NCAA Football Playoff 2014: Latest Predictions After Week 2 Standings
Another week down in the NCAA means we're one week closer to the College Football Playoff in Arlington, Texas. Two games into the season, some early contenders for the championship have emerged.
Will the champion be an ACC team for the second straight year? Or will an SEC powerhouse, Pac-12 emerging talent or Big Ten underdog take the title?
Let's examine four early contenders for those final seeds and project which one will emerge as the national champion.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 4 seed: Oklahoma
Oklahoma notched its sixth-straight victory over Tulsa Saturday to advance to 2-0 on the season and prove that it has a place among the top teams in contention for a College Football Playoff spot.
Everything has been clicking for the Sooners so far this season, with the offense resembling a well-oiled machine. Against Tulsa, Trevor Knight was one yard shy of 300 yards passing. He threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a third.
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard will be the Sooners' X-factor in their quest for a title in January. He set a career high of 177 receiving yards and tied his career high of eight receptions Saturday, via The Associated Press. He should continue to create a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, who will have to decide whether they can risk not putting him in double coverage.
Tulsa didn't and paid the price, losing 52-7.
Oklahoma owed 21 of its 52 points to running backs Alex Ross and Keith Ford, who finished with 90 and 87 yards, respectively, and combined for three touchdowns.
The Sooners only play one more team that is currently ranked in the Top 25 in their remaining slate of matchups, and that's Baylor. Their strength of schedule (or lack thereof) will be factored into their rankings, but a winnable schedule should keep them within reach of the top four throughout the season and up until the playoff teams are voted in.
No. 3 seed: Oregon
Though Oregon faltered early Saturday against Michigan State, the Ducks got back to form as a top-three team when they buried the Spartans by scoring 28 unanswered points to end the game, 46-27, and advance to 2-0.
Marcus Mariota strengthened not only his Heisman standing but his team's chances of advancing to the College Football Playoff, passing for 318 yards and three touchdowns in the win. He set an Oregon record with 69 career touchdown passes.
CBSSports' Dane Brugler noted that Mariota, who is currently the No. 1 quarterback prospect, will likely remain there by season's end.
Oregon's young receivers have proved through two games that they can become viable weapons for Mariota. The Ducks, ranked No. 3 after Week 1, are legitimate contenders for the No. 3 seed.
Though Oregon lost two top targets from last season (Josh Huff to the NFL and Bralon Addison to a torn ACL in spring practice), it has created opportunities for up-and-comers like freshmen Devon Allen, who had 110 yards in the win, and Darren Carrington, who had a 64-yard reception to start the second quarter.
Toppling a stout defense like Michigan State's is one way to climb the rankings. Per ESPN Stats and Information, 46 points is the most the Spartans have allowed since their loss to Alabama in the Capital One Bowl in 2011.
The knee injury Mariota struggled with in 2013 had a noticeable impact on the rest of his season, but he's been in Heisman form so far in 2014. If he can remain healthy this season, expect the Ducks to remain near the top of the rankings.
No. 2 seed: Alabama
Alabama rolled to 2-0 Saturday with a 41-0 shutout of Florida Atlantic in a game that was halted due to lightning, demonstrating that Nick Saban's squad has what it takes to beat out conference rival Auburn for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Alabama's future at quarterback post-A.J. McCarron looks promising, with Jacob Coker and Blake Sims continuing to compete for the starting job. Saturday marked the first time two Alabama quarterbacks had thrown for 200 yards in the same game, per The Associated Press, with Coker finishing 15-of-24 for 202 yards and Sims 11-of-13 for 214.
But Sims pulled away in the competition, throwing for two touchdowns and running for a third. He earned more snaps on the night.
Behind either Sims or Coker, Alabama's arsenal of weapons keeps the Tide elite. The running game should again be dominant in 2014 behind T.J. Yeldon, who rushed for 1,235 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2013 and has added another 169 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Amari Cooper hauled in a 52-yard touchdown catch from Sims Saturday and will be one of the players who carry this team into the playoff. His 13 receptions against Florida Atlantic tied DJ Hall's school record, per ESPN Stats and Information.
No. 1 seed: Florida State
What Jameis Winston accomplished last season at Florida State is difficult to beat, which he demonstrated in the Seminoles' first game of the season.
Though Florida State beat Oklahoma State 37-31, Winston only completed 62.5 percent of his passes, going 25-of-40 for 370 yards, two touchdowns and a career-high two interceptions.
Compare that against his first game in 2013, in which he threw four touchdowns and zero picks. In the best freshman season by a college quarterback on record, Winston set single-season NCAA freshman records for passing yards (4,057) and touchdowns (40).
Still, Winston engineered his team to a win, and he did it with lesser receiving weapons than he had in 2013. Florida State lost receivers Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Shaw to the NFL, but Winston still has Rashad Greene, while Isaiah Jones and Kermit Whitfield are options on the outside and in the slot.
Greene had 11 receptions for 203 yards and a score against Oklahoma State, but Winston was able to make a difference with his legs—a skill the Seminoles will rely upon on their road to the playoff.
Oklahoma State was one of the tougher matchups Florida State had on the schedule this year, and though it wasn't always pretty, coming out with the win kept the Seminoles at No. 1 in the AP Top 25. Only three of their remaining opponents are currently ranked.
National Championship Prediction: Oregon
It's hard to see these Ducks exiting any earlier than the national championship, and if they continue at their current level, it's hard to imagine anyone who could beat them.
Mariota is arguably the best quarterback in college football currently, and Oregon's high-octane spread offense allows him to lead an aggressive aerial attack that even Michigan State's vaunted defense couldn't slow.
His spot-on decision-making allows Mariota to decide when to use his legs to make a play and when to go to his receiving weapons, of which he has many. Combine that with a rushing attack that was ranked 18th heading into Saturday and an offense that is sixth in scoring, and the only place this team looks to be going is up—all the way up.
All rankings from AP Top 25 via ESPN.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
