The Rose Bowl: (1) Alabama vs (4) USC– Once again, Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide will receive the one seed in the fourth year of the College Football Playoff. They will enter with a zero in the loss column for the second straight year. At this point, we can simply just put the regular season behind us and focus on this because this is what Alabama wanted was to get back to this point after making it all the way to the title game in Tampa in January and lose in heartbreaking fashion. This will be an interesting quarterback battle between Jalen Hurts and Sam Darnold. This has the chance to be a very physical game especially with the Trojans’ offensive line and Alabama’s defensive front which will be retooled after losing key guys from last season and those are the best football games to watch when it comes down to the battle of the trenches. When USC last played Alabama, the Tide simply rolled away with it and let’s also remember that was a different USC team with a different coach at the time and Darnold wasn’t under center. This would pretty much be a home game for the Trojans.
Winner: I can see this being a close game and coming down to the final possession. I like the Alabama Crimson Tide to advance and get back to the National Title game for the third season in a row and sixth time under Nick Saban. Jalen Hurts will lead the Tide down the field and get the team in good position to kick a field goal. Tide 38 Trojans 34.
The Sugar Bowl: (2) Florida State vs (3) Ohio State– This has the potential to be a classic. Both these teams were featured in the inaugural college football playoff in 2015. One team was upset (Florida State) and the other upset Alabama to get to the title game and would go on to win the whole thing behind the running of Ezekiel Elliott, remember him? Both of these teams are very similar to one another. Both programs are led by two of the best head coaches in the game, both have played on the biggest stage of them all and they each have quarterbacks and with their signal callers, their teams will go as far as they take them. Both J.T. Barrett and Deondre Francois are the x-factors for their teams this season and they will meet for the right to lead their teams to a National Title game appearance. The last time Ohio State played in the CFP, they were absolutely embarrassed by the eventual champion Clemson Tigers so you know that will be sitting in the back of their heads. Florida State hasn’t been on the big stage since 2015. After a year where the Buckeyes were expected to take a step back in 2016, they grew up quickly and it showed. Both these football teams can score and put points up in a hurry. Ohio State can push the ball down the field quickly, spread defenses out and put six on the scoreboard in a hurry. Florida State isn’t too bad either. This could be one of those epic shootouts that we come to talk about for years to come.
Winner: This one will be all offense and no defense so we can see a lot of points being scored in this one. The Florida State Seminoles will advance for the right to play in their first title game since 2014 when they defeated Auburn to complete a perfect season with some kid named Jameis Winston. This is the game where Deondre Francois grows up and takes over when his team needs him too. Seminoles 45 Buckeyes 41
