Breaking down the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff has been announced. On Sunday afternoon, the committee told the world that the Clemson Tigers were the top team in the land, coming into the playoff with an undefeated record. They would be squaring off against the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners, who have not lost since a bad defeat against the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry showdown at the Cotton Bowl.
The other matchup we have pits the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide versus the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans, who beat the previously perfect Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten championship game to reach the College Football Playoff. Alabama lost its third contest of the season at home to Chad Kelly and the Ole Miss Rebels, but have since run the table in impressive fashion.
Clemson and Oklahoma will be the 4 p.m. EST game, while Alabama and Michigan State will kick off four hours afterwards. The games are on New Year’s Eve, giving us one heck of a way to ring in the new year.
Here’s what you need to be watching for in both games:
Clemson vs. Oklahoma
This should be an absolute shootout. Clemson is the more vulnerable team on paper despite having a perfect record, if only for a leaky defense. The Tigers could not do much to stop the woeful Syracuse Orange or the North Carolina State Wolfpack, before giving up a truckload of points in the ACC title game to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Oklahoma poses a nasty threat to Clemson because of its high-powered offense. The Sooners have Baker Mayfield at quarterback, who has played at a Heisman Trophy-winning level throughout the season. Mayfield has thrown for 35 touchdowns, with top target Sterling Shepard reeling in 79 passes for 1,201 yards and 11 scores. The backfield boasts Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, who can each beat you in different ways.
Clemson will need a tremendous afternoon out of quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson, who can beat you with both his legs and arm. Watson threw for 30 touchdowns and ran for another 10.
Alabama vs. Michigan State
Connor Cook is Michigan State’s big hope offensively, because the rushing attack should not be able to do much against the best front seven in the United States. Alabama has a nasty front led by inside linebacker Reggie Ragland, who will force Cook to the air. May see Cook as a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and we will find out plenty on this night.
Alabama will simply want to run the football, but Michigan State employs one of the best defensive units in the nation as well. Derrick Henry has been a beast, rushing for 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns. If Henry can run wild in this game and set up the play-action passing game for senior Jake Coker, the Crimson Tide will run away with this. If not, look for a low-scoring, smashmouth affair that resmebles when Alabama plays LSU.
