By: George Ahearn

At last, the final college football rankings have been released, and the culminating matchups to a chaotic season are solidified. Georgia comes in as our unanimous no. 1 seed after another absolutely dominant season, finishing with a perfect 12-0 record capitalized with an emphatic 50-30 SEC Championship win against LSU.

At the no. 2 spot, we have Michigan  – who used a strong second half to outduel Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. Following the Wolverines is TCU, who despite losing to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship in heartbreaking fashion – on the heels of a failed fourth and goal conversion from the one-yard line – remained at the three spot.

Then – sliding back into the playoff at the four – is the Ohio State Buckeyes – the beneficiary of an extraordinary second half performance from Utah against previously fourth ranked USC in the Pac 12 Championship.

This playoff has the greatest potential of any I’ve seen to provide two competitive semifinal games. You would think the playoff would yield at least one year of both semifinal games being competitive, but, since the inception of the playoff in 2015, at least one of the semifinal games each year has been won by 17 or more points.

This year, Georgia v. Ohio State and Michigan v. TCU both appear to have the potential to deliver electric results. Now, whether the public agrees with me on that remains to be seen, but through my predictions I will detail why America will be the winner of these playoffs. 

No. 1 Georgia v. no. 4 Ohio State

This year’s Peach Bowl will feature the two most star-studded college football rosters this season has to offer. Each squad is littered with NFL talent, and this matchup is poised to deliver the game of the year. Before the Buckeyes’ loss to Michigan, many pegged these two as the best teams in the nation, as they had sat no. 1 and no. 2 for the majority of the season. Although Georgia’s no. 1 ranked designation is deserved, I am going to be the brave man who rolls with the Buckeyes to upset the top ranked ‘Dawgs.

Georgia has played a flawless season. Their one competitive game was an early season contest against Mizzou – which they won, 26-22. The problem with the ‘Dawgs’ domination is that they haven’t faced true adversity this year. Last year, we saw Alabama upset Georgia in the SEC championship –  a loss that certainly fueled the revenge-seeking Bulldogs when they later played Alabama in the national championship – a game which they won, 33-18.

This year, the ‘Dawgs haven’t had that test. They haven’t been given a reason to play with a chip on their shoulder, and it worries me if I’m a Georgia fan. While they have stomped top teams like Tennessee and Oregon, Ohio State possesses that limitless talent the Bulldogs are used to only having themselves. 

Now, people are surely worried about Ohio State’s ability to stop the Georgia offense after we saw Michigan gash them for 45 points. My take on this: college football is an unpredictable sport, and with that unpredictability comes the infamous big plays that seemingly decide college football games on a weekly basis.

In the Michigan v. Ohio State game, the former only totaled 181 yards on 55 out of 60 plays. In comparison, the other five plays totaled for a whopping 349 yards. Ohio State was completely gashed (and exposed) – almost in a way that feels impossible for it to repeat itself. The Buckeyes are coming into the playoff with a chip on their shoulder, and that excitement over getting into the playoff is going to be channeled into Ohio State’s best performance of the year.

After hearing the emotion from quarterback C.J. Stroud in his postgame presser following the Michigan loss, this Buckeyes offense is ready to go ballistic and will match Georgia’s tenacity unlike any opponent this season – eventually uplifting them to a spot in the national championship game. 

Winner: Ohio State

No. 2 Michigan v. No. 3 TCU

While the rumblings of TCU as a fraudulent team remained consistent all season, the Horned Frogs and their “Hypnotoad” magic have found themselves in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. They will face a Michigan team who comes into this game with palpable momentum – having easily won the Big Ten Championship game to cap off an undefeated season. This matchup feels like a best case scenario for the Horned Frogs.

While the criticism of quarterback Max Duggan’s team isn’t fully justified, a matchup against Georgia would have been a nightmare situation for the Frogs and America. TCU and Georgia win games in completely different ways, and, with the talent level UGA possesses, Georgia would have overpowered TCU in the dominating fashion we’re used to witnessing in our no. 1 v. no. 4 matchups. Thankfully, the committee kept the Horned Frogs at the three seed and they’ll face the Wolverines instead.

This season, Michigan has had a particularly weak strength of schedule. Their non-conference opponents consisted of Colorado State, Hawaii and UConn, and they only have two ranked wins. When you compare the Big Ten to the Big 12, the parity in the Big 12 sticks out as opposed to the top-heavy Big Ten. This allowed for TCU to be tested week after week. They never expected to waltz into a game and ease their way to a W; they knew they’d have to earn it.

TCU is battle-tested, and after watching the Kansas State game, it’s apparent they’re led by a quarterback who is battle-tested. Although I love the spot TCU finds themselves in here, I think Michigan has the talent and coaching to outlast the Horned Frogs, but don’t fall victim to the projected blowout. The Horned Frogs are legit and will find themselves in this game come the fourth quarter. 

Winner: Michigan

National Championship: No. 2 Michigan v. No. 4 Ohio State

College Football’s greatest rivalry – on the biggest stage –  is something all fans should be rooting for. A game of epic proportions headlined by an Ohio State revenge storyline projects for one of the greatest natty’s of all time. Just when you thought the stakes couldn’t be any higher, expectations have been exceeded once again.

My projection for this game is simple: if we get here, the Buckeyes will not lose to Michigan again. I know that Michigan dominated them previously, but with the statistic I detailed earlier regarding the big play yards and from watching these two teams weekly, I wholeheartedly believe Ohio State is the better team.

If given another chance at Michigan, they will capitalize – especially coming off of an upset of no. 1 Georgia. The Ohio State Buckeyes have been destined for the national championship this year, and America should be thrilled that the Buckeyes have snuck back in. It’s show time in college football, and Ohio State is ready to shine under the game’s brightest lights. 

National Championship Winner: Ohio State