With the regular season officially at an end after Conference Championship week, we know a lot about the stage of college football. The most recent rankings show us who will be in the college football playoff, the New Years Six Bowl Games, and the bowl committees have chosen all of the other bowl games. With College Football coming to a sad close, here is the last rankings before bowl season from the committee.
#1 Clemson Tigers
Deshaun Watson is a Heisman Finalist, and his Tigers are set to take on #4 Oklahoma in the National Semifinal Game at the Orange Bowl. After reaching perfection this season, the Tigers aren’t done. Their goals are national title, nothing less. With one of the most high powered offenses in college football, the Tigers have a shot to be the first ever undefeated College Football Playoff Champions.
#2 Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide ran over Florida in the SECCG, and won decisively only allowing one Gator touchdown that came in garbage time. The Tide have gotten better as the season has gone on, but with a match up against a #3 Michigan State team in the National Semifinal Game at the Cotton Bowl that looks to be the same as them is intriguing. Michigan State plays hard-nosed football just like Alabama, but instead of having a super elite running back like ‘Bama’s Heisman Finalist Derrick Henry, they have arguably the best pocket passer in college football in Connor Cook. This will be a low scoring battle in Texas.
#3 Michigan State Spartans
After the loss to Nebraska, I personally wrote this team off. Now, a few games later with wins over Ohio State, Iowa State, and Penn State, the Spartans are in prime position to win it all. With a stout defense and solid pro-style offense, the Spartans will challenge Alabama, and if they win, they will have a chance to play for the National Championship. Props to Mark D’Antonio for getting this team into the playoff after that loss to Nebraska.
#4 Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma is favored by 4 points over Clemson, and they are the only team this year favored to beat the #1 team in the country. After the loss to Texas, this team didn’t seem to stand a chance, but now they are competing for a national championship. Baker Mayfield has played great for the Sooners, and was snubbed from a Heisman opportunity. He will have a tough time against Clemson’s tough defense, but look for the offense to get some big plays off against the Tigers.
#5 Iowa Hawkeyes
After an undefeated season, the Hawkeyes couldn’t close it out to get themselves into the playoff, losing in a heart-breaker to the Spartans. The Hawkeyes have received a Rose Bowl bid though to take on Stanford in a game featuring two pro-style offenses and good defenses, so look for a tight battle between two top PAC and B1G 12 teams.
#6 Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal will run the ball effectively behind Heisman Finalist Christian McCaffrey, and will beat the Hawkeyes because they have more offensive fire power. They are coming in hot after a field goal win against Notre Dame, and a more than convincing win in the PAC 12 Championship Game, while the Hawkeyes come in after suffering there first loss of the season in a game that made or broke their chances at the playoffs.
#7 Ohio State Buckeyes
The Bucks looked unstoppable against Michigan, and I’m sure they were playing angry to try to make a case for the playoffs after losing to Michigan State a week earlier. Well, it sadly did not work, but the Buckeyes will be going to the Fiesta Bowl and playing Notre Dame. In a game featuring two of the nations most storied programs, the Buckeyes look to send their seniors off with a big bowl win over the Irish.
#8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish were in prime position to make the playoffs if they had beaten Stanford in their final game, but after losing on a field goal as time expired, Deshone Kizer and the Irish look to close their season with a win over Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes. The Irish had a great season, losing their games by a combined 4 points on the road in gross weather against two top 6 teams (Clemson and Stanford). They had a great season with a third string QB starting most of the year. A win over OSU would be huge for these kids.
#9 Florida State Seminoles
The ‘Noles didn’t have a great season for their standards, but they still beat Florida and will finish in the top 10 and are in a New Years Six Bowl. They will play Houston in Atlanta at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in a game that I expect them to win pretty easily. While the Cougars may challenge them, I expect Dalvin Cook to be angry about his Heisman snub and run for 200+ yards against the Cougars.
#10 North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels just completed their best season in football history, but couldn’t finish it off with an ACCCG win over Clemson. The Heels received a bid to the Russell Athletic Bowl to play a Baylor team that doesn’t really have a QB (they lost to Texas playing a receiver at QB after their third string QB got hurt), so expect the Heels to beat the Bears convincingly as they can put up points in a hurry, while Baylor can’t without a QB.
11. TCU Horned Frogs
12. Ole Miss Rebels
13. Northwestern Wildcats
14. Michigan Wolverines
15. Oregon Ducks
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys
17. Baylor Bears
18. Houston Cougars
19. Florida Gators
20. LSU Tigers
21. Navy Midshipmen
22. Utah Utes
23. Tennessee Volunteers
24. Temple Owls
25. USC Trojans
