College Football Playoff Predictions

As Selection Sunday is over, we get to see the many bowl games that will happen over December and January. The main games going on during bowl season is the biggest tournament in all of College Football: the College Football Playoff. It is when twelve teams go head to head to try and win the National Championship Trophy. There are four teams with byes this year, and those teams are Indiana, Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas Tech. In this article, I will lead you through my analysis of the tournament with my predictions of who will win it all. I will start with the eight teams that play in the first round.

(Photo of last year's national champions, Ohio State, lifting the coveted National Championship Trophy. Via ESPN)

James Madison vs Oregon:

If you don’t know, only the first round games are played at the higher seed’s stadium, so for this game, it will be played at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium. With the amount of talent Oregon has with guys like Dante Moore and Kenyon Sadiq and the fact they are home, Oregon is my favorite to win this game.

Miami vs Texas A&M:

This will easily be one of the best games of the first round. Both quarterbacks are stellar, both have great defense, and both have great line play. This game will be played at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field, one of the loudest places in all of college football. It is a really hard place to play for any team as last year, they were ranked No.1 in College Football 25’s “Stadium Pulse”. I think the Aggies are so good down the stretch that they can win this game.

Tulane vs Ole Miss:

A lot of people don’t realize how close this game could actually be. Ole Miss lost a major piece to them in Head Coach Lane Kiffin, as he goes to LSU, and Tulane have former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff, who is one of the best passing QB’s in the country, with his 2,862 passing yards making him the 5th most passing yards in the AAC this year. However, Ole Miss have such a high-flying offense that they have what is needed to win this at their home in Oxford.

Alabama vs Oklahoma:

If you are looking to see a fun, action-packed game for the first round, turn this game on your television. Alabama has one of the best quarterbacks in the FBS in Ty Simpson with top target Ryan Williams, and Oklahoma has a run-heavy offense and easily one of the best defenses in the country. Although this game is at Oklahoma, I think Williams breaks out of his sophomore slump and Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer can run this offense so well that they can pull out a win at Norman.

These are all of the first round games. I will now show you my predictions on the second round games.

Oregon vs Texas Tech:

We have now moved on to the big bowl games, and this will be played at the Orange Bowl in Miami. This is a very good game on both sides and there is not one clear winner of this game. However, I think Texas Tech is going to win as they have a very strong offense and have one of the best defensive players in all of college football in Bednarik award winner Jacob Rodriguez, who led the Big 12 in forced fumbles, as well as leading the FBS in interceptions among all linebackers.The Red Raiders also have a very good defense besides him.

Alabama vs Indiana:

This is the Rose Bowl and will be played in Pasadena, California. Both of these teams have amazing offenses, defenses, and head coaches, but I just have two words to say:Fernando Mendoza. He is such an elite player that I think he will be the reason Indiana wins this game.

Georgia vs Ole Miss:

This game is the Sugar Bowl and played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Both teams have been great performing, but I think Georgia wins this one because of their offense and the loss of Kiffin for Ole Miss will both be extremely crucial to this game.

Texas A&M vs Ohio State:

This game is the Cotton Bowl and will be played in AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Both teams are going to have a really stellar offense that will change the game. While the Aggies are playing in their home state, the real difference for me is how all-around Ohio State has played. I feel like star Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin is going to be laser-focused and the Buckeyes defense is going to shock many and that will be the reason Ohio State takes this game.

Texas Tech vs Indiana:

We have now moved on to the final four teams in this tournament. This game is the Fiesta Bowl and it will be played in Glendale, Arizona. This is one of those games where there is no clear favorite with an easy win. I think this is going to be one of the best semifinal games of the playoff. I think Indiana wins because of their aerial offense that I think the Red Raiders just can’t beat.

Georgia vs Ohio State:

This game is the Peach Bowl and it will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Although Ohio State has a great team and what many consider the favorites to win the National Championship, I think Georgia shock everyone and defeat the Buckeyes. Not only are they playing in Georgia’s home state, but they have Gunnar Stockton, who is one of the best passing QB’s in the league, with his 23 touchdowns making him 25th in the whole nation, but they also have a running back who was 58th in the nation for rushing yards in sophomore Nate Frazier.

Indiana vs Georgia:

Wow. We have made it all the way to the National Championship, and this game will be played in Miami, Florida. This is definitely going to be one of the best National Championships of this decade. However, with the way all the results have been against ranked teams and the way these teams have looked over the course of the regular season, I think Indiana gets the win as well as crowning themselves national champions.

(Photo of 2025 Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, throwing the football for the Hoosiers. Via Bleacher Report)

No matter what happens in these games, we can all agree that this tournament is going to be the best month of this year in college football.