

Alabama vs Ohio State: CFP National Championship early prediction and first thoughts

Alabama vs Ohio State: CFP National Championship early prediction and first thoughts.

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Alabama vs Ohio State CFP National Championship Broadcast

Date: Monday, January 11
Time: 8:00 ET
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Network: ESPN

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Alabama (12-0) vs Ohio State (7-0)

If want in on the CFP National Championship, sign up with BetMGM

CFP National Championship First Thoughts

– It’s really sort of weird that it’s Alabama vs Ohio State for the College Football Playoff National championship, and yet it seems sort of … fresh?

– These are hardly two Little Engine That Could programs, but Ohio State hasn’t been in the national championship since the end of the 2014 season, and Alabama didn’t make the CFP last year and got destroyed by Clemson the year before in Santa Clara. Nothing against Clemson, but the idea of Tide vs. Tigers yet again just didn’t seem to have a whole lot of national sizzle. This will.

– Just a guess … Nick Saban won’t be talking about how Ohio State only played seven games and might be the 11th best team in college football.

– The seven-game season, though, might be a thing. It shouldn’t be – personally, I think it was far more negative for the Buckeye squad that didn’t jell until it arrived in New Orleans – but that looked like one fresh team against Clemson. It looked and played way, way faster.

– Totally anecdotal and in a for-what-it’s-worth sort of way, the Alabama people I know – not with the team, but close to it – are a bit spooked. Clemson was the devil they knew and expected. They knew Bama was better than this Tiger team, and they still think Bama is better than Ohio State. However, the Buckeye team that showed up against Clemson is a whole different animal.

– It’s going to be really, really hard for Ohio State to keep that same intensity and energy through January 11th. While everyone says the national championship is and was the goal, beating Clemson was the thing after the way last season ended.

– This is written before Indiana plays Ole Miss in the Outback. It shouldn’t be this way, but if Indiana wins big – the Rebels pushed Bama a bit earlier in the year – watch for the Ohio State love to start gushing. Wisconsin and Northwestern took care of their respective bowl games – maybe the Big Ten starts to get more respect.

– In terms of motivation, watch what happens on Heisman night this Tuesday. It’ll be DeVonta Smith or Mac Jones winning it, and Justin Fields might find that extra little bit of juice that seemed to take him to another level against Clemson.

– How bad is he hurt? That didn’t look like any old shot Fields took to the midsection/ribs, but he was able to play through it and be more than fine.

– Lost in the amazing performance by Ohio State was Trevor Lawrence and the 400 yards he bombed away for. They mostly came in comeback/desperation mode, but he also spread the ball around a ton. Mac Jones will need to use all of his options – and will have to use Najee Harris even more as a receiver – after the Buckeyes spend the next ten days figuring out how to stop DeVonta Smith.

– Ohio State only came up with two sacks against Clemson, but it provided a whole lot of pressure on Lawrence and battered him around a bit. The Alabama line won’t let the Buckeyes get to Jones all that often, but everything will have to go a half-click faster than it has all year.

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– Jones didn’t force anything against Notre Dame. His job was to not take chances or give the Irish any easy opportunities in a game the Tide had in hand right out of the gate. He’s going to have to press a bit more against the Buckeyes.

– The Florida game is important. The Gators were able to keep pressing Bama with the deep passes to the NFL-caliber receivers, and Ohio State should be able to do the same. The Tide got into a track meet, and Florida really did have a chance to win if the defense wasn’t so completely miserable.

– Florida showed potential flaws in Alabama … defensively. So did Ole Miss. However, there hasn’t been so much as a speed bump for this Bama offense all year. Ohio State is going to have to gear up the O and keep pressing.

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– Note: I almost just typed that Ohio State will have to outscore Alabama. I apologize for the flirtation with disaster. As a warning, that I was even thinking the phrase shows how things might not be working right.

– Here’s the freaky part about this matchup. Justin Fields can hit 22-of-28 passes for 385 yards and six touchdowns against Bama – just like he did against Clemson – and it still might not be enough.

– Honestly, I’m torn. I’ll need this entire layoff to try figuring out if the Clemson win was the be-all-end-all for Ohio State, or if that’s a sign that this is the hot team at the right time.

– Alabama always does this. It always looks and plays in a business-like fashion in the CFP semifinals, going 5-0 in them since losing to Ohio State in the 2015 version. But …

– No one saw the 44-16 clunker in the 2018 season CFP National Championship coming. However, Alabama needed a minor miracle to get out of the SEC Championship alive against Georgia, and it turned the machine off in the 45-34 Orange Bowl win over Kyler Murray and Oklahoma. There were signs that not everything was running right.

Alabama vs Ohio State CFP National Title Early Prediction

– The 2017 Bama team was the 4 seed and came into the national championship roaring after a dominant win over Clemson. The 2016 team was a bit off in the 24-7 win over Washington in the Peach, and then lost to Clemson. The 2015 team was humming in a blowout over Michigan State and then got past Clemson. What does any of this mean?

– Alabama has struggled in SEC Championships before and went on to win the national title. In the CFP era, when there’s been something off in the semis, it has lost the national championship. When it rips through the semis, it wins the title.

– There was hardly anything more than a yawn in the go-through-the-motions win over Notre Dame.

– By the way, the Ohio State 42-35 win over Alabama in the 2015 College Football Playoff has NOTHING to do with anything that’s about to happen.

– Don’t get hung up on Ohio State holding Clemson to 44 rushing yards. The Tigers and Travis Etienne struggled a bit all year to get the ground game rolling. When and if Alabama wants to pound away with Najee Harris, it will.

– Alabama hasn’t faced anyone who’s running like Trey Sermon. Texas A&M can run, and Georgia could pound a bit, but Sermon has been otherworldly over the last two games for the Buckeyes.

– Alabama has an under-appreciated pass rush, but Clemson came into the Sugar Bowl averaging four sacks per game – the most in the Dabo Swinney era – and it didn’t matter all that much against an Ohio State offensive line that was close to flawless.

– I know, the College Football Playoff needs to expand. I know, I want there to be a way for everyone to have a shot to play into the tournament, too. However, at the end of the day, no sport takes the fluke factor out of its championship better than college football.

– You can’t Cinderella your way into this game. You can’t get hot from three and get into the Final Four, you can’t be one of 14 teams in an any-given-Sunday NFL that finds the right magic, and you can’t get here because of a hot pitcher or goalie who stands on his head. There’s no such thing as a cheap or questionable College Football Playoff national champion.

NEXT: CFP National Championship Early Line, Prediction

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College Football Expert Picks, Predictions: Bowl Games, College Football Playoff

College football expert picks, predictions for all the bowl games and the College Football Playoff.

College football expert picks, predictions for all the bowl games and the College Football Playoff.

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* next to the pick means the team will win, but not cover.
Click on each game for the game preview and CFN Prediction
– CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews

NOTE: All bowls to be out this week. These are the first five covering the first three days.

Monday, December 21

Myrtle Beach Bowl

North Texas vs Appalachian State

3:30 ESPN
Line: Appalachian State -21, o/u: 64.5
– Bet on this at BetMGM

Gill Alexander, VSIN: App State
Patrick Conn, Longhorns Wire: App State
Jeff Feyerer, Fighting Irish Wire: App State*
Pete Fiutak, CFN: App State
Dan Harralson, Vols Wire: App State
Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire: App State*
Jeremy Mauss, MW Wire: COMING
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN: App State
Kegan Reneau, Sooners Wire: App State
Johnny Rosenstein, SportsBookWire: App State
Nick Shepkowski, Fighting Irish Wire: App State*
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners: App State*
Keith Stewart, WinnersandWhiners: App State*
Brian Stultz, Auburn Wire: App State
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: North Texas
CONSENSUS PICK: App State

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Tuesday, December 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Tulane vs Nevada

3:30 ESPN
Line: Tulane -3, o/u: 56
– Bet on this at BetMGM

Gill Alexander, VSIN: Tulane
Patrick Conn, Longhorns Wire: Tulane
Jeff Feyerer, Fighting Irish Wire: Nevada
Pete Fiutak, CFN: Tulane
Dan Harralson, Vols Wire: Nevada
Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire: Tulane
Jeremy Mauss, MW Wire: COMING
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN: Tulane
Kegan Reneau, Sooners Wire: Nevada
Johnny Rosenstein, SportsBookWire: Tulane
Nick Shepkowski, Fighting Irish Wire: Nevada
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners: Tulane
Keith Stewart, WinnersandWhiners: Tulane
Brian Stultz, Auburn Wire: Tulane
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: Nevada
CONSENSUS PICK: Tulane

Boca Raton | New Orleans
Montgomery | New Mexico
Results So Far

NEXT: RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

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