4 Teams Who Are Early Leaders For A Spot In The CFP Matchups
Love it, hate it, don’t care about it, the fact is that the CFP (College Football Playoffs) are all that matters nowadays in NCAA football if winning titles is what your favorite college football team is all about. Just like when the basketball season starts with March Madness Predictions starting to come out even before the first tip off of the season, with college football, the same goes for the CFP rankings.
Sure, bowl wins are great, but they look a bit dim in comparison to landing one of the coveted four spots in the college football playoff semifinals and finals matchups. Now, with the first official CFP rankings soon to be released, let’s take a look at four teams who are looking like early leaders for a spot in the upcoming College Football Playoff matchups.
- Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the best college football team in the country, plain and simple. In a sport where offenses win games but defenses win championships, the Bulldogs are doing it all. They’re scoring points, even while having to play with different starting QB’s and an offensive core that is not even really close to what it could be, mostly because of injuries. And on the defensive side, they are not letting any opposing offense even get a word in, never less more than 10 points per game. Only Kentucky and South Carolina know what it’s like to score more than 10 points against this defense this season.
Given that their remaining games don’t really stand out as true challenges for the Bulldogs, it’s not really difficult to predict and expect for the Bulldogs to finish their season undefeated, with the number 1 spot in the CFP rankings and ready to top off their season with a CFP title win.
- Oklahoma Sooners
When you think of college football greatness and perennial favorites in the CFP rankings, the Oklahoma Sooners are always a team that’s high up in the rankings and conversations. Even while this season the level of playing that the Sooners have shown has been underwhelming on both sides of the ball, Lincoln Riley’s team is still undefeated and after benching starting QB Spencer Rattler in favor of freshman Caleb Williams it seems like the spark in their offense has been lit once again.
In the CFP rankings, teams that have one loss in a season are still catered to as true contenders. Any two loss team is basically shunned from any CFP conversations. Now, why do I say this, if Oklahoma is still undefeated? Because their remaining schedule reads like a mine field for the Sooners if they don’t show up and ball out. Oklahoma needs to play the style of dominant football that it has always been known for. If they manage to do that, then they will surely be staying put in the CFP rankings. One loss is bearable, especially since they are the best team in the Big 12 conference. Two losses in unacceptable.
- Alabama Crimson Tide
Speaking of one loss teams, what would the CFP be without hosting last year’s champions and constant CFP darling Alabama. Even before the College Football Playoff rankings existed, Alabama was already being ranked. Now, while in other years Alabama has truly earned their rights to be in the CFP rankings, this year their claim to the throne is looking bleaker and bleaker as time goes by. Why? Because if by any chance in the world Alabama ends up having another loss in the season, let’s say in their conference title game, which would be the most predictable scenario, and they still manage to get into the CFP matchups, I’m pretty sure rioting would not be out of the picture for other schools more deserving.
While the remainder of their schedule does not necessarily read like it will cause Nick Saban’s team any real trouble, it’s their Nov 27th matchup against Auburn that stands out as the game that could make or break Alabama’s claims for a CFP spot. Again, if Alabama ends up with 2 losses in their record and makes it into the CFP matchups, chaos will surely ensue.
- Cincinnati Bearcats
No, I will not look over Cincinnati’s season in favor of Ohio State or any of the two Michigan teams. Cincinnati has paid their dues to be where they are right now. They silenced doubters by routing Indiana, Notre Dame, and Navy, showing that they have the chops to play against competitive schools and still come out on top. Even while they sit comfortably with an undefeated record that could end up staying the way it is until the end of the season, the Bearcats are still falling victims to speculations of what could end up happening once the final CFP selection comes around.
Their only real threat in the remainder of their schedule is a game against SMU at home in Cincinnati. If they were to lose that game, they could see their CFP odds take a very big hit, but that still shouldn’t be enough to count them out, especially with the season they’ve had. If the Bearcats finish their season either undefeated or with one loss and don’t at least get the fourth and final spot for the CFP matchups, once again, chaos will ensue.