WASHINGTON — We’ve officially entered Year 2 of the post-BCS era.
While Ohio State certainly backed up their selection as the fourth and final team into the inaugural College Football Playoff, their inclusion wasn’t without controversy. A pair of one-loss Big XII teams were left at home, and appear in position for that to happen again should the same circumstance arise this year. And though the Buckeyes are the unanimous top pick in the Preseason Associated Press Poll, every team beyond them is up for debate.
With that in mind, here’s a look at this year’s contenders, as well as staff predictions for sleepers, overrated schools and who will make this year’s final four.
The Hunted: Ohio State
It is rare to enter a year with a favorite as prohibitive as Ohio State. The Buckeyes didn’t merely endure a carousel of quarterbacks last season, they somehow managed to get stronger with each new signal caller behind center. By the time Cardale Jones ran over Wisconsin with a lawn mower in the B1G title game to help castrate the Big XII’s playoff chances and sneak into the fourth spot, Ohio State had become a runaway train.
This season, the Buckeyes have a fairly soft nonconference slate, with the biggest test likely coming Monday in Blacksburg. But they avoid Wisconsin and get their toughest opponent — Michigan State — in Columbus. Can anyone derail Urban Meyer’s squad’s chance to repeat?
Biggest game: Nov. 21 vs. Michigan State
The Hunters: Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Michigan State, Oregon, TCU
None of these teams will be a surprise to make the CFP. In fact, each got multiple votes from our prognosticators except for Michigan State (only me). If either Baylor or TCU go undefeated, they will be in. But the SEC and PAC-12 may cannibalize themselves through the rigors of their brutal slates. Will a one-loss (at Michigan State Sept. 12), PAC-12 champion Oregon squad undefeated in conference be good enough to make it? What about a two-loss SEC champ? It’s all theoretical until the biggest games are played.
Biggest games: Oregon at Michigan State — Sept. 12, Baylor at TCU — Nov. 27, Auburn at Alabama — Nov. 28
The Outsiders: Arizona State, Boise State, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, UCLA, USC
These teams need to run the table and may need some help to make the final four. Arizona State is sneaky good, and even though they lost top receiver Jaelen Strong to the NFL, the high octane attack should remain potent. Really, the whole PAC-12 South should be the kind of Game of Thrones-like, weekly kingdom toppling we saw out in the SEC West last year, so who knows who will emerge. Meanwhile, LSU and Georgia could each easily bust out of the SEC, but each has to get through both Auburn and Alabama first. Meanwhile, Boise’s on its own lonely quest toward 13-0, hoping for a Fury Road-esque wasteland of destruction ahead of it.
Biggest games: Arizona State vs. Oregon — Oct. 29, LSU at Alabama — Nov. 7, Georgia at Auburn — Nov. 14, UCLA at USC — Nov. 28
The Sleepers: Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Utah, Penn State, Louisville, Nebraska, BYU, Navy
These teams have a better chance of shaping the CFP picture by ruining contenders’ seasons than actually making it themselves. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be any less fun to watch.
It’s kind of unbelievable that a Tennessee team that hasn’t won more than 7 games wince 2007 is in the preseason Top 25, but people are high on their 2013 recruiting class finally breaking through and, I guess, S-E-C! Utah could wreak havoc on the PAC-12, while Louisville is poised to take advantage of a wide open ACC. BYU has a brutal schedule, but any upsets (Boise State, UCLA, Michigan, Cincinnati) could shake things up. Don’t forget about Navy, whose toughest test comes at Notre Dame, but has a very real shot at a double digit win season.
Biggest games: Louisville at Auburn — Sept. 5, BYU at Nebraska — Sept. 5, Virginia Tech vs. Ohio State — Sept. 7, Utah at Oregon — Sept. 26, Navy at Notre Dame — Oct. 10, Tennessee at Alabama — Oct. 24, Penn State at Michigan State — Nov. 28
Predictions
Our sports staff takes a crack at predicting the College Football Playoff, as well as both one overrated team and one sleeper to watch this year. Staff gets 10 points for the correct National Champion, 7 for each correct playoff team, one for every game their sleeper wins, and one for each spot up into the Top 25 their overrated team is if and only if it finishes outside the final AP Top 25 poll.
We correctly aggregated our way to three of last year’s CFP entries, missing with Michigan State instead of Ohio State. Here’s what we’ve got this year.
National Champion: Ohio State (7), TCU (1)
Playoff Teams: Ohio State (8), TCU (5), Alabama (4), Baylor (3), Auburn (3), Clemson (2), LSU (2), Oregon (2), Michigan State (1), Notre Dame (1), UCLA (1)
See everyone’s individual picks in the slideshow above.
