12 Team Playoff

• Ohio State – Not only does Ohio State have arguably the best player on offense and defense (Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith), but the rest of their schedule is relatively weak, giving them an advantage to win more games in their season. Despite the headliner games against Penn State and Illinois, I doubt any team will give the Buckeyes any trouble this year. We watched in awe as they shut down the star-powered Texan offense, so who knows what they will do to the likes of UCLA (who does actually have a QB this year) and Rutgers. 5-star Julian Sayin definitely has the supporting cast to make a championship appearance in the debut season. We project them to win the Big 10 again and go into the off-season as championship favorites. 

• Georgia– The Nick Saban coaching tree continues their legacy as Georgia surges through the season to reach the number two spot. They will probably drop a game to Texas or maybe an emerging Georgia Tech but will ultimately emerge victorious in the SEC championship to secure another playoff berth. Southern California transfer Zachariah Branch combined with Gunner Stockton’s pocket presence will surely be dangerous in the playoffs. One of the main questions for their season will be whether they have the ability to get over the hump and beat Alabama, who despite a recent fall off have beaten Georgia in 9 of the 10 previous games.

• Penn State-  Despite a close loss to Ohio State in the conference championship, experts will extend a vote of confidence in the Nittany Lions. Led by returning quarterback Drew Allar, this stingy defense will drive the team into a consecutive playoff berth. However, a lot of their success will be dependent on James Franklin’s ability to win close games against tougher opponents.

• Miami- Miami’s standing in the rankings will be heavily influenced by their lighter (cupcake) schedule in the frankly atrocious ACC. With Clemson looking weak and Florida State being the only strong competitor, Miami will cruise to the off season with relative ease. Recovering from the loss of the 1st Overall Pick, Cam Ward, the offense appears to have started off right where they left it, easily polishing off the weakened Notre Dame team.

• Tennessee-  Tennessee was only a matter of a few feet away from taking down Georgia at Knoxville, and I would wager that this team is only getting better. Home games give the Vols such a distinct advantage that I doubt they lose more than 2 over the rest of the seasons. This team should be an at large bid after another loss to Georgia in the second championship game.

• Oregon- The ducks have become perennial championship contenders, and their offense, lead in part by Heisman candidate Dakieren Moore, will definitely rack up some wins over the course of the season. While they are the third team from the Big 10 featured in the playoffs, I personally don’t think they will be able to compete with more experienced teams like Ohio State or Miami. We know their jerseys will be good, but will the game plan be strong enough to achieve the first Oregon championship appearance since the 2014 loss against Ohio State?

• Oklahoma- Led by sensational Heisman candidate John Mateer, the Sooners look to regain their 2010s winning ability. It’s about time that the red river shootout starts to lean in the Oklahoma direction. After a convincing win against Michigan, Oklahoma looks to power through some tough SEC competition on the way to an at large bid. While there probably won’t be a playoff game in Norman, this tough team could cause some problems as a potential dark horse contender.`

• Florida State- A second ACC team breaks into the off season in a result that would’ve shocked fans last season. This team is truly a roller coaster, from being robbed of the playoffs, to going 2-10, to now being right back in the mix with the best of them. After beating Alabama, Florida State seems to be continuing the momentum throughout the season. The key indicator of this team’s potential will be the FSU vs Miami game, which will probably be the site of college football gameday. The winner will most likely win the ACC and secure a higher seed in the heavily anticipated 26-26 college football playoffs.

• Indiana- Coming off an absolutely dominant performance against Illinois, this team looks like it’s going to cause some issues for Big 10 powerhouses. A possible repeat of last year’s playoff appearance could definitely be on the horizon. Most likely, the team will majorly disrupt at least one team’s season, and under the leadership of Kurt Cignetti, they could stretch the season even more than that.

• Texas A & M-  The fourth SEC team squeezes into the race, and I have a feeling that a lot of people will respect their record and strength of schedule. While playing in a loaded SEC conference, this year may really be their year as we await a potential Texas on Texas matchup.

• Texas Tech– Well, someone has to make it out of the ravaged big 12, and the best guess is Texas Tech. A program that has put a lot of quarterbacks into the NFL is seeking to be the 3rd Texas team into the offseason, fully repping the Lone Star State’s reputation.

• South Florida-  This seems to be the obvious choice for the group of 5 bids. Especially considering their early season more than their ranked wins, there should be little competition for South Florida to emerge as a possible dark horse candidate in the college football playoffs.

Will not make it

1. Notre Dame, starting off the season an abysmal 0-2, has no chance of getting anywhere near the offseason. Though they do have their usual soft and easy schedule, it probably won’t be enough to power them anywhere important. Some call them Notre Lame, others say Notre Blame, but one thing no one will be calling them this year is Notre Dame’s playoff team. The (not so) Fighting Irish have surely run out of whatever luck they have had in years past, and they may be better off chasing the rainbow this year.