Written by: John Stocco
Twitter: @realJohnStocco
Today is the start of the College Football season. Starting out the year we have the battle of Florida between the Hurricanes and the Gators. Hate to break it to you Gator and Hurricane fans, I’m not picking either of them to make the College Football Playoff. Here the four teams that I think are going to jump into the final four, or even stay in the final four throughout the season.
#1: Clemson Tigers (13-0).
There’s no competition for the Clemson Tigers. They are the best team in college football, and they play in the worst conference in college football. Trevor Lawerence is going to have a career season and solidify his position as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck at Stanford. They have a powerhouse offense, and their defense is a machine that never shuts off and produces young talent every year. Lawrence looking at a career year, Etienne at running back, Tee Higgins as the number one receiver, and a defense that’s looking to start over. Clemson is a dangerous team and they’re going to walkthrough the ACC.
#2: Georgia Bulldogs (12-1).
I said it on my rankings preview piece, and I’ll say it again. Third times a charm, and this will be the season the Georgia Bulldogs beat Alabama win the SEC Championship. Like Clemson, they’re going through a rebuild on the defensive side of the ball, but in their recruitment, and the system that they’ve built in their programs, a rebuild isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They have great talent, but their names are unknown. The names that aren’t unknown on Georgia are Jake Fromm and D’Andre Swift. Swift was a workhorse last year doing it both on the ground, pounding the rock, and catching the rock and making plays as a receiver. Swift is a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy, and he’s running behind college football’s best offensive line. Jake Fromm is the leader of this Georgia team, and out of the big three, I believe he’s the best quarterback out of the bunch. The perfect build throws for 67%, makes few mistakes, and the moment is never too big for him. He steps in, keeps his cool, and makes plays. Georgia needs someone like him when they play the likes of Alabama and LSU.
#3: Michigan Wolverines (13-0)
Am I crazy for an undefeated Michigan season? Maybe. Here’s why I think they’re going undefeated. With the exception of Wisconsin, their toughest games are all being played at Michigan. The offense is correctly being built around Shea Patterson with the fast up-tempo spread style of play-calling, and he Shea has two targets that he has who will be playing on Sunday in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black. A top five defense in the Big Ten, Shea Patterson in a better system, and Jim Harbaugh is calling the shots. This is where the Wolverines breakthrough and make the playoffs.
#4: Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1)
Even though I’m picking Georgia to win the SEC Championship, I still believe Alabama is a top-three team in college football. That isn’t a reach to say that. Their receiving core is second to none, they’re always developing NFL prospects on defense, and now they have a quarterback who is elite. I’m expecting a bigger year out of Tua because he has that extra year of experience, and he doesn’t have Jalen Hurts over his shadow to take over for him in the 4th quarter. I think we’re going to see an angry Alabama team that tears apart their schedule and easily make their way to the SEC Championship to have their classic game against Georgia. Losing to Georgia, or losing to any ranked team, in all honesty, won’t hurt Alabama for a second.