With just two weeks left in the college football regular season before the conference championship, it’s a good time to discuss the landscape of how the season is looking. Let’s look at who the contenders are and who I believe will win the national championship.
While I believe the 12-team playoff is a huge success, it does not come without its controversy. Teams are ranked on resumes, eye tests and what data the computer spits out at the College Football Playoff committee. This leads to rankings that may not make complete sense.
Although 12 teams make the playoffs, you can usually cut it in half to narrow down which teams actually have a chance to win.
Since the regular season isn’t over and there isn’t full clarity yet, I would say seven teams have a chance to win the national championship..
Ohio State(1), the defending national champion from 2024, looks to be an even more complete team than last year. First-year starter Julian Sayin is making a case for the Heisman trophy, and when you pair that with the No. 1 defense, that has been the formula for what looks to be a dynasty in Columbus.
The Indiana Hoosiers (2) look like the real deal. Coach Curt Cignetti is building an undeniable culture there. Their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is the frontrunner in the Heisman odds and may be the top pick in April’s draft. With a top-three offense, top-three defense, no one should be shocked that it is equating to wins.
The Texas A&M Aggies (3) are the lone undefeated team in the SEC, the strongest conference in the sport. Winning pretty does not matter in the SEC as long as you win. The Aggies followed up their worst half of football in the first half against South Carolina with their best half of the season against South Carolina, coming back from 30-3 and winning 30-31. An explosive offense and an opportunistic defense are giving the loud Kyle Field a lot to cheer for.
When it comes to the Georgia Bulldogs (4), we are getting exactly what we thought we would get: a well-coached, disciplined and gritty team. Their shortcomings seem to always come to the same team as they’re only loss on the year is to Alabama. As college football fans know, this is nothing new. This isn’t one of the star-studded Georgia teams we are used to, but they are rock solid.As long as the Oregon Ducks (7) handle business this weekend against USC, I believe they can compete for a national title. Another team with a top 10 offense and defense, they are great on both sides of the ball. This is an elite roster, no doubt about it. The Ducks’ one flaw is that they lack a statement win, losing their only chance to get one to this point against Indiana. This USC game could prove a lot, but time will tell.
After starting off the season 0-2, the Notre Dame (9) Fighting Irish have rattled off 10 straight wins and seem to control their own destiny in making the college football playoff. The best running game in football, featuring Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price, a young quarterback in C.J. Carr that is starting to look really comfortable, and a defense that is rounding into form at the right time, makes Notre Dame a force to be reckoned with and will be a problem for any team that, unluckily, draws them in a playoff matchup. Notre Dame looks to be a better team than they were last year, and they made it to the national title, falling just short against Ohio State.
For my final team with a real chance to hoist the trophy, this wouldn’t be a college football contender list without the Alabama Crimson Tide (10). Coming off a tough loss last week to Oklahoma and a schedule that lightens up for the last two weeks, the Tide may hit its stride during the playoffs. Up until last week, Ty Simpson was a Heisman contender, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t bounce back. Alabama will always have the roster capable of winning a national title, but it’s time for coach Kalen DeBoer to engrave his name in Alabama football history and take himself out of the shadow of the great Nick Saban.
For my national championship pick, I predict the Ohio State Buckeyes will hoist the national championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. I believe they will beat the Oregon Ducks in the final.
If college football has taught me one thing, it is that the sport is unpredictable. Anything can happen, and one play can change an entire season; it’s what makes the sport great. These seven teams have shown me that they have all the makings of a championship team, but none greater than Ohio State.
Should be fun, stay tuned.
