Archive → August, 2014
2014 College Football Playoff Prediction
1. Florida st. (13-0)
Take one look at the Seminole’s regular season schedule and you see they will be heavily favored in every single game. They play only two ranked teams (Clemson and Notre Dame) and two others who could be (Oklahoma st. and Florida). Coming off of an undefeated BCS championship season the main issues will be remaining focused and dealing with the season long target on their back. The Seminoles will finally resemble last years team after a few early season scares, allowing them to take the number 1 seed. Their blowout in the ACC championship game over Virginia Tech shows people how good they can be heading toward the playoff.
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4. Alabama (12-1)
With a question mark at QB for the first time in years, Alabama will look shaky on offense to start the season. However, it will be their heralded defense that lets them down as a young and extremely talented LSU team beats them in Death Valley. They do rebound to end the season, and in a year when the SEC West beats itself up, their beatdown of rival Auburn gets them back in the SEC championship game. They do just enough beating South Carolina to sneak into the playoff as the 4 seed.
Winner: I see this game playing out much like last years National Championship. Alabama starts strong and jumps out to a quick 21 to 3 lead. Jameis Winston looks slow footed and confused against a much faster defense than he has faced all season. After some halftime adjustments, Florida St. makes this a game. However, Bama uses it’s strong run game and is too much down the stretch running out the clock and preventing the comeback.
Final Alabama 34 Florida state 28
2. Oregon (13-0)
Oregon disappointed last season partially due to an injury to Marcus Mariota, but they also just ran into a tough Stanford defense on the farm. They get both Stanford and Michigan st., the two toughest defenses they will face, at Autzen Stadium and will take both games by wider margins than expected. Their two closest contests will come against the same team in the UCLA Bruins. Oregon will wrap up the two seed after beating the Bruins by a touchdown for the second time this season in the PAC 12 championship game.
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3. Ohio st. (13-0)
A full season with a healthy Braxton Miller will not only give Ohio st. a Heisman finalist, but also an undefeated regular season. They will get their revenge against Michigan st., pulling out a last minute win over the Spartans in East Lansing. A very solid Wisconsin team gives them all they can handle in the Big Ten Championship game, but Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes slot just below Oregon as the 3 seed.
Winner: This has the makings of an offensive showdown between two of the highest scoring teams in the county. The two heisman finalists do not disappoint, putting points on the board almost as if the defense is standing still. With it looking like whichever team has the ball last will win, it is the Oregon defense that gets the necessary stop late in the fourth Quarter. Mariota loses the Heisman to Miller but gets his revenge sending the Ducks to the title game.
Final Oregon 42 Ohio state 35
#4 Alabama vs. #2 Oregon
Though Oregon is undefeated and the higher seed, Alabama comes into this game as a 5 point favorite. Pac 12 and Anti SEC fans everyone are outraged taking this as a sign of SEC bias and disrespect. This shows in some of the chippy play from the Duck players as well as rabid fans who have chanted “We Want Bama” all year long. Oregon gets the spark they need on special teams returning a punt to the house putting them up 21 to 14 entering the break. Another quick score on a long run from Mariota gives them the lead they need, and bruising back Thomas Tyner carries the load down the stretch to hold off a late rally by the Bama air attack.
Final Oregon 34 Alabama 27