Call Your Shot - 2022 College Football Playoff Teams

[closetojumping 62,141]

Look, if somebody has already started this thread in earnest and it's active, my bad. I didn't see a damned thing on the first page and it is ridiculous that we don't have one of these up, so here's my stab at it. 

The chalk picks for the CFP this year are, in order, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson. This is damned near a consensus on XM 84 discussions, the preseason shows, the magazines, you name it. The AP and Coaches Polls agree on these four as well.

Here are mine:

Bama, Ohio State, NCSU, and Oklahoma State

-Bama returns the best 2 players (arguably) in CFB and a ton of experienced talent across the board. They're questionable at WR and OL, if you're looking to pick nits. Their big game in the non-con is us, so, yeah. They get Tenn as always, which is in Knoxville, so that's interesting. They also get Vandy and, in spite of Vandy beating a shitty Hawaii team, they suck and will finish 3-9 on the season, so that's a break. 

-Ohio State has the triumvirate offensively of Stroud, Henderson, and JSN. @Helobious recently declared to the board that they'd all 3 be Heisman finalists and that Stroud would throw for roughly 6,000 yards. They return a ton of talent and experience. If you want to point to a weakness, they have talent to replace on the OL and the defense needs to take quickly to a complicated defensive scheme via Knowles. They open at night against ND in the shoe and they also didn't get any breaks from the Big 10 West, drawing Wiscy and Iowa, although those are also at home. I have a hard time projecting someone else to run the table other than Bama unless you're talking about OSU.

-NCSU returns a bunch of talent and possibly the best QB in the ACC. They were a damned good team last year and Doeren is a damned good coach. They basically return the entirety of their defense and most of the offense minus a 1st rounder at OT. The schedule is really favorable, as their big non-con game is Tech at home. They should be 4-0 heading into Clemson, who is wildly overrated and a CFP pick due largely to reputation. The big problem for this team is overcoming the OC, Tim Beck. If they can do that, I like them as a 12-1/13-0 CFP team.

-People who didn't laugh at the NCSU pick will absolutely laugh at the Okie State pick. Most folks on the radio are picking OU and Baylor in the Big 12 title game. Right. Okie State returns studs on the defensive front and Mason is a quality DC. Offensively, they get back Sanders and most of their OL. They always have quality WRs and TBs. Their schedule is fine, getting Texas, WVU and ISU at home, along with a mediocre non-con all at home. Whoever wins the Big 12 has a great shot of being 12-1 in doing so. That puts them in the conversation and I don't see a better alternative. 

Teams I didn't pick that others are picking:

-USC - weak across both lines, they were 4-8 last year and Riley coaches soft teams. 

-Utah - Rising and high quality coaching makes them a decent pick, especially in a weak Pac 12. I don't see them being 12-1 or better and folks will be looking for reasons not to include Utah in the playoffs. They need to win this weekend in The Swamp to even have a prayer. I guess if they blowout UF, they could be interesting.

-ND - I assume they lose this weekend. They have a really difficult schedule, a new HC, a new QB, and they lost every difference maker on defense. They also lost the standout TB. They do return their entire OL and the star TE, Mayer, but I don't think that's enough.

-Georgia - Georgia isn't Alabama. They're not losing 15 players to the NFL and their star WR to Bama while returning JAGger Lite at QB and "reloading". I think they lose this weekend against a highly talented Oregon team with a bunch of knowledge about Georgia and its weaknesses. I won't be surprised if they don't even make it back to the SEC title game this season.

-Clemson 2022 is Texas 2006. They have a ton of talent, just not the right talent in the right places. They're ridiculous on the defensive line and that is their team strength. They have stars at LB and Safety as well, but unknowns playing next to them. The QB barely threw for 50% last year and was an unconfident turnover machine. The TB gets hype for no reason whatsoever. He wouldn't be in Texas' 4 deep at TB this season. Ngata is the supposed to be the star WR and he scares no one. Their schedule is shit and they will still lose 3+ games. 

-Michigan - They play the shittiest non-con of any P5 team and they rigged it that way, backing out of games along the way to wind up with CSU, Hawaii, and UConn. They miss Wiscy from the west, but they do go to Kinnick  Stadium to play Iowa. I assume they'll lose one game to whomever and then lose to OSU. With their schedule, that's enough to keep them home. Also, if you have two qbs, you have no qbs. McNamara defines the term JAG and they lost key talent going high in the draft. Meh.

-Texas A&M - I have a hard time taking ATM seriously, given that the last time they were relevant in the national title picture was roughly around the time Hitler was invading Poland. But, hey, folks are mentioning them. They have a shitty QB room, a shitty OL situation, and an offensive scheme from the stone ages. They're also slow at CB and mediocre at 2 of the 3 LB positions. The schedule isn't as easy as it has been in the past. App State isn't bad and Miami is good. UF isn't a pushover, especially later in the season, and SCarolina is going to be a decent team if Rattler is healthy. Miami, Arkansas in Dallas, @ Miss State, @ Bama in a 4 week stretch will tell the tale for their season. If they manage to come out of that 3-1 or 4-0, holy shit. They could easily come out of that 0-4 and then after the bye they're @ SCar, Ole Miss, UF, @ Auburn. None of that is easy either. I know we always pick ATM to go 6-6 or something, and then they go 8-4, but this year could be the year everyone is picking them to go 11-1 and they go tits up at 6-6 in the regular season. They're a soft program to boot. 

-Oklahoma - They're getting a bunch of late run as a contender in the media circuit. They replace a ton and have a new staff. Jeff Lebby and Gabriel are getting a lot of hype and that is bizarre. But hey, Brent Venables is energetic! I don't see it. My ideal season for OU is 0-12. My realistic ideal season this year for OU is that they save Frost's job at Nebraska in week 3, lose to Texas in the RRS, and then drop 2-3 other Big 12 games while OU fans self-talk themselves into believing it is all Lincoln Riley's fault and Venables will build them up "the right way" going forward. 

Sneaky pick from the G5 that could sneak in under the right circumstances: 

-UH - They would have to beat @ UTSA and @ Texas Tech in consecutive weeks and then run the table and go 13-0 and hope everyone loses, but they have the talent to do it. 

I pick Bama to win it all because I am lazy.

[83Horn 1,638]

I was going to list Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and USC as my four, but after reading OP's write-up, it's hard to argue against leaving Georgia and USC off.  Then again, Georgia may not be 'Bama, but they have been stacking talent for at least 5 years and have been consistently good for as long, so I am leaving them in my four for no other reason than they are probably better as SEC runner-up than most other conference champions will be, and the selection committee loves them some SEC.  I am less convinced that USC will make it, but I also think the Big XII will not make the playoffs unless the Big XII champ has no more than 1 loss AND is named either Texas or Oklahoma.  I guess Okie State could make it, but I don't see that happening unless they go undefeated...and I don't see that happening.  They will have their annual, soul crushing loss to OU, plus one head scratching loss to someone else...it's what they do.  So, all that being said, I'm leaving my four as:

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, USC

[FloridaHorn 4,735]

I agree with your top 3 choices, but I am not ready to join the Grundy express and get on the OSU bandwagon. I don’t think OSU wins the Big XII, so I certainly can’t put them in the playoffs. My picks today would be 

Bama

tOSU

NCSU

USC

Then I think Bama hangs 1/2 a hundred on USC in the first round, setting up a great match up with tOSU for the trophy.

[Helobious 9,480]

That’s not quite what I said, but go off sis. Stroud & JSN are almost locks to go 1 & 2 in the heisman race, unless Bryce young leads Bama to an unbeaten year. They could have the most machine like offense of all time, and 5k yards from Stroud and almost or even over 2k receiving yards from JSN would not surprise me one bit. Of course it all depends how much they feed Henderson. I’m just saying all 3 at the heisman ceremony isn’t crazy to imagine. (Disclaimer: I fucking hate tOSU. But objectively they’re going to be good)

my picks 

tOSU - I really think they’re going 15-0 and will field maybe the best offense this game has ever seen. Think 2019 LSU but better.

Bama - nothing needs to be said

ND - “tough schedule”. Who’s tough on it? BYU? USC? They will lose to tOSU and not lose again the rest of the year. Until they get rolled in the playoffs.

Georgia - Don’t make a shit who their QB is, they have the talent to cover for him. 

If you think NCSU, USC, Utah, or a team led by Mike fucking Gundy will make the playoffs you’re on actual drugs.

[gmr548 16,481]

1. Bama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame (it’s really a “do I have to pick four?” situation for this spot)

Oregon or Utah instantly go on playoff watch with Week 1 wins, I just think they’re both going to lose.

[Not a cat 5,615]

I was intrigued by your NCSU discussion until I got to the part about Tim Beck.  

[perfectchaos007 6,596]

Yeah the first 2 are obvious choices, but I’m going to predict Kentucky pulls a massive upset against Georgia and finds their way into the playoff. Georgia lost most of their defense to the NFL and Will Levis is a better QB than Stetson Bennett III. 
 

1. Alabama

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Kentucky 

Edited August 31, 2022 by perfectchaos007

[Mitch Cumsteen 18,523]

Bama, Georgia, Ohio State, Utah

Bama is the no brainer. They have the two best players (arguably) in college football and are coached by the devil. 

Georgia loses a ton on defense, but they are replacing them mostly with vets. Their bag game recruiting has been so good that they can reload. They will still out-talent every team they face by a good margin. But most importantly, their schedule is dogshit. If they get past Oregon in the Georgia Dome week 1, their toughest remaining game is probably at Kentucky which is the only other ranked team (#20) on their schedule. They get Tenn at home. 

Utah -- the Pac is garbage. If they win at the Swamp on Saturday, then they are also set up for a pretty easy ride. They do have to play at Oregon late in the season, but they get USC at home. Plus it would be just fucking great to watch Cam Rising in the playoffs.

Ohio State - I'm just picking them by default because they are loaded and I don't trust anybody else in the Big 10 to score enough to beat them. I'm openly hoping that they take another step back this year and some more cracks start to show for Ryan Day. This is year 4 post-Urban so let's see how much creep has set into the program. He's already re-shuffled the defense staff a couple of times.

 

 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10,138]

In order of how I expect them to end up:

Alabama - duh

Ohio State - Knowles was the best hire of the off-season

Georgia - they still are loaded with talent and SEC always gets benefit of doubt from committee

USC - schedule works in their favor. I expect many close high score games that they pull out just like Riley's OU squads. USC anywhere near the conversation committee has to put them in to finally include a western team.

 

[Vertigo 20,265]

Bama - Spoiler, they win it all 

Ohio State - They get revenge on the fighting Harbaughs and roll into the playoffs

Utah - USC isn't ready yet and there isn't another team that should challenge them in the west. 

Clemson - Clemson will rebound from a "down" 10 win season and I predict Klubnik is the guy leading them into the playoffs. 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by Vertigo

[Wally Pryor 5,243]

Desmond's pretty knowledgeable, gotta go with his insights: Pitt, Baylor, Michigan, A&M

 

[IDIOTsavant 8,437]

Put me down for Alabama, Ohio State, Utah, and Michigan.

[FreeHorn 1,307]

Arkansas 

USC

Ohio State

Georgia

 

[Tex-19 2,869]

I'll go:

Bama

Ohio St

UGA - their offense was actually pretty efficient last year. Monken is a good OC. And their schedule is soft after Oregon.

4th spot is a crapshoot but I'll say USC - Their O should be one of the best in the country thanks to all the transfers, many of which already know the system. Their D will probably suck. They'll lose at least one of Utah and ND, but they get in if they only have one loss.

[66BUFF 2,552]

Bama, Georgia, Michigan and Clemson

[40acredropout 2,901]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

Ohio State has the triumvirate offensively of Stroud, Henderson, and JSN. @Helobious recently declared to the board that they'd all 3 be Heisman finalists

Your persuasion skills are slipping.  

[Pdawg88 1,110]

Bama, Tosu, Georgia, Clemson 

[closetojumping 62,141]

1 hour ago, 83Horn said:

I was going to list Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and USC as my four, but after reading OP's write-up, it's hard to argue against leaving Georgia and USC off.  Then again, Georgia may not be 'Bama, but they have been stacking talent for at least 5 years and have been consistently good for as long, so I am leaving them in my four for no other reason than they are probably better as SEC runner-up than most other conference champions will be, and the selection committee loves them some SEC.  I am less convinced that USC will make it, but I also think the Big XII will not make the playoffs unless the Big XII champ has no more than 1 loss AND is named either Texas or Oklahoma.  I guess Okie State could make it, but I don't see that happening unless they go undefeated...and I don't see that happening.  They will have their annual, soul crushing loss to OU, plus one head scratching loss to someone else...it's what they do.  So, all that being said, I'm leaving my four as:

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, USC

 

1 hour ago, FloridaHorn said:

I agree with your top 3 choices, but I am not ready to join the Grundy express and get on the OSU bandwagon. I don’t think OSU wins the Big XII, so I certainly can’t put them in the playoffs. My picks today would be 

Bama

tOSU

NCSU

USC

Then I think Bama hangs 1/2 a hundred on USC in the first round, setting up a great match up with tOSU for the trophy.

Listen, there is no shame with anyone refusing to be lured into the Gundy trap. I, too, get really sick of watching him choke against OU. It's like he has a pathological need to do so. I just think if there's going to be another year for OSU to make a run, this is it. 

As to y'all's USC picks, I don't know, man. They went 4-8. You want to talk about soft and entitled cultures? USC's rot might be worse than UT's on that front. Rebuilding a program overnight is tough without the beasts and dawgs up front. Should be fun to see.

[Bevo 13,516]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

-NCSU returns a bunch of talent and possibly the best QB in the ACC. They were a damned good team last year and Doeren is a damned good coach. They basically return the entirety of their defense and most of the offense minus a 1st rounder at OT. The schedule is really favorable, as their big non-con game is Tech at home. They should be 4-0 heading into Clemson, who is wildly overrated and a CFP pick due largely to reputation. The big problem for this team is overcoming the OC, Tim Beck. If they can do that, I like them as a 12-1/13-0 CFP team.

Ha, Ha. No way will Tim Beck coach a 13-0 team.

 

tOSU, USC, Alabama, Georgia.

[closetojumping 62,141]

1 hour ago, Helobious said:

That’s not quite what I said, but go off sis. Stroud & JSN are almost locks to go 1 & 2 in the heisman race, unless Bryce young leads Bama to an unbeaten year. They could have the most machine like offense of all time, and 5k yards from Stroud and almost or even over 2k receiving yards from JSN would not surprise me one bit. Of course it all depends how much they feed Henderson. I’m just saying all 3 at the heisman ceremony isn’t crazy to imagine. (Disclaimer: I fucking hate tOSU. But objectively they’re going to be good)

my picks 

tOSU - I really think they’re going 15-0 and will field maybe the best offense this game has ever seen. Think 2019 LSU but better.

Bama - nothing needs to be said

ND - “tough schedule”. Who’s tough on it? BYU? USC? They will lose to tOSU and not lose again the rest of the year. Until they get rolled in the playoffs.

Georgia - Don’t make a shit who their QB is, they have the talent to cover for him. 

If you think NCSU, USC, Utah, or a team led by Mike fucking Gundy will make the playoffs you’re on actual drugs.

Well, I can't speak for other folks picking Utah, NCSU or USC, but I can say that, happily, I am not on actual drugs unless Nexium has hallucinatory attributes of which I've never encountered. 

The "ND doesn't play anybody" trope is as old, tired and untrue as any in CFB lore. After going to The.Shoe.At.Night., they go to UNC in week 4. UNC is talented, if unproven. Mack Brown will have his team viewing that one as must win. BYU in Vegas followed by a rivalry game at home against Stanford is, yes, a tough back to back. They end up playing Clemson at home and finishing against USC in LA. The only pushover games are UNLV, Navy, Syracuse, and Marshall. BC is decent to good and Cal will play that game in South Bend like it is the Super Bowl. Cumulatively, I see the schedule giving them 3 losses or more. 

I was goading you on the OSU stuff. I can't remember what you claimed, but you certainly didn't disappoint here with the OSU takes.

[closetojumping 62,141]

58 minutes ago, perfectchaos007 said:

Yeah the first 2 are obvious choices, but I’m going to predict Kentucky pulls a massive upset against Georgia and finds their way into the playoff. Georgia lost most of their defense to the NFL and Will Levis is a better QB than Stetson Bennett III. 
 

1. Alabama

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Kentucky 

I thought my Okie State pick was out of nowhere. The Kentucky pick is fucking nuts. If we're doing brackets like CBB, you're doing it right. If they get there, you win the whole contest.

55 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Bama, Georgia, Ohio State, Utah

Bama is the no brainer. They have the two best players (arguably) in college football and are coached by the devil. 

Georgia loses a ton on defense, but they are replacing them mostly with vets. Their bag game recruiting has been so good that they can reload. They will still out-talent every team they face by a good margin. But most importantly, their schedule is dogshit. If they get past Oregon in the Georgia Dome week 1, their toughest remaining game is probably at Kentucky which is the only other ranked team (#20) on their schedule. They get Tenn at home. 

Utah -- the Pac is garbage. If they win at the Swamp on Saturday, then they are also set up for a pretty easy ride. They do have to play at Oregon late in the season, but they get USC at home. Plus it would be just fucking great to watch Cam Rising in the playoffs.

Ohio State - I'm just picking them by default because they are loaded and I don't trust anybody else in the Big 10 to score enough to beat them. I'm openly hoping that they take another step back this year and some more cracks start to show for Ryan Day. This is year 4 post-Urban so let's see how much creep has set into the program. He's already re-shuffled the defense staff a couple of times.

 

 

Reasonable picks. My two big things with Utah are: 1) no one wants Utah in the playoffs. It's like MSU making it in the first year. So if there is any viable alternative, the committee is magically picking the other guy. 2) They will damned good on defense, but they lost difference-making talent on defense and that could hurt early. Of course, Van Fillinger might amass 20 sacks this year.

[HRSchenker 2,258]

Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Utah.

[Enchubben 5,509]

Alabama Ohio State Clemson and Georgia.

The same as it ever was, bleh.

[closetojumping 62,141]

26 minutes ago, Pdawg88 said:

Bama, Tosu, Georgia, Clemson 

Oddly, you are the only chalk pick so far. Four #1 seeds to make it, huh?

Welp, nevermind. Enchubben just did the same. I hope y'all are wrong.

Edited August 31, 2022 by closetojumping

[Guest]

1. Bama versus 4. Clemson

2. Ohio St versus 3. Georgia 

Bama - Ohio St Championship game - Bama wins. 

[Bevo 13,516]

13 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

The "ND doesn't play anybody" trope is as old, tired and untrue as any in CFB lore. After going to The.Shoe.At.Night., they go to UNC in week 4. UNC is talented, if unproven. Mack Brown will have his team viewing that one as must win. BYU in Vegas followed by a rivalry game at home against Stanford is, yes, a tough back to back. They end up playing Clemson at home and finishing against USC in LA. The only pushover games are UNLV, Navy, Syracuse, and Marshall. BC is decent to good and Cal will play that game in South Bend like it is the Super Bowl. Cumulatively, I see the schedule giving them 3 losses or more.

They usually do a pretty good job of spacing out their tough games.

[Bevo 13,516]

<satya> Oklahoma, USC, tOSU, A&M <satya>

[Davis Lane 5,551]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Look, if somebody has already started this thread in earnest and it's active, my bad. I didn't see a damned thing on the first page and it is ridiculous that we don't have one of these up, so here's my stab at it. 

The chalk picks for the CFP this year are, in order, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson. This is damned near a consensus on XM 84 discussions, the preseason shows, the magazines, you name it. The AP and Coaches Polls agree on these four as well.

Here are mine:

Bama, Ohio State, NCSU, and Oklahoma State

-Bama returns the best 2 players (arguably) in CFB and a ton of experienced talent across the board. They're questionable at WR and OL, if you're looking to pick nits. Their big game in the non-con is us, so, yeah. They get Tenn as always, which is in Knoxville, so that's interesting. They also get Vandy and, in spite of Vandy beating a shitty Hawaii team, they suck and will finish 3-9 on the season, so that's a break. 

-Ohio State has the triumvirate offensively of Stroud, Henderson, and JSN. @Helobious recently declared to the board that they'd all 3 be Heisman finalists and that Stroud would throw for roughly 6,000 yards. They return a ton of talent and experience. If you want to point to a weakness, they have talent to replace on the OL and the defense needs to take quickly to a complicated defensive scheme via Knowles. They open at night against ND in the shoe and they also didn't get any breaks from the Big 10 West, drawing Wiscy and Iowa, although those are also at home. I have a hard time projecting someone else to run the table other than Bama unless you're talking about OSU.

-NCSU returns a bunch of talent and possibly the best QB in the ACC. They were a damned good team last year and Doeren is a damned good coach. They basically return the entirety of their defense and most of the offense minus a 1st rounder at OT. The schedule is really favorable, as their big non-con game is Tech at home. They should be 4-0 heading into Clemson, who is wildly overrated and a CFP pick due largely to reputation. The big problem for this team is overcoming the OC, Tim Beck. If they can do that, I like them as a 12-1/13-0 CFP team.

-People who didn't laugh at the NCSU pick will absolutely laugh at the Okie State pick. Most folks on the radio are picking OU and Baylor in the Big 12 title game. Right. Okie State returns studs on the defensive front and Mason is a quality DC. Offensively, they get back Sanders and most of their OL. They always have quality WRs and TBs. Their schedule is fine, getting Texas, WVU and ISU at home, along with a mediocre non-con all at home. Whoever wins the Big 12 has a great shot of being 12-1 in doing so. That puts them in the conversation and I don't see a better alternative. 

Teams I didn't pick that others are picking:

-USC - weak across both lines, they were 4-8 last year and Riley coaches soft teams. 

-Utah - Rising and high quality coaching makes them a decent pick, especially in a weak Pac 12. I don't see them being 12-1 or better and folks will be looking for reasons not to include Utah in the playoffs. They need to win this weekend in The Swamp to even have a prayer. I guess if they blowout UF, they could be interesting.

-ND - I assume they lose this weekend. They have a really difficult schedule, a new HC, a new QB, and they lost every difference maker on defense. They also lost the standout TB. They do return their entire OL and the star TE, Mayer, but I don't think that's enough.

-Georgia - Georgia isn't Alabama. They're not losing 15 players to the NFL and their star WR to Bama while returning JAGger Lite at QB and "reloading". I think they lose this weekend against a highly talented Oregon team with a bunch of knowledge about Georgia and its weaknesses. I won't be surprised if they don't even make it back to the SEC title game this season.

-Clemson 2022 is Texas 2006. They have a ton of talent, just not the right talent in the right places. They're ridiculous on the defensive line and that is their team strength. They have stars at LB and Safety as well, but unknowns playing next to them. The QB barely threw for 50% last year and was an unconfident turnover machine. The TB gets hype for no reason whatsoever. He wouldn't be in Texas' 4 deep at TB this season. Ngata is the supposed to be the star WR and he scares no one. Their schedule is shit and they will still lose 3+ games. 

-Michigan - They play the shittiest non-con of any P5 team and they rigged it that way, backing out of games along the way to wind up with CSU, Hawaii, and UConn. They miss Wiscy from the west, but they do go to Kinnick  Stadium to play Iowa. I assume they'll lose one game to whomever and then lose to OSU. With their schedule, that's enough to keep them home. Also, if you have two qbs, you have no qbs. McNamara defines the term JAG and they lost key talent going high in the draft. Meh.

-Texas A&M - I have a hard time taking ATM seriously, given that the last time they were relevant in the national title picture was roughly around the time Hitler was invading Poland. But, hey, folks are mentioning them. They have a shitty QB room, a shitty OL situation, and an offensive scheme from the stone ages. They're also slow at CB and mediocre at 2 of the 3 LB positions. The schedule isn't as easy as it has been in the past. App State isn't bad and Miami is good. UF isn't a pushover, especially later in the season, and SCarolina is going to be a decent team if Rattler is healthy. Miami, Arkansas in Dallas, @ Miss State, @ Bama in a 4 week stretch will tell the tale for their season. If they manage to come out of that 3-1 or 4-0, holy shit. They could easily come out of that 0-4 and then after the bye they're @ SCar, Ole Miss, UF, @ Auburn. None of that is easy either. I know we always pick ATM to go 6-6 or something, and then they go 8-4, but this year could be the year everyone is picking them to go 11-1 and they go tits up at 6-6 in the regular season. They're a soft program to boot. 

-Oklahoma - They're getting a bunch of late run as a contender in the media circuit. They replace a ton and have a new staff. Jeff Lebby and Gabriel are getting a lot of hype and that is bizarre. But hey, Brent Venables is energetic! I don't see it. My ideal season for OU is 0-12. My realistic ideal season this year for OU is that they save Frost's job at Nebraska in week 3, lose to Texas in the RRS, and then drop 2-3 other Big 12 games while OU fans self-talk themselves into believing it is all Lincoln Riley's fault and Venables will build them up "the right way" going forward. 

Sneaky pick from the G5 that could sneak in under the right circumstances: 

-UH - They would have to beat @ UTSA and @ Texas Tech in consecutive weeks and then run the table and go 13-0 and hope everyone loses, but they have the talent to do it. 

I pick Bama to win it all because I am lazy.

Delete thread. Ban user. /aggy

Great post.

I got Alabama, tOSU, Okie St. and currently having trouble picking a fourth.

Does ND have to play in the ACC conf championship?

[TexEx15 17,456]

18 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Utah.

[SimonBolivar 10,910]

1 hour ago, gmr548 said:

1. Bama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame

 

Probably

 

[83Horn 1,638]

39 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

 

Listen, there is no shame with anyone refusing to be lured into the Gundy trap. I, too, get really sick of watching him choke against OU. It's like he has a pathological need to do so. I just think if there's going to be another year for OSU to make a run, this is it. 

As to y'all's USC picks, I don't know, man. They went 4-8. You want to talk about soft and entitled cultures? USC's rot might be worse than UT's on that front. Rebuilding a program overnight is tough without the beasts and dawgs up front. Should be fun to see.

It will be fun.  I'm not really sold on USC, but I just picked them out of a process of elimination.  I'm used to the SEC getting two playoff slots, and I don't think it'll be different this year.  'Bama will make it because it's what they do.  I could see someone other than Georgia getting the other slot, say Florida or maybe even Tennessee.  I know, I know, but as much as I hate to admit this, Josh Heupel seems like he might actually be a pretty decent coach, so I could see Tenn sneaking up on teams, and winning.  As I said in my last post, the selection committee loves the SEC, so I'm pretty sure that the two SEC division winners will probably be in the playoffs.  That leaves only two more slots for the remaining three major conferences.  I believe Ohio State will win the Big 10, and may go undefeated doing so.  They're close to being an automatic bid.  Now we're down to 1 slot for the remaining two major conferences.  I'll admit, I don't know enough about ACC teams to have an opinion on any of them.  Outside of Clemson, I just don't see a 1-loss ACC team making the playoff, and I don't see anyone going undefeated in that conference.  That leaves the Big XII and PAC 12 vying for the last slot.  Total crap shoot for both conferences...and I mean that in more ways than one.  As stated in my previous posting, I just don't see Okie State going undefeated, or even having only one loss.  Baylor?  I guess it's possible, in the way that anything is possible, but I don't see them getting a bid either.  Much of this comes down to who the selection committee will pick, and I don't see them picking Baylor unless, MAYBE they're undefeated, and that ain't happening.  That leaves Texas or OU for the Big XII, and the only way either of them make it is if they have no more than 1 loss.  Maybe it's the homer in me, but Texas has it within them to beat everyone else in the Big XII.  Am I saying they will?  Absolutely not, but there isn't another team in this conference that they can't beat, so it's not beyond possibility that Texas finishes the regular season 11-1, with the only loss being to 'Bama, then winning the conference championship game.  Would a 12-1, Big XII champion Texas team make the playoffs?  Absolutely...it's just not happening  I think a 9-3 regular season with a bowl win is more realistic...and that goes for OU also.  What about Iowa St. or any other team in the conference?  See Baylor above.  All a long winded way of saying that I don't see the Big XII getting a team in the playoffs this year.  That leaves the PAC 12.  I picked USC because I'm thinking Lincoln Riley and his spiffy new transfers will find a way to win enough games to get the PAC 12 Championship, and the selection committee would love to have USC in the playoffs, because USC.  I could just as easily see Utah making a run, but like Okie State, they just have a way of tripping over their own dicks at just the right time.  So, I could just as easily replace Georgia with Florida or Tennessee, or whomever wins the SEC East.  I could also replace USC with an undefeated or 1-loss Clemson, or an undefeated Utah, but I'm sticking with my original picks as the most likely.  Let the games begin.

[Mason Ramsey 3,371]

Give me

1. Alabama

2. Ohio State

3. Georgia

4. Utah

[markstanco 12,501]

4 minutes ago, Mason Ramsey said:

Give me

1. Alabama

2. Ohio State

3. Georgia

4. Utah

This is exactly where I am at.  Utah should win 10/11 games. 

[texifornia 56,479]

14 minutes ago, 83Horn said:

It will be fun.  I'm not really sold on USC, but I just picked them out of a process of elimination.  I'm used to the SEC getting two playoff slots, and I don't think it'll be different this year.  'Bama will make it because it's what they do.  I could see someone other than Georgia getting the other slot, say Florida or maybe even Tennessee.  I know, I know, but as much as I hate to admit this, Josh Heupel seems like he might actually be a pretty decent coach, so I could see Tenn sneaking up on teams, and winning.  As I said in my last post, the selection committee loves the SEC, so I'm pretty sure that the two SEC division winners will probably be in the playoffs.  That leaves only two more slots for the remaining three major conferences.  I believe Ohio State will win the Big 10, and may go undefeated doing so.  They're close to being an automatic bid.  Now we're down to 1 slot for the remaining two major conferences.  I'll admit, I don't know enough about ACC teams to have an opinion on any of them.  Outside of Clemson, I just don't see a 1-loss ACC team making the playoff, and I don't see anyone going undefeated in that conference.  That leaves the Big XII and PAC 12 vying for the last slot.  Total crap shoot for both conferences...and I mean that in more ways than one.  As stated in my previous posting, I just don't see Okie State going undefeated, or even having only one loss.  Baylor?  I guess it's possible, in the way that anything is possible, but I don't see them getting a bid either.  Much of this comes down to who the selection committee will pick, and I don't see them picking Baylor unless, MAYBE they're undefeated, and that ain't happening.  That leaves Texas or OU for the Big XII, and the only way either of them make it is if they have no more than 1 loss.  Maybe it's the homer in me, but Texas has it within them to beat everyone else in the Big XII.  Am I saying they will?  Absolutely not, but there isn't another team in this conference that they can't beat, so it's not beyond possibility that Texas finishes the regular season 11-1, with the only loss being to 'Bama, then winning the conference championship game.  Would a 12-1, Big XII champion Texas team make the playoffs?  Absolutely...it's just not happening  I think a 9-3 regular season with a bowl win is more realistic...and that goes for OU also.  What about Iowa St. or any other team in the conference?  See Baylor above.  All a long winded way of saying that I don't see the Big XII getting a team in the playoffs this year.  That leaves the PAC 12.  I picked USC because I'm thinking Lincoln Riley and his spiffy new transfers will find a way to win enough games to get the PAC 12 Championship, and the selection committee would love to have USC in the playoffs, because USC.  I could just as easily see Utah making a run, but like Okie State, they just have a way of tripping over their own dicks at just the right time.  So, I could just as easily replace Georgia with Florida or Tennessee, or whomever wins the SEC East.  I could also replace USC with an undefeated or 1-loss Clemson, or an undefeated Utah, but I'm sticking with my original picks as the most likely.  Let the games begin.

Holy longcat Batman. There's a key above Shift, you know?

[JFKFC 4,878]

Bama, Michigan State, UGA, Southern Cal

[83Horn 1,638]

4 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Holy longcat Batman. There's a key above Shift, you know?

Caps Lock???  Why would I yell at you guys?  😉

[Nicole44 22,027]

Sec: Bama 

Big10: Ohio State

Big12: Kansas State

ACC: NCState

C-USA: UTSA

MAC: Northern Illinois

Mountain West: UNLV

pac12: Utah (sorry Lincoln)

SunBelt: Coastal Carolina

The Above wasn’t the assignment but I couldn’t help myself. I’m expecting Kansas State to take the Big 12. 
 

Because life is not fair: Bama, Ohio State, Kansas State and Toss up between Utah and NCState.

lots of pearl clutching and panties being in a wad about UNLV having a phenomenal season and getting a hose job or Coastal Carolina bc there has to be a hose job.

To Win it All: Kansas State bc what the fuck ever. We won’t be in it…again…

[oSuJeff97 3,435]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

Listen, there is no shame with anyone refusing to be lured into the Gundy trap. I, too, get really sick of watching him choke against OU. It's like he has a pathological need to do so. I just think if there's going to be another year for OSU to make a run, this is it. 

It's not even so much of a "Gundy trap" as it is an "Oklahoma State trap."

I'm convinced we will never, ever, ever have really nice things in my lifetime. We often get tantalizingly close to the promised land, only to suffer some kind of a gut-punch loss that derails the whole thing... see football in 2011 and 2021... basketball in 1995, 2004, 2005... baseball in the CWS every year in the 80s... and on and on and on.

[immamac 42,513]

I will expand later, but here it is final rankings and playoff predictions:

1) Alabama 13-0

2) Michigan 13-0

3) Texas 12-1 ONLY LOSS TO ALABAMA WEEK 2

4) USC 12-1

NIL solidifies college football royalty and all is right in the world.

Alabama vs Texas in the NCG and Texas winning and Quinn Ewers grabbing the mic and saying "WE WERE NEVER GONE BITCH"

[Wally Pryor 5,243]

1 hour ago, Wally Pryor said:

Desmond's pretty knowledgeable, gotta go with his insights: Pitt, Baylor, Michigan, A&M

 

Even better with the visual. Unbridled idiot.

A decade+ later he probably still thinks Colt plays for A&M.

[gmr548 16,481]

Well, I can't speak for other folks picking Utah, NCSU or USC, but I can say that, happily, I am not on actual drugs unless Nexium has hallucinatory attributes of which I've never encountered. 
The "ND doesn't play anybody" trope is as old, tired and untrue as any in CFB lore. After going to The.Shoe.At.Night., they go to UNC in week 4. UNC is talented, if unproven. Mack Brown will have his team viewing that one as must win. BYU in Vegas followed by a rivalry game at home against Stanford is, yes, a tough back to back. They end up playing Clemson at home and finishing against USC in LA. The only pushover games are UNLV, Navy, Syracuse, and Marshall. BC is decent to good and Cal will play that game in South Bend like it is the Super Bowl. Cumulatively, I see the schedule giving them 3 losses or more. 
I was goading you on the OSU stuff. I can't remember what you claimed, but you certainly didn't disappoint here with the OSU takes.

The thing about ND is they’ve been damn near perfect outside of games against playoff teams over the past 4-5 years. Outside of Ohio State, who on their schedule rises to that level? You could make a case for Clemson; I think the late Mack Brown Texas vibes are strong to quite strong, but you can make the case. Beyond that, there’s not much. If they can even split OSU and Clemson, they’ve got a great shot.

[Hermanator 6,928]

Texas 13-0

Alabama 12-1 

Others don't matter because committee sets up rematch for the title

Edited August 31, 2022 by Hermanator

[kingkoopa6 8,312]

prolly same folks every year plus us.

 

Bama

GA

Texas

Clemson

[Sbbruin 21,704]

No way SC is ready to leap into the playoff.  Not this year.

[JBJ 3,648]

1. Clemson still out-talents anyone in the ACC by a mile.

2. Ohio State is good, really good.

3. LSU wins the SEC in a down year.  I guess this is my darkhorse. Bama is the more likely candidate, but they are overrated this year. I'm going for gusto here.

4. Utah is the next safest pick.  They have an easy slate.

I've said before B12 is going to be a rugby scrum.  I don't think anyone gets out alive.

Edited August 31, 2022 by JBJ

[landman 559]

Texas

Bama

Michigan

Utah

Texas beats Bama twice this season.

[Horn80 6,075]

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio St, Clemson

[ztejas 43,262]

2 hours ago, IDIOTsavant said:

Put me down for Alabama, Ohio State, Utah, and Michigan.

I'm not settled yet but the double B10 intrigues me as well. Was one of my initial brainstorm possibilities.

I think Clemson has issues. And I'm not buying anyone else in the ACC. I'm not buying anyone in the PAC or B12, either. I could see UGA dropping a couple. I could see ND making it. 

Suffice to say... I think an 11-1 Michigan with it's only loss to a 12-1 or 13-0 tOSU would have a really good chance at sneaking in. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to see Bama/UGA/tOSU/Michigan. 

Edited August 31, 2022 by ztejas

[n64ra 1,076]

Since I'm not Desmond Howard, I'll go with

• UGA
• tOSU
• Bama
• Hmm, tough one. I don't think it'll be ACC or Pac-12, which leaves the Big 12 champ. Probably Baylor then? That feels wrong.

[C'Mon Man 40]

Alabama

Ohio St

Miami

Houston