RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff bracket has been revealed.
All eyes had been on how the CFP choice committee would consider Mountain West champion Boise State, Big 12 champion Arizona State and ACC champion Clemson, and which program would obtain the ultimate spot within the CFP between SMU and Alabama.
We received our solutions, because the Broncos acquired the No. 1 seed. 3 within the CFP bracket, whereas the Sun Devils had been rewarded with the No. 1 seed. 4. Both groups will obtain byes within the first spherical. Meanwhile, Clemson, recent off a win over SMU within the ACC title recreation, is the No. 12 seed and can journey to Austin, Texas, to face the Longhorns in a first-round recreation.
As for the SMU vs. Alabama debate, the committee favored the Mustangs, awarding Rhett Lashleee’s staff with the No. 1 seed. 11, organising a gap spherical recreation in opposition to Penn State.
Here’s a take a look at my high takeaways from the bracket reveal:
1. The CFP committee values Group 5 champions over Big 12, ACC champions
The College Football Playoff choice committee has proven that it does not worth the standard of play within the Big 12 or the ACC any greater than it does within the Mountain West. Boise State, a Group 5 champion, was seeded forward of Big 12 champion Arizona State and ACC champion Clemson.
The Broncos have just one loss. But the one loss got here in opposition to the No. 1 staff within the nation, on the ultimate play of the sport. This whereas Talisman and Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty ran for 192 yards.
However, the Sun Devils emerged victorious in a championship that resulted in a four-way tie for first place, whereas the Tigers knocked off an 11-win SMU staff within the ACC Championship Game.
2. SEC, Big Ten present their dominance
The SEC and Big Ten are probably the most dominant leagues within the sport, with seven of the 12 groups coming from these conferences. Seed no. 1 within the CFP – Oregon – is a Big Ten staff, whereas the No. 2 – Georgia – is an SEC program. This leads us to consider the committee expects these groups to finish up within the nationwide title recreation, which might be a rematch of the 2022 matchup when Georgia dominated Oregon, 49-3, in Atlanta.
3. Texas is awarded the No. 1 seed. 5
Texas will get the honour of taking part in a house playoff recreation and the coveted No. 1 seed. 5. The Longhorns will host ACC champion Clemson in what is bound to be a rematch worthy of Friday Night Lights. The 2021 Texas state championship recreation between Southlake Carroll and Austin Westlake ended with Cade Klubnik’s Chaparrals beating Quinn Ewers’ Dragons, 52-34. Klubnik and Ewers will now have an opportunity to face one another once more, this time in a first-round bout in Austin.
Now that the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is prepared, listed below are my predictions:
FIRST ROUND, BYE
1. Oregon: Hello (I might subsequently play the winner of 8. Ohio State in opposition to 9. Tennessee)
2. Georgia: Hello (I might subsequently play the winner of seven. Our Lady in opposition to 10. Indiana)
3. Boise State: Hello (I might subsequently play the winner of 6. Pen State in opposition to 11. SMU)
4. State of Arizona: Hello (I might subsequently play the winner of 5. Texas in opposition to 12. Clemson)
FIRST ROUND MATCHES
5. Texas in opposition to 12. Clemson
The Longhorns are coming off an emotional loss to Georgia, whereas the Tigers are coming off an excellent ACC title win in opposition to an SMU staff that additionally made the 12-team area. The Texas protection should show they will hold Klubnik from escaping the pocket and hurting them within the operating recreation, like Georgia backup QB Gunner Stockton did within the SEC Championship Game.
Winner: Texas.
6. Pen State in opposition to 11. SMU
The Nittany Lions consider they’ve the kind of bodily staff that may impose its will on a smaller SMU staff. But with Brashard Smith placing collectively his finest season with an SMU tailback since Eric Dickerson, the Mustangs could really feel they will run by means of PSU’s high seven and stretch the secondary with Kevin Jennings’ partnership with Roderick McDaniel.
Winner: Penn State.
7. Our Lady in opposition to 10. Indiana
The Fighting Irish will face probably the most full staff they’ve seen all yr in Indiana. The Hoosiers have outscored 10 of 12 opponents by double figures and consider they’re the very best staff within the state of Indiana. However, Al Golden’s protection has been excellent, permitting just one staff to attain 35 factors in a recreation this season.
Winner: Indiana.
8. Ohio State in opposition to 9. Tennessee
The Buckeyes have an opportunity to redeem themselves in entrance of their followers on the Shoe with Tennessee set to journey to Columbus, Ohio. They’ll should do it in opposition to the very best tailback within the SEC, Vols operating again Dylan Sampson, who has run for 1,485 yards this season.
The Buckeyes have allowed 169 speeding yards per recreation this season, however have been stingy at scoring groups, that includes the highest-scoring protection within the nation.
Winner: Ohio State.
RJ Young is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports and host of the podcast “The number one college football show.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young AND Subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube
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