In the Second Annual College Football Playoff, four teams will fight for their chance to hoist the National Championship trophy. Each team, Clemson, Alabama, Michigan St. and Oklahoma, has proven itself and an argument can be made for why any of them should be crowned National Champion. Four Voice writers present arguments to why each team will win the National Championship.
CLEMSON
The University of Clemson football team has been doubted all year by analysts, opponents and fans. Even with an undefeated record, they still feel like they have something to prove. The Tigers are ranked first in the country coming into this year’s College Football Playoff. The Tigers have been number one since week 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and have shown no signs of slowing down.
Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson leads the high powered offense. The sophomore quarterback has thrown for over 3500 yards this year, along with passing for 30 touchdowns and holds a passer rating of 159.6. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Clemson has weapons all over the field. In the backfield with Watson is running back Wayne Gallman, who is third in the ACC in rushing yards, first in attempts and second in yards per game. On the outside, Artavis Scott is one of the most exciting receivers in the ACC. He is fourteenth in the country in receptions and second in the ACC.
This offense is dominant. They are second in the ACC in touchdowns, first in yards per game, first in passing yards and first in total yards.
Clemson’s opponent in the first game of the college football playoff is the University of Oklahoma. The Sooners pride themselves on offense, especially in quarterback Baker Mayfield and his passing attack. The Orange Bowl should be a good high-powered shootout, but I see the Tigers coming out on top behind big games from Watson and Scott. From there, they would go onto the second College Football Playoff National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona, where they would play either the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Michigan State Spartans. The Tigers have the third best odds to win out of the four teams according to Vegas Insider. Despite their number one ranking, unbeaten record, and have an explosive offense and defense, the Tigers are still doubted. They are out to prove that they should be taken seriously, and I believe that they will prove that by winning the second College Football Playoff.
Clemson over Alabama, 38-35
ALABAMA
Over the past decade, one team has dominated college football and that team has a chance to make a run for another National Championship. The Alabama Crimson Tide has won three National Championships since 2005, more than any other team in the country. This year has been business as usual for the team, cruising to an 11-1 regular season record and recently stomping Florida 29-15 in the SEC Championship game. Not only are they the best team in the SEC, they should be favored to win it all this January.
Derrick Henry, star running back and Heisman finalist, led the nation in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Their defense was one of the most effective in the nation, allowing the least amount of rushing yards per game in the entire country. Only Boston College and Wisconsin’s defense allowed less yards than the Tide’s did during the season.
Part of the reason why Henry and the defense as a whole has been able to succeed this season is because of the standout offensive and defensive line. The O-line led Henry to an impressive 4.8 yards per game. They also only allowed quarterback Jake Coker to be sacked 19 times in 13 games. On the other side of the ball, the D-line, led by A’Shawn Robinson, allowed only 74 yards per game on the ground.
The final reason why Alabama has the best chance to win the CFP is also the most important: the coach. The name Nick Saban goes hand-in-hand with college football. He has outcoached all of his competitors and will not be outsmarted.
This season, Clemson had the ability to go undefeated and secure the number one seed. By doing this, they avoid a potential first round loss to Saban’s squad. When the two teams meet in the Championship game, a loss will be inevitable for Swinney and the Tigers.
Alabama over Clemson, 31-17
MICHIGAN STATE
One word comes to mind when I think of Michigan State’s season… Well, no words come to mind when I think of the incredibly improbable and remarkable season put together by the Spartans. I am, as everyone should be, simply in awe their season from beginning to end, disregarding the Nebraska game (but don’t remind a Spartan fan of that).
The Spartans have punched their tickets to the Cotton Bowl, which is serving as one of the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinal games. The Spartans, the third seed, are squaring off against the second ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on New Year’s Eve.
The Michigan State squad opened the season as the fifth ranked team in the country. High expectations surrounded the team, as they seemed poised to make a run at the playoffs. Sparty is lead by their fifth year quarterback Connor Cook. Cook lacks Deshaun Watson’s (Clemson) explosiveness, but he knows how to win. Their experience playing in big games, such as the 2014 Cotton Bowl and the Big Ten Championship game just weeks ago, will help them down the stretch.
Week after week, the Spartans have proved their worth, but it seemed as if no one took notice of the Spartans because of their lack of dominance in their wins. Margin of victory was not a strongsuit this season, but MSU beat four teams ranked in the AP top 25. These wins included statement victories over previously undefeated and reigning National Champion Ohio State and cinderella-story Iowa. Just like their opponent Alabama, the Spartans have somehow won in big situations.
As the weeks raced by and the team kept picking up steam, they continually climbed the leaderboard until they found their spot in the second annual CFP– a feat which could not have been achieved without one of the most inspiring drives ever engineered.
The Big Ten Championship was a little over a week ago, but as I close my eyes, I can still picture the unforgettable leap-and-reach game-winning touchdown by freshman running back LJ Scott. Let’s rewind. Nine minutes left in the game. Nine minutes to reach the playoffs. The score was 13-9 Hawkeyes, a defensive slugfest.. The Spartans marched down the field in dramatic fashion. Run after run by LJ Scott. Pass after accurate pass by Conor Cook. It seemed impossible, but with a few ticks over 20 seconds remaining on the clock, Scott capped off a legendary 22-play, 82-yard drive with a game winning touchdown.
“The Drive” and “The Reach” perfectly embodied what Sparty’s entire season was about: improbable wins. The college football Gods have been in the Spartans’ favor all season long and their luck will continue against an Alabama team that has seemed virtually unstoppable. Alabama’s Heisman Trophy finalist Derrick Henry, the Tide has been running over defenses all season. However, Michigan State’s defense shut down two stellar offenses in wins against Ohio State and Iowa.
Michigan State’s offensive cornerstone is electrifying long plays, something Alabama, even with Derrick Henry, is no counter to.
On New Year’s Eve Michigan State fans can pop the champagne to something other than the ball dropping. The team of destiny will beat Alabama and advance to its first ever College Football Playoff National Championship. It’s been a far-fetched and improbable season. How can any other compete with fate?
Michigan State over Clemson, 27-24
OKLAHOMA
The University of Oklahoma comes in to the second College Football Playoffs as the No. 4 seed. As the fourth seed, the Sooners are officially the underdog. However according to Nate Silver’s Model (which simulates each game thousands of times), Oklahoma has a 41 percent chance of winning it all. The most common result has Oklahoma beating No. 2 Alabama in the National Championship.
These are the official chances for each team to win the championship according to the model: Oklahoma- 41%, Alabama- 34%, Clemson- 15%, Michigan State- 10%.
Many college football fans were upset that the Sooners made the College Football Playoffs after losing to the University of Texas (Week 5) and not playing in a conference championship game. Even though they won the Big 12, some fans still don’t think this is enough due to the absence of a Big 12 Championship. That and the loss to Texas are making people forget about just how good this Oklahoma team is. The Sooners are ranked first in the country in offensive passing efficiency, eighth in offensive rushing efficiency, fourth in defensive passing efficiency and top 25 against the run. They also average 45.8 points and 528.2 yards per game. Those stats rank third and sixth in the CFP. The only team in the FBS that can stop their powerhouse offense is Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
Alabama plays Michigan State in the first round while the Sooners take on top-seed Clemson. There is a very good chance that the National Championship will be a battle between the nation’s best offense (Oklahoma) and best defense (Alabama). If this is the case, the advantage has to go to Oklahoma. By a very slight margin, Oklahoma’s defense is better than Alabama’s offense.
No matter what the outcome, this year’s College Football Playoffs figure to be very exciting.
Oklahoma over Alabama, 34-28
