The writer has a good idea who is going to win the College Football Playoffs but no clear idea of how the winner will get there.
Start with No.1 Georgia (12-0). They’ve been the best all season with the only scare coming at Missouri. The defending champions don’t seem as prolific offensively as a year ago but good enough are favored by 17.5 points.
LSU (10-2) has wilted since beating Alabama. An embarrassing loss to end the regular season to Texas A&M (4-8) hurts first year coach Brian Kelly.
No. 2 Big Ten East champion Michigan ( 12-0) plays heavy underdog West Division winner Purdue (8-4) coached by Jeff Brohm. This looks like a mismatch. The Wolverines are 16.5 point favorites.
Here is where it could get interesting. Texas Christian (12-0) has to win the Big12 Championship versus Kansas State (10-2). If the Wildcats are 2.5 point favorites. TCU could be upset. Does that pave the way for one loss Ohio State. On the other hand my National Coach of The Year is TCU’s Sonny Dykes
The fourth team No. 4 Southern Cal (11-1) plays Utah (9-3) the only team to beat the Trojans. USC must beat Ute’s.
Alabama, Tennessee and Clemson blew their chances all have two losses, as does Penn State. The hottest team is South Carolina but they are far down the pecking order.
It will be good to see “new blood” in the playoffs. TCU and hopefully USC can wake up college football on the west coast. Hopefully the top four stay the same and there’s not a bunch of reshuffling.
Let’s just say the championship game match up will be Georgia versus Michigan. I know it’s the chalk.
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The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the All-Conference teams Tuesday. Louisville linebacker Yasir Abddualh was selected to the first-team on defense. Offensive lineman Caleb Chandler and Bryan Hudson and receiver Tyler Hudson were named to the second team. Placekicker James Turner and cornerback Kei’ Trel Clark are third team selections.
Honorable mentions include running back Tiyon Evans, tight end Marshon Ford, offensive tackle Renato Brown, defensive end Ashton Gillette, linebacker Momo Sanogo and punter Mark Vassett.
Abdullah was second nationally in forced fumbles, second nationally in sacks and in the ACC. Brown, Chandler (school record 92 starts) and Hudson started all 12 games. Hudson led the team in receptions for 1,034 yards while Ford was second with 421 yards and two touchdowns.
Clark earned all-conference for the third straight year. The Liberty transfer had 51 tackles and interception he returned for a touchdown. Vassett averaged 44.6 yards per punt which ranked third in the conference. He had 17 punts inside the opponents 20- yard line and recorded nine punts of 50 or more yards.