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It’s a new year and time for a new college football playoff system. Tonight starts with the Rose Bowl which pits undefeated Florida State University against the high powered Oregon offense. While FSU being undefeated for a second straight season is incredibly impressive, the way they have been winning has not been all that impressive.
Last year, everyone was impressed with Heisman winner Jameis Winston. He had good pocket presence, ability to run, and incredible accuracy. This season, his interceptions have gone up while his touchdowns have gone down. He does have a reliable running back Dalvin Cook who rushed for over 900 yards and gave this offense a good balance. This team has struggled as a whole in the first half, but it is head coach Jimbo Fisher’s ability to make second half adjustments that have kept their record perfect.
Oregon will be a tough opponent for the Seminoles and can hand them their first loss in two seasons mostly because of their quarterback current Heisman winner Marcus Mariota. Mariota has excelled all season against teams who struggle to get a pass rush, something Florida State has struggled with. When Mariota is not throwing the ball, the Ducks have an unstoppable run game. The Ducks are also riding high after defeating Arizona 51-13 in the Pac-12 Championship. The Ducks will not allow FSU to make another dramatic comeback in the second half so the Seminoles will have to play the first half as well as they do they second half if they want to win.
After the Rose Bowl, Alabama and underdog Ohio State head into battle for the Sugar Bowl. Alabama has everything college football dreams are made of. Their coach Nick Saban is a football genius who has a plan for every opponent he faces. They have the top wide receiver in Amari Cooper who can make almost any catch look easy. They also have one of the top running backs in TJ Yeldon who make the Tide’s offense lethal. This team can beat anyone any day of the week, but after last year’s Iron Bowl Alabama can also be beat.
Ohio State comes in to this game as big underdogs, but they are using that in their favor. They know no one expects them to win and because of that will be playing loose and relaxed. If they don’t win, it is okay no one expect them to. The Buckeyes have succeeded all season at creating turnovers. If Alabama quarterback Blake Sims is not accurate, the game could start to favor Ohio State. This is a fast team that can give other team’s secondary nightmares. While Alabama has Nick Saban, Ohio State has Urban Meyer who has two national titles of his own and is a worthy competitor for Saban.
