‘Bama: Back-to-Back
The most deserving teams qualifi ed, which is better college football
By Colin Watts
this season behind Freshman QB Trevor
#1 Alabama vs. #4 Oklahoma
Chieftain Staff
Lawerence, after benching the great Kelly
The nightcap is gonna be a great
Unlike last year, the College Football
Bryant early in the season. Lawerence has matchup, as well. All eyes will be on the
Playoff Selection Committee stressed the
torn up the ACC, with 24 TD passes and
quarterbacks in this one. Both Heisman fi -
four most deserving teams, rather than
only four interceptions. Sophomore RB
nalists, Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray
the four best teams, when it chose this
Travis Etienne has also given the Tiger
are going to put on a show.
year’s fi nal four.
Alabama has been the
Last year, Alabama,
undeniable best team
a one-loss, non-con-
all year. Tua, a Heisman
ference champion, got
fi nalist, has posted a stat
the last spot over Ohio
line of 3,353 yards, 37
State, a conference
TDs, and only four inter-
champion. This year,
ceptions.
Oklahoma got the
While all the talk may
last spot as a one-loss
be about Tua, I believe
conference champion,
the most important play-
and Georgia got the
er on the Bama offense
short end of the stick
is receiver Jerry Jeudy.
as a two-loss, non-con-
Jeudy, the best receiver in
ference champion.
college football, has tal-
Seeing those stats
lied over 1,000 yards and
probably makes you
12 TDs. If he’s clicking,
think that the Soon-
it’s over for the Sooners.
ers were the more
While the offense has
deserving team, and
been great, the Crimson
they were. They had
Tide defense has been
the best resume and
awesome, as well, allow-
avenged their only
ing only 14.8 points per
loss, to Texas. How-
game. A potential return
Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy might be the Crimson Tide’s most important player
ever, they were not the
of Terrell Lewis also
fourth-best team.
offense a boost by rushing for 1,463 yards would be huge.
That team was Georgia. Playing one of and 21 TDs.
The only offense that can hang with
the hardest schedules in the country and
The Clemson defense has been great,
Alabama might be Oklahoma. Led by
having the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide on allowing only 13.7 points per game. Look Murray, a fi rst-round draft pick of the
the ropes in the SEC Championship, the
for Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables Oakland A’s, the Sooners will prove to
Bulldogs were the fourth-best team in the to get a lot of attention for a head coach-
be a tough test for the Tide. Murray, on
country, but the fl awed playoff system
ing job after the season.
pace to shatter the FBS passing-effi ciency
left them on the outside looking in.
Notre Dame earned their spot. Being an records, has passed for over 4,000 yards
Does this call for expansion? I hope. It
independent team, the only way for them and 40 TDs.
probably will happen down the line, and to get in the playoff is by running the ta-
Oklahoma’s defense hasn’t been as
I think that’s the only way the NCAA can ble, going undefeated. They did just that. good, but it doesn’t have to be in the Big
solve this. One can only dream of a Cen-
People will argue that the only reason
12. It will have to be in this game.
tral Florida vs. Alabama showdown, but
they are in is because of the Notre Dame
Prediction: I think if the Sooner defense
for now let’s focus on the four fi nal teams. “brand,” but I think this squad is legit.
can hold their ground, they might have
While there was much drama around
Junior QB Ian Book has been an awesome a chance. But it won’t. Tua and the boys
the last spot, the fi rst three were pretty
leader, and his connection with Miles
are too good. I like Bama by at least two
easy for the committee: Alabama, Clem-
Boykin has proven to be the key to suc-
touchdowns.
son, and Notre Dame.
cess for the Irish offense.
National Championship
Prediction: A stout defense and a
Setting up a rematch of the beat down
#2 Clemson vs. #3 Notre Dame
confi dent Book is scary for any team. I’m
in
the 2012 National Championship, I
This is probably the more intriguing
going with the Irish to upset the Tigers. I
like
the Tide to win this one, too. Tua will
matchup of the two, and it should be a
think the bright lights for the Freshman
prove
to be too much and the Crimson
great game. Clemson rolled through the
Lawrence will prove to be too much. Irish
Tide
will
go back-to-back.
ACC again. The Tigers went undefeated
by a touchdown.
B R OTHE R R I C E H IG H S C H OO L C H I E F TA I N
P AGE 7
D E C E M B E R 2018