As the holiday season draws near, another college football season sadly comes to an end. It’s bittersweet, but ultimately the prize we as college football fans must pay. As you bring out those winter jackets, you wistfully tuck away your team’s hoodies, socks, and other memorabilia you won’t be wearing during Christmas. If you’re lucky, your team will make the playoffs with only a couple of losses and be alright. What was once a four–team extravaganza that controversially left out some of the NCAA’s best teams has become a twelve–team showcase of football dominance across the nation. The crown is ever sweeter than before, the trophy holds more weight, and being a National Champion means something now.

Before we can get to the playoffs, Championship Weekend is right around the corner. We will see major matchups of Texas Tech vs BYU—the winner of the Big 12 makes the CFP. However, if BYU wins, can a two loss Texas Tech team still make it in? How about if Alabama upsets Georgia twice in a season? How many chances will Notre Dame—a non–conference program—get if upsets occur and pushes them down in the rankings? All will be known after this weekend.

Tulane vs.  North Texas

Quite possibly an underrated conference championship. Ranked No. 24 North Texas faces No. 20 Tulane in Louisiana. Not much to be said about this game other than that the winner will be automatically placed in the College Football Playoffs. This is because of how the committee structures its rankings. The format states that the top five highest ranked conference champions make the playoffs. Given that, Tulane has the higher advantage over North Texas to win based on the rankings. Basically, this is an elimination game for the loser. In no circumstance will the loser of this game make the playoffs. Now, if Tulane wins, they will likely be a 12 seed in the playoffs. This is because they are a group of five schools, meaning they aren’t in the same conversation as the SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12. The rule here is irreversible. Either North Texas or Tulane grabs that 12 spot. There is a scenario where James Madison wins their Sun Belt championship and North Texas beats Tulane. That would push North Texas up to 11 and James Madison to 12. The only situation to have both James Madison and North Texas/Tulane in the playoffs would be if Duke upset Virginia. And…

Tulane wins 38–30

Duke vs.  Virginia

How Duke got here is a miracle itself. How Miami is not is a spectacle of how corrupt the college football playoff format is. Seriously, let’s make it a 16 team showdown. Duke lost three of their non–conference games earlier in the season, but somehow managed to go 6–2 in the ACC. Duke made the ACC Championship thanks to a tiebreaker — SMU’s loss to California opened the door. If Duke beats Virginia—and that’s a colossal if—they may not be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. As aforementioned, James Madison is ranked as of now at 25. Duke is not. It would not be fair to exempt a potential Sun Belt champion James Madison, who would be 12–1 on the year, to a possibly 8–5 Duke team that barely made the ACC Championship out of a whim. It just cannot happen. However, the miracle of them making it this far did happen. So, nobody can really say for sure. Now Virginia, a school with a 10–2 record on the year, is in the championship because they are a legitimate ACC contender. Their only defeats came against NC State in September and Wake Forest in November. They already played Duke and beat them 34–17. The college football world is counting on the Cavaliers to knock out Duke and end this discrepancy amongst fans who think Duke should make it in if they win. If Virginia wins, they are currently ranked No. 17 in the CFP rankings. Given that, I believe they will be a 10 or 11 seed in the bracket.

Virginia wins 44–17

Ohio State vs. Indiana

This is the big one! This is the matchup everyone wants to see. The Big Ten Championship is a clash of the titans. College football’s reigning champions take on a Curt Cignetti team that looks unstoppable. Unless you’re Penn State, where they took the game down to the wire and lost off of an impossible Omar Cooper Jr. catch. Really, how did he get that foot in? Anyway, this one definitely would’ve been the national championship if it were still a four team playoff. Ohio State would be No. 1. Indiana would be No. 2. This would be one of the best National Championships. They still have to play each other in their conference championship. Which means, one of these teams will obviously have to suffer a loss. With that being said, the spread of this game is in the high 40s. Ohio State has the best defensive player in the nation, therefore I believe this will be a close defensive game. This will be a 24–21 game in my opinion. Let’s talk about the playoffs. The winner of this game will undoubtedly be the number one seed garnering a first round bye. The loser, well it depends. If the loser loses by 3 to 10 points, I’d say they still catch a 3 or 4 seed depending on the Georgia–Alabama game. If they lose by 15-20 points, I’d maybe say they get pushed down to a 5 seed which would inflict chaos on bubble teams. However, I think the loser of this game stays at a 3 seed and gets by. Either way, I don’t think the committee puts these two teams on the same side of the bracket. We will want a rematch if it comes to it. 

Ohio State wins 24–21

Texas Tech vs. BYU

Texas Tech has been dominating all season. Led by Behren Morton and Cameron Dickey, their offense has been impeccable. They aren’t just beating teams—they are kicking the sh*t out of them. I think if BYU stands a chance against Tech, they will have to not do what they did back in November where they lost 29–7. BYU’s offense needs to be explosive. However, I just don’t see this happening. Texas Tech has been a top team all season and will again prove to be again. With a Big 12 championship at their fingertips, a college football playoff appearance is in no question. For BYU, losing here would be game over. Yes, that would only be two losses for the Cougars. However, BYU is currently ranked No. 11. To lose here would arguably push them down to at least 13 or 14, just outside the bracket. This still stands even if Duke, North Texas, and James Madison win their conferences. Now, if BYU wins, they are no doubt in the playoffs most likely at a 6 or 7 seed. Now the question is, what if BYU does win; where does that leave Texas Tech? I believe if the Red Raiders lose this game, they will still make it in the playoffs as they are currently ranked No. 4—but it won’t be easy. They will likely need Georgia to beat Alabama, which isn’t a given anymore. This would ultimately push bubble teams out of the playoffs like Miami and Texas. This could also mean that Notre Dame would miss the playoffs as they are currently ranked No. 10. However, I believe the game will be 21–0 Texas Tech by halftime. This game is the surest win for me to predict. 

Texas Tech wins 41–10

Alabama vs. Georgia

Another championship that seems disappointing to some as Texas A&M lost to Texas last weekend, resulting in the Aggies missing the championship game. However, as the CFP corruption continues, it’s actually better for the Aggies to miss the SEC Championship than it is for Alabama to make it. Alabama can be punished by losing the SEC Championship as that would give them three losses. Doing so would arguably have them miss the playoffs, right? RIGHT? Well, the committee does everything they can to put a metaphorical “safety net” around the state of Alabama. In their latest rankings, Alabama leapfrogged Notre Dame by a ranking by barely beating a horrible Auburn team. Why is this? Well, the committees that Alabama is on its back when it comes to Georgia. Beating the Bulldogs twice in a season is nearly impossible. They want to make sure a ranked No. 9 Alabama can still grab that 11 spot in the playoffs to potentially play Ole Miss or Oregon. This just makes the CFP seem a little rigged, but it is what it is. Doing so would push out Notre Dame, Texas, Miami, and possibly BYU if they lose to Texas Tech. For Georgia, winning here would secure them the 2 seed in the playoffs. There is no possibility that the committee ranks Georgia above Ohio State or Indiana. If the Crimson Tide win, then Alabama will likely be moved up five spots to get a first round bye, resulting in Texas Tech sliding down to 5. The cataclysmic shift this would cause in the rankings is absolutely critical for bubble teams to stay afloat. 

Georgia wins 35–27

Teams Not in Conference Championships

For teams not in the conference championship, they get two weeks off to enjoy and study the madness. Particularly, Ole Miss, who recently just had their coach head off to rival LSU. No doubt this was one of the best seasons in Ole Miss history. Currently, Ole Miss is ranked No. 6 in the official CFP rankings. They are one spot behind the Oregon Ducks. Based on my predictions, a 6 Ole Miss will face an 11 seed Virginia Cavaliers. They have never played before. I am hopeful that this playoff bracket will produce matchups that are new and non–conference rivalries. Save the drama for the second round.

Ole Miss wins 27–13

The Oregon Ducks hold the 5 seed, which means they obviously didn’t make the Big Ten Championship despite a terrific season. Losing to Indiana by 10 points was their only blemish. Despite this, Oregon remains a top 3 school in the nation. At 5, the Oregon Ducks will likely get that group of 5 championship winner, which I have Tulane. Oregon vs. Tulane would be a thrilling matchup full of green pride. 

Oregon wins 33–14

Texas A&M missed their shot at a potential first round bye by not making the SEC Championship. If they did make it, they would play Georgia. This may work in their favor as they will likely stay seated at the 7 seed and play a nice 10 seed Miami. The reason I have Miami here is because of several reasons. Reason one being, Alabama will likely lose the SEC Championship and be pushed down to an 11/12 seed or not at all. Notre Dame is ranked No. 10, which would push them back up to 9 where Alabama took their spot. Miami is ranked No. 12 currently, but if BYU loses, they will be ranked below Miami. Therefore, the Hurricanes finally make the playoffs after missing out last year. The argument for Miami to make the playoffs is that they beat Notre Dame in week 1. Yes, that is true. However, Miami lost a close game to Louisville and another to SMU in overtime. If they wanted to make the playoffs, they should’ve finished the job then. I think a Miami vs Texas A&M game would be ideal for the college football playoff. Texas A&M won a lot of games very close—especially to Notre Dame.

Miami wins 27–21

The final two seeds. The 8 and 9 spots. The winner advances, likely to play the number one team in the nation, either Indiana or Ohio State. This will hopefully and likely be an Oklahoma vs Notre Dame matchup. Notre Dame’s offense has looked top tier all season. Even starting 0–2, their losses came by a total of only 4 points. At no point were the Fighting Irish blown out. When you look at Oklahoma, their wins came pretty close against some of the SEC’s best. Understandably, John Mateer was left out some time due to injuries. However, he bounced back and is now in the college football playoffs. John Mateer is a top quarterback in the NCAA, but someone who I think stays another year in Oklahoma due to eligibility. He is a quarterback who ironically could be Notre Dame’s quarterback next season in the transfer portal. But with CJ Carr’s success as a freshman, that may just not be the case. Notre Dame is a monstrous threat to any team in the playoffs. It would be a great shame and complete crime to leave this team out of the playoffs.

Notre Dame wins 45–33