FAVORITE TEAMS

First off, I apologize if I haven’t posted on WordPress in over a month or so. I had some personal issues to deal with in the family. It surely wasn’t a good conclusion to the end of 2020. But I am here and hopefully everyone else is doing well too. I hope for everyone to have a 110% better, safer, and healthier 2021.

The College Football National Championship is finally here. From Austin Peay running back C.J. Evans 75-yard touchdown run on the very first drive of the season to Ohio State cornerback Seyvn Banks’ interception against quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the College Football Playoff semifinals, we are finally here. Plenty of great, interesting, crazy, and weird situations (including me ranting for a whole day about #7 Florida moving down one spot in the CFP rankings after a BAD loss to LSU) happened along the way but I won’t waste my time writing a novel about it. Ohio State vs. Alabama should be a great game to watch, but Ohio State’s COVID issues may hamper their opportunity.

Here are the slides I worked on all season that was exclusively for Instagram. They have previews and matchups for Top 5 or Top 10 games each week. I will probably post them on here next season and give you all a break down on what to expect for matchups each week.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (7-0)

The Buckeyes are a mystery after Week 1. First, it was defense and special teams before they found their consistency. The struggles went to quarterback Justin Fields and the offense in two of three games prior to playing Clemson. Running back Trey Sermon became the man in the last two games (524 rush yards and 3 TDs) before Justin Fields found his form again against Clemson (385 pass yards and 6 TDs). It may have been a short season, but Ohio State belongs in the playoffs more than Notre Dame and currently look dangerous overall. However, COVID issues and Fields’ health leaves them with the biggest question mark heading into the National Championship on Monday.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (12-0)

Alabama looks virtually unstoppable from beginning to end. The only question was if quarterback Mac Jones is the guy? His stats, performance and finishing third in the Heisman race answered those questions. Running back Najee Harris and receiver Devonta Smith (2020 Heisman winner) lead a dangerous offense that averages 48 points per game. They scored 50 plus points six times and were held under 40 points twice. For the first time in probably an eternity of Alabama’s program, their defense isn’t praised. They progressed after the Georgia game and their run defense is the strong point. However, middle coverage is the issue and Ohio State’s tight ends are capable pass-catchers. Either their defense shores up those issues prior to Monday night or they face their third offensive shootout of the season.

THE BREAKDOWN

In 2015, Alabama was favored by 7.5 points against Ohio State in the semifinals. Now the Tide are favored by eight points in the championship and have a lethal offense. Also back in 2015, Ohio State had a third-string quarterback in his first start and future NFL stud Ezekiel Elliott lead to a big upset and eventually become the first National champs in the College Football Playoff era. Now, they’re a complete mystery while wondering who’s available for Monday. Trey Sermon, Justin Fields, Chris Olave and the starting tight ends are expected to play whether the game is this Monday or the next Monday. Ohio State could have another storied season like 2014, but Alabama should win their third National Championship in the College Football Playoff era.

ONE FINAL THING…

I am ending my Games to Watch series after 6 seasons. It was a great ride when I started my first blog during my junior year of college on Sportsblog.com in 2015. My plan is to move back to My Underrated Teams and continue the run I had before taking a break in 2020 due to COVID-19. I enjoy predicting two teams from 10 conferences, including an Independent team. Starting next season, I will include an at-Large team to make 22 Underrated teams whether they’re from the FBS or FCS or lower. The concept is choosing teams from each conference that’ll likely improve and these criteria’s include: bowl-eligibility, division title, conference title appearance, and the rare playoff hunt (predicted right once with Washington in 2016). I will have more information available during the offseason. Finally, to everyone who checked out my posts, I thank you all and appreciate the support! Let’s see what 2021 brings!

P.S. If you want to check out my old postings from Sportsblog.com, here is the link: https://www.sportsblog.com/xfactor25/