It's been several weeks since I last did one of these and I think it's time to talk about what's at stake for this final week of college football before the conference championships that will take place next weekend.
The College Football Playoff's current top four are the following:
1. Alabama (clinched SEC West, will play Florida in SEC title game next Saturday)
2. Ohio State (likely will make playoff with a win against Michigan, even without going to the Big Ten Title game)
3. Michigan (Would clinch playoff with a win vs Ohio State and winning the Big Ten title game next weekend)
4. Clemson (Clinched the ACC Coastal Division, will play Virginia Tech next weekend, clinches playoff if they win out)
And here are the teams on outside looking in:
5. Washington (who won today to clinch the Pac-12 North to play in next week's Pac-12 Title Game)
6. Wisconsin (Who clinched the Big Ten Title Game with Iowa beating Nebraska this morning)
7. Penn State (Who clinch the Big Ten Title Game with a win vs Michigan State, and a Michigan loss to Ohio State)
8. Oklahoma (Clinch the Big 12 with a win against OK State next weekend)
9. Colorado (Will clinch the Pac-12 South with a win vs Utah and play Washington next weekend)
10. Oklahoma State (Clinch the big 12 with against Oklahoma next weekend)
So there you have it, essentially the winner of Ohio State/Michigan will likely play in the College Football Playoff and as long as Clemson and Alabama win out (which they likely will), they will join that winner. So that leaves the committee a decision between one of the teams 5-10.
The Lineup
9:00 am slot
#3 Michigan Wolverines @ #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-6.0) ABC
For years, this rivalry has been dubbed one of the best in all of college football, if not in all of sports. Quite frankly, I don't exactly agree with that statement, in my lifetime, the rivalry has been good at times but for the most part, only Ohio State has been good while Michigan has been mediocre and my belief has always been that a rivalry is only good when both teams are good. And you can look it up, but this is the first time since 2005 where "The Game," has had real national title implications. With that said, it looks like Michigan's starting quarterback, Wilton Speight probably won't play because of an injured non-throwing shoulder. Jim Harbaugh insists that he might start, but I don't believe a word he says, if I'm being honest. And quite frankly, Michigan is led by their running game with De'Veon Smith so that's where Michigan is going to win the game if they are at all.
Both teams saw their undefeated seasons end thanks to a couple road games that took a wrong turn (vs Iowa for Michigan, and vs Penn State for Ohio State). There's going to be a lot of talent on the field for both teams, look no further than Jabrill Peppers for Michigan who will do everything for them, and for Ohio State look for Curtis Samuel.
I just love that this game is on right when I'll be waking up.
My pick: Ohio State with a front door cover.
Backup: Kentucky Wildcats @ #11 Louisville Cardinals (-26.5) ESPN
There's absolutely no reason to switch over from Michigan/Ohio State, but if you must, check out this rivalry game that's a much better basketball game than it is a football game but it still prevents an interesting matchup. Both teams can score, and Lamar Jackson will look to have a big game to try and get himself back into the Heisman front runner position. This game would've meant more if Louisville hadn't lost to Houston last week, but that's way it goes.
12:30 pm slot
#13 Auburn Tigers @ #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-18.0) CBS
They call it "The Iron Bowl," and I believe it is the greatest rivalry in college football as well as the greatest in all of American sports. While Michigan/Ohio State is the trendy pick for that title, to me that's like saying Red Sox/Yankees is the best rivalry in MLB. Yes, that rivalry was good 12 years ago, but since then, the rivalry hasn't exactly meant much. While to me, Alabama/Auburn is like the Giants/Dodgers, every year it means something with the game usually having SEC title implications and even national title implications. In the modern era, Alabama/Auburn has been much better than Michigan/Ohio State thanks to things like "The Drive," "The Cam Back," and "The Kick Six" which define the things that make college football the greatest sport on the planet. For more information on this great rivalry, check out the ESPN Film "Roll Tide/ War Eagle," which explains why Alabama and Auburn is so fierce.
The states that don't have pro teams just have better rivalries and Alabama fits that description. This game should've been yet another Iron Bowl that decided the SEC East but then Auburn played a real stinker of a game on the road against Georgia and allowed Alabama to clinch a spot in Atlanta next week. Make no mistake about it, this game is still a huge one, especially with both teams carrying so much talent all over th field. One thing to look at is how Alabama's freshman QB Jalen Hurts does against a stingy Auburn defense.
With Alabama playing at such a high level, this could very well turn into a blowout but to me, the Iron Bowl aesthetically in Tuscaloosa is always worth everyone's undivided attention.
My Pick: Alabama wins big.
Backup
Michigan State Spartans @ #7 Penn State Nittany Lions ESPN
I picked this game because there's stakes on the line, like I said before, Penn State needs to win and needs Michigan to lose in order to get into the Big Ten Title game and keep their hopes of making the College Football Playoff alive. Michigan State nearly upset the Buckeyes in Lansing last week when they decided to go for two late in the game and didn't get it. It should be a tight Big Ten contest.
4:30 pm slot
#22 Utah Utes @ #9 Colorado Buffaloes (-9.5) FOX
Another game that would've been more hyped if one of the teams hadn't lost last week. This game should've been a Pac-12 South title game but thanks to Utah losing to Oregon last week in the final seconds, that is no longer in the stakes and USC is the beneficiary. This game is easily the biggest game in Boulder in 20 years, it's been a long time since the Buffs were relevant when it came to the sport of football and it's hard not to pull for them in this game. Both teams have quarterbacks that are intriguing dual threat prospects that should make this a fun one for the neutral. USC will likely be watching closely since they need the Utes to spring the upset in order for the Trojans to be slingshotted into next week's Pac-12 title game in Levi's for a neutral site rematch against the Washington Huskies.
My Pick: Colorado wins, but I'm taking the points.
Backup
#15 Florida Gators @ #14 Florida State Seminoles (-7.5)
Oh, what could've been. Another game that should've had more implications than it actually does, but this in-state rivalry should be another game for proverbial first round pick, Dalvin Cook. If you didn't already know, Dalvin Cook is my favorite running back that will be in the 2017 Draft Class, he's got the vision, the versatility, and elusiveness to succeed at the next level. Check out his highlights against Clemson from a few weeks ago, he's something special.
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