“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
Of course spending Christmas day with your family and loved ones is always a treat (for most people), but, to me, it can also be a depressing time of the year. Why is it depressing? That just means that college football is nearly over.
The 2015-2016 College Football season is almost wrapped up for the year, and it’s over just as quick as it started.
We are two weeks away until the start of the second College Football Playoff is underway, and I believe this one is going to be more exciting than last years.
The #1 Clemson Tigers will take on the #4 Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl and the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the #3 Michigan State Spartans in the Cotton Bowl. Rightfully so, the Playoff Committee got all four teams right.
Here is what I’m predicting with the two semifinal games and the championship game.
Orange Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs. Oklahoma Sooners.
There is no denying that the Clemson Tigers offense have been on point all season long. With Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson leading the helm all season long with 30 passing touchdowns and 11 rushing touchdowns, he lead the Clemson offense to a No. 15 ranking in offense in the nation by putting 38.5 points per game, with a defense attack to back it up with a No. 16 ranking.
However, the Clemson Tigers’ offense will face something that they haven’t faced all season long: the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense.
The Sooners have a freakish pass rush that’s lead by linebackers Eric Striker, defensive end Charles Tapper, and defensive tackle Charles Walker who put up a combined 20.5 sacks, making the Sooners total sack tally 38.5 sacks of the season.
Let’s not forget that the Sooners defense has talented cornerbacks in Zack Sanchez and Jordan Thomas who pulled down 11 interceptions together.
Will Oklahoma’s defense be Watson’s kryptonite? I will say yes.
Oklahoma by 10.
Cotton Bowl: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Michigan State Spartans.
Remember when pretty much the entire nation counted out a BIG 10 school last year? I do. Do you know what happened when we doubted them? They won the national title. Could this year repeat itself? The Michigan State Spartans are the team to do so.
I do not believe this game is going to be a blowout at all. Both schools have two of the top defenses in the country, so points are going to be very low. If either team scores more than 20, I’ll be very surprised by it. Both defenses are tough in the trenches.
To me, the real question is this: Can the Spartans stop Heisman Trophy winner RB Derrick Henry? I don’t think they can stop him, but they can slow him down.
Henry has been a workhorse for the Crimson Tide the last seven games of their regular season. He rushed for at least 189 yards in five of those seven games. He has rushed for more yards than what Coker has thrown in four of those games.
I believe that Saban will look to balance his offense out before the Cotton Bowl. He has to expect that the Spartans will be gunning for Henry and expect the run all game long.
This is a hard game to predict. These two schools just seem to balance each other out in every way you can possibly think of.
I’m going to go ahead and say ‘Bama by 3 or less.
National Championship: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners.
This would be the championship game we as college football fans hope to get, and it is quite possible we will get it.
Oklahoma has the edge against ‘Bama with a 3-1-1 all-time record between the two schools.
This game will be another defensive battle in this year’s playoff, and I’m going to give the Sooners the win. They will also be Henry’s and Coker’s kryptonite.
I’m going with them Sooners of Oklahoma as our 2015-2016 National Champions.
