Alabama should be major favorite in College Football Playoff
The Alabama Crimson Tide are going to win the 2015 National Championship when the College Football Playoff is all set and done. Why? Because of a Hall of Fame coach, the best running back in the country and a nasty defense that features a ton of future National Football League players.
Alabama is starting its postseason run against the Michigan State Spartans. Michigan State has enjoyed a nice season but is a very limited offensive team despite having Connor Cook at quarterback. Cook is widely seen as a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, yet he struggles with accuracy and has underwhelmed in many areas this season.
Without a quarterback or major rushing attack to rely on, the Spartans are up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Michigan State really should not be in the College Football Playoff, having sustained a horrific loss to the woeful Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Spartans also should have lost to the Michigan Wolverines, if not for one of the most insane plays in college football history to end the contest up in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Crimson Tide comes in with a very balanced attack on offense. Alabama has the Heisman Trophy winner (only the second in its rich history along with Mark Ingram) in Derrick Henry, a star running back who will be among the first 50 picks in the NFL draft this spring. Henry ran for 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry, showcasing elite size and toughness between the tackles.
However, Henry is not the only weapon that the Crimson Tide has at its disposal. Alabama also loves to throw to Calvin Ridley on the outside, a freshman who is poised to have a heck of a career in Tuscaloosa. Ridley caught 75 passes for 893 yards and five touchdowns, giving senior quarterback Jake Coker somebody who is reliable both on third down and down the field.
Certainly, Alabama will have to play its best to win the title, but this is the prohibitive favorite. The Crimson Tide are explosive defensively, something that both the Oklahoma Sooner and undefeated Clemson Tigers can’t say. Alabama has both A’Shawn Robinson and Reggie Ragland in the front seven, stopping any and all threats through the interior.
Oklahoma and Clemson both have terrific offenses, but neither has the complete package. Alabama also knows how to win, taking three national championships under the watchful eye of head coach Nick Saban. Saban might be the best college football coach since the days of Bear Bryant, taking championships as though he has no opposition.
Alabama can be boring in its approach, especially when you compare it to the Baylor’s and TCU’s of the world. Yet, the Crimson Tide is brutally effective, winning with ease.
