Who do you have in 2014. Serious replies about teams that you think can take it all in next season's playoffs.

Dumb question alert: is this upcoming season the last before college football switches to a playoff format?

Here are some teams from my list. This one isn't exclusive, just some teams who I feel comfortable pegging for the playoffs under the given format.

 

1. Oklahoma:

 

They crushed Alabama to end last season, and the kind of beatdown they put on the Tide was something that very, very few, if any, have been able to do. I know Utah beat the Tide after the Andre Smith suspension reshuffled the offensive line and it was a game where Alabama wasn't very excited about making the trip, but something about last season's win by the Sooners was more sound and it just seemed as if their recruiting base in the lower Midwest has started to close the gap. Trevor Knight came on strong to end the season last year, and if he can avoid a sophomore slump, then he could lead an offense that, while hurt by defections to the NFL Draft, will still be more than capable of keeping them in games. Why am I so confident in saying that? Because I think the Sooners return enough on defense and have recruited well enough to stay in the game with any Big XII team, especially while Texas is down.

 

They travel to West Virginia before a bye week to end September. Next, they open October by playing TCU in Fort Worth, and if they survive there, then beat Texas in the Red River Shootout the following week to basically wrap up October. Only a home date with Baylor in late November after Stoops has had time to let remind the team of the 41-12 beatdown the Bears put on them last season and a trip to Lubbock in a real trap game the following week stands in their way.

 

Coming off of the bowl victory over Alabama to end last season, they'll probably start high enough in the rankings to be able to afford a loss.

 

 

 

2. Oregon:

 

Tons of speed. That's what Oregon has. Beat them if you can catch them. Beat them if you are able to function after playing 3 quarters of their pace. Or, if you are my next team, beat them because you are big and can bully them.

 

Oregon or my next team will likely be the winner of the Pac-12, thus meaning they get to represent the conference in the "Final Four". The Rose and Sugar Bowls are the sites of the first round games, meaning the Pac 12 champ could be playing in Pasadena in front of a de facto home crowd. Where the Ducks would really be dangerous, however, is in a game where the turf enhanced their deathly speed. With the 2014 Championship Game being played in Cowboy's Stadium, you'd think the Ducks might have a bit of an edge if they were able to get their speed out of the elements and on a fast track.

 

 

 

3. Stanford:

 

Smash-mouth, point of attack football. Big physical kids who execute well and understand what's being asked of them. Kevin Hogan is a year older and wiser.

 

The taste of three defeats last season, including losses to Utah and USC, will motivate them during the offseason. Surviving tests on the road against Washington and Notre Dame in back-to-back weekends to end September and begin October, a home game with Oregon State in the last week of October is followed by going to Autzen to face Oregon the following week to open November. If they hold up from there, it's a bye week, then a home rematch with Utah, who you can bet won't be underestimated this time. They'll end the year with a visit to UCLA, and that game could have major implications as to who represents each division in the title game. I like whoever comes out of the Pac 12 North, whether it be Oregon or Stanford, in that matchup.

 

Though their schedule is a minefield, even getting through these games with only 1 loss means that beating Oregon likely puts them in the Pac-12 Championship game. Though I'm not 100% certain, if I'm not mistaken, even the team who is left out in the cold could wind up in the "Final Four" anyway should a 3-loss team like UCLA win the conference.

 

 

4. Ohio State:

 

I'm not a Buckeye fan, and that's putting it mildly. I'm not a fan of anything Urban Meyer, and that's putting it nicely. Fact is, the Buckeyes have the talent, system, and dare I even say coaching (all jokes aside, Urban is a good coach) to run through the Big 10 and get a favorable seed in the "Final Four". From there, it's really anyone's game.

 

The Buckeyes end the season with Michigan in the Horseshoe, but the biggest matchup of the year is going to come when they face off with Michigan State in East Lansing on November 8. Otherwise, a road trip to Happy Valley to take on newly minted coach James Franklin's Penn State squad has upset potential, but given the time of year that it comes, I'd expect the Buckeyes to be focused and ready.

 

With Meyer, Braxton Miller's Heisman candidacy, and a favorable schedule, there's a lot that OSU fans have to like.

Dumb question alert: is this upcoming season the last before college football switches to a playoff format?

 

Playoffs begin this season.

 

First round games are the Rose and Sugar Bowl. Final is Jerryworld in Arlington.

Oregon and Stanford will cancel each other out with only one of them having a shot at the final 4 IMO. That said Oregon get's more undeserved love than any team in the country, so they might get smoked by Stanford and still make it, but probably should not.

I'm pretty excited for this coming season, in fact I can't wait.

 

I think Auburn/LSU/Alabama will have one of the spots

Ohio St/Big 10 winner if no more than one loss

Oklahoma if undefeated will get a spot, a loss will knock them out

Clemson/FSU winner if no more than one loss

 

I really can't wait to see how this plays out, going to be fun!

Playoffs begin this season.

 

First round games are the Rose and Sugar Bowl. Final is Jerryworld in Arlington.

 

Awesome, I'm actually looking forward to college football now.

Count me as an unbeliever in Oklahoma. They haven't been relevant in years as a title contender. Baylor will be all they can handle.

 

Oregon is pretty dangerous but they always seem to have trouble when teams have time to prepare. They would be more dangerous in the final game than in the final four game.

 

Stanford is always tough but I wonder how their power game would look against a front from the SEC or FSU.

 

I think the winner of the playoff will be from the SEC. Bama, Auburn, LSU.

 

FSU has as much talent as anyone but I wouldn't be surprised to see them fall in two games before the playoffs and possibly miss it.

 

OSU is intriguing because of Urban Meyer but I don't thin they're ready for the SEC yet upfront on either side of the ball.

 

Sparty will be tough as always.

I don't know what to think about the new set up. Part of me thinks that if we thought there was problems with the BCS, just wait till now when those next four teams are making a case that they should be the first four in (or in the bottom 2).

 

People can say what they want about the BCS, but more times than not...it got the thing right. There was always a bunch of people freaking out in late October/Early November. ..but, when all was said and done...All was right in the world.

 

I have always thought that the men's NC A A basketball tourney was flawed bc way to much was placed on the post season. The college football world is/was reversed and made the regular season the MOST valuable of any sport (college or pro). I kind of liked it being it's own little monster in that regard.

 

With Everett G. Coming back to South Bend, wish full thinking says the Irish are back in the mix. But, I'll have to go with:

 

1) Oklahoma

2) SEC Champ (Bama, LSU, Auburn)

3) Ohio State

4) A wild card....Miami (why not?! There is always a sleeper. The U wins the ACC w/ one loss?! I like Al Golden and from what I've seen, it won't surprise me to see the U come back to glory when it's least expected).

FSU will make the playoffs. Too much talent down there now.

 

*disclaimer*

 

Provided Jameis stays out of jail.

Oregon and Stanford will cancel each other out with only one of them having a shot at the final 4 IMO. That said Oregon get's more undeserved love than any team in the country, so they might get smoked by Stanford and still make it, but probably should not.

 

 

They'll cancel one another out, but I feel better about saying with confidence that one of those two will represent the Pac-12 than I do about saying any two or even three teams that I could pick to say the same about in the SEC.

 

Same goes for Oklahoma and Baylor in the Big XII, though I guess you could say that TCU and possibly even Texas might have a shot, but I don't think it'd be what I'd consider a good one.

Joker, you feel confident that no SEC team will be involved? I beg to differ

FSU will make the playoffs. Too much talent down there now.

 

*disclaimer*

 

Provided Jameis stays out of jail.

 

 

I think Jameis becomes too much of a distraction during the season and it begins to become a weight on a team filled with guys who didn't have a ton of collegiate success before last season and might not know how to handle it once they become the hunted.

 

No doubt, FSU has a ton of talent, but I could see someone like Florida or NC State having a relatively awful year but beating them on a night where they just can't seem to do anything wrong and the Noles can't get out of their own way.

 

I can also see teams with solid coaches having a year of Jameis' tape to study over the summer and finding increasingly sophisticated ways of game planning.

 

I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that one team presses him and ends up making him try to do too much instead of just taking what he's given in a way that ends up getting them beat. What I'm trying to say is that, as his star grows, I really wonder if Winston would be satisfied with handing the ball off all night and not getting his own stats even if it meant grinding out a win. If I'm a team with a puncher's chance and I think I can pull it off, why not try and let someone else besides him beat me and see if he's satisfied with that as the game wears on.

Joker, you feel confident that no SEC team will be involved? I beg to differ

 

I feel very confident that an SEC team will be involved. I don't feel very confident narrowing it down to two or maybe even three that I'd roll with as my pick.

 

No one saw Auburn coming last year.

 

Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M. Aside from South Carolina all those teams are in the same division and will beat up on one another. It wouldn't shock me to see any of those 6 end up being the SEC representative.

 

Of the teams South Carolina gets as cross-divison opponents, they're looking at both Auburn and Texas A&M. They also have Clemson and the rest of their schedule in the SEC East, so it's not as if they'll have a cakewalk, it's just easy when speaking relatively to the rest of the SEC.

Alabama.

 

 

All others.