The 12 Team Field Is Set; Now, Let the Games Begin
The College Football Playoff bracket was revealed on Sunday, and it provided some great matchups and interesting stories. The committee rightfully left Alabama out of the field and put a deserving SMU team in. A potential rematch of Ohio State versus Oregon is possible in the second round. A top-tier matchup between Georgia and Notre Dame can highlight the second round of the playoffs. Let's take a closer look at the games that will kick off the playoff.
12th-Ranked Clemson vs. Fifth-Ranked Texas
Can Clemson keep their run going? After beating SMU on a last-second field goal 34-31, the Tigers will try to upset a high-flying Texas team. The ground game will be key for the Tigers in this game, and that will be led by senior running back Phil Mafah. The running back out of Loganville, GA, ran for 1,106 yards this season and goes up against the 15th-ranked run defense. The Longhorns will try to attack the Tigers through the air as quarterback Quinn Ewers lets it fly to receiver Matthew Golden, who led the team with 738 yards receiving and eight touchdowns this season so far. The game has the makings of a shootout, with whichever team gets the ball last being the one to win. This game will be a must-watch if you love offense.
Eighth-Ranked Ohio State vs. Ninth-Ranked Tennessee
Will Howard and the Buckeyes will try to rebound after a disaster of a game against Michigan, as they lost 13-10 at home. I'm expecting a huge bounce-back by Ohio State in this game. They have shown that they can win big games, which was evident in their win over number three Penn State and their domination of number five Indiana. Ohio State will try to push the ball down the field with the two-headed monster of Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith and put up points in bunches as they have combined for 19 touchdowns on the season. Tennessee comes into this game with a stud freshman quarterback in Nico Iamaleava, but it's not just Iamaleava leading the Volunteers; their junior running back, Dylan Sampson, has shown his skills on the gridiron as he has rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Sixth-Ranked Penn State vs. 11th-Ranked SMU
The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University have an offense to be reckoned with, and their quarterback, Kevin Jennings, is leading the charge. The sophomore out of Oak Cliff, TX, has passed for 3,050 yards and 22 touchdowns this season so far. The passing game isn't the only thing this offense has going for it, however. The running game can get in on the action, too. Senior running back Brashard Smith has scored 14 touchdowns so far this season and ran for 1,270 yards. It will definitely be a battle of two contrasting styles, SMU wants to push the ball and get it to make this game a shootout, whereas Penn State is looking to muddy it up and use their sixth-ranked defense to overpower the Mustangs. This game will come down to who plays their style of football better and who can adapt to what the other team is doing.
Seventh-Ranked Notre Dame vs. 10th-Ranked Indiana
The battle in the Hoosier State pits perennial playoff team Notre Dame versus a dark-horse Indiana team led by senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke and Big Ten Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti. Cignetti’s first season as head coach has gone better than expected, as he has his team at 11-1. His quarterback, Kurtis Rourke, has thrown for 27 touchdowns and only thrown four interceptions. Limiting the turnovers in this game will be key for Indiana, as the Fighting Irish led the nation with 28 takeaways this season, and five of them were pick-sixes. Notre Dame is led by Duke transfer Riley Leonard, who has thrown for 2,092 yards and has 721 yards rushing so far this year, which is good for ninth out of all quarterbacks in college football. Indiana will need to watch out for Leonard on the ground.
