(Photo Courtesy: USA Today)
College football is officially in full swing, and there is plenty for fans to go over. Both weeks zero and one gave us passionate college football fans plenty to cheer for (unless you attend Florida or Florida St). Regardless, the new 12-team playoff format will give us something to discuss all year round. From here on out, I will be giving you a weekly prediction for the playoffs based on the results of the previous week, as well as a slate of games for you to keep an eye on that can shake up the playoff landscape.
In case you forgot, the NCAA and CFB announced it will be moving to a new 12-team playoff format. The top four conference champions (BIG 10, SEC, BIG 12, ACC) are ranked 1-4 and receive first-round byes. The rest of the teams in contention will be ranked 5-11, and the 12 seed gives a group of five schools (AAC, MAC, MWC, SBC, CUSA) to enter the playoffs. Because Notre Dame is an independent team, the best seed they can achieve is sixth.
As I mentioned earlier, the big topic of conversation this week has been the horrific start to the season for Florida St. After losing the opener to Georgia Tech and getting upset by Boston College, many fans have written off the Seminoles, as have I. With last week’s results and the newest AP poll in mind, here is my CFB Playoff bracket entering week two:
First Round Byes:
1. Georgia (SEC Champion)
2. Ohio St. (BIG 10 Champion)
3. Miami (ACC Champion)
4. Utah (BIG 12 Champion)
First Round Matchups:
12) Boise St. vs. 5) Alabama
11) Missouri vs. 6) Notre Dame
10) Penn St. vs. 7) Texas
9) USC vs. 8) Ole Miss
Games to Watch This Weekend:
3 Texas vs. 10 Michigan (FOX noon EST)
Both teams exited week one with a win over a group of five teams. Now both the Longhorns and the Wolverines get an early season test. The tale of the tape comes down to the matchup between the Longhorns’ offense, led by senior QB Quinn Ewers, and the Wolverines’ defense. Ewers threw for 3 TDs against Colorado St, compared to only 6 incompletions. His accuracy will be tested against star defenseman Will Johnson (CB) and Mason Graham (DL). The Longhorns will win in Ann Arbor and make their case for a number-one ranking.
14 Tennessee vs 24 NC State (ABC/ESPN+ 7:30 PM EST)
Volunteers signal caller Nico Iamaleava impressed in his debut, leading the Vols to a week one victory. Now the Vols go into an electric NC State environment and seasoned QB Grayson McCall. The Wolf Pack are now strong contenders in the ACC behind Miami, with Florida St. and Clemson losing their openers, respectively. Both teams have high-scoring explosive offenses, so this game will come down to who has the ball last. I have not seen enough of Iamaleava to confidently pick the Vol’s on the road, so I have the Wolf Pack taking the victory.
Boise St. Vs 7 Oregon (Peacock 10:00 PM EST)
While the Ducks are favored by 19.5 points, there is some worry up in Eugene, as the Ducks narrowly got the victory over the Idaho Vandals 24-14. They now host a Boise St. team fresh off of a victory against Georgia Southern. Running back Ashton Jeanty made headlines with a Heisman-level performance, running for six touchdowns on only 20 carries. The game is going to come down to the Duck’s defensive line, whose main priority will be to stop Jeanty. The Ducks will get the home victory, but not without a fight from the Broncos.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Thomas Szot tszot@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu
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