Best-, Worst-Case Scenarios for Every Top 25 Team This Bowl Season
Saturday kicked off one of the most wonderful seasons of the year. We’re talking, of course, about college football’s postseason. While the College Football Playoff is still more than a week away, bowl games are in full swing, with five games already in the books and 34 remaining to be played.
While only four teams can play for the national title, every team has something to play for this season, whether it’s getting another win or just giving its fans something good to think about as we head toward spring practice. Here’s a look at the best- and worst-case scenarios for every Top 25 team in bowl season.
25. Minnesota
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Minnesota and coach Jerry Kill had a season to remember. The Golden Gophers were in the Big Ten West title chase until the final weekend of the season and finished 8-4 with an offense that featured tailback David Cobb, who rushed for 1,545 yards and 13 touchdowns. Now, they get a chance to put a bow on the season against Missouri in the Citrus Bowl.
Best-case scenario
Cobb shreds Missouri’s defense for 150 yards and two touchdowns, and the Gophers defense intercepts Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk twice. The Gophers and their fans who’ve escaped Minnesota’s cold temperatures head home with warmth in their hearts and the Citrus Bowl trophy.
Worst-case scenario
Cobb is held in check by Missouri’s defense, and Mauk has his best game of the season against the Gophers secondary. Minnesota is embarrassed by the SEC Tigers, and a long winter in Minneapolis begins.
24. Southern California
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Steve Sarkisian’s first season as Southern California head coach didn’t unfold quite as Trojan loyalists had hoped. USC actually slipped from 2013, with a 38-20 loss to UCLA the most disappointing in an 8-4 campaign. The Trojans have one more chance to end the season with a smile, thanks to a Holiday Bowl matchup against Bo Pelini-less Nebraska.
Best-case scenario
Pelini’s departure does a number on the Huskers, who come out flat. That isn’t the case for the Trojans, who are fired up to end the season on a high. Cody Kessler finds Nelson Agholor for multiple big plays, and Leonard Williams runs amok on the Cornhuskers offensive line. Sarkisian and Co. enter spring practice on a roll.
Worst-case scenario
Pelini’s departure galvanizes the Huskers, who come in as the more motivated team in San Diego. Kessler has his worst game of the season with Randy Gregory bearing down on him, and Sarkisian’s first season ends at a very disappointing 8-5.
23. LSU
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2014 was an up-and-down season for LSU. The Tigers scratched out eight wins and took College Football Playoff No. 1 seed Alabama to overtime. But the same team also fell 41-7 at Auburn and was shut out at Arkansas.
Neither Anthony Jennings nor Brandon Harris really seized the quarterback job as his own. Tailback Leonard Fournette emerged as one of the nation’s top backs down the stretch, rushing for 891 yards on the season. The bowl game is a name-brand matchup against Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl.
Best-case scenario
The Tigers come out motivated against a reeling Notre Dame team. Fournette rushes for 150 yards, the quarterbacks play within themselves, and LSU’s defense intercepts Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson multiple times, ending the season on a high.
Worst-case scenario
Notre Dame is the more motivated team in Nashville. Fournette is held to 50 yards rushing, Travin Dural makes a key drop of a deep ball, and quarterbacks Jennings and Harris combine for 100 passing yards and three interceptions. LSU loses and finishes the season outside of the Top 25.
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22. Utah
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It was a pretty good 2014 for Utah. The Utes proved they belong in the Pac-12, making themselves a Top 25 fixture with a nine-win season. Losses to Arizona State, Oregon and Arizona were disappointing, but overall, it was a season to remember for Kyle Whittingham.
Best-case scenario
Utah has already played its bowl game. The Utes basically had their best-case scenario come true, whipping Colorado State 45-10 in the Las Vegas Bowl. It’s hard to imagine the season ending better for them.
21. Louisville
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Louisville’s first season in the ACC (and second time around with Bobby Petrino) turned out pretty well. The Cardinals’ only losses came to Clemson, Florida State and Virginia, and Louisville was very competitive with the Tigers and Seminoles, its top competition in the ACC Atlantic Division. Now, the Cardinals have a shot at a third consecutive 10-win season if they can defeat Georgia in the Belk Bowl.
Best-case scenario
Louisville’s stout front seven holds talented Georgia freshman tailback Nick Chubb in check and harasses quarterback Hutson Mason. Standout senior wide receiver DeVante Parker ends his collegiate career in style, and former UGA defensive coordinator Todd Grantham gets revenge against his old boss, Mark Richt.
Worst-case scenario
Chubb runs wild against the Louisville defense, and the Cardinals struggle to move the ball. Grantham is embarrassed, and the Bulldogs truly prove, “It’s not us—it was you.”
20. Boise State
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Boise State’s transition from Chris Petersen to Bryan Harsin proved particularly seamless. The Broncos started 3-2 but won their final eight games to claim the Mountain West title and the Group of Five spot in the playoff-associated bowls. They return to the site of one of the program’s greatest moments with a Fiesta Bowl matchup against Arizona.
Best-case scenario
The Broncos offense, which averages 39.8 points per game, No. 9 nationally, moves smoothly against an Arizona defense that will give up the occasional big play. Tailback Jay Ajayi, who has already rushed for 1,689 yards this season, goes for 200 yards in his final collegiate game, and Boise claims another Power Five pelt for its den.
Worst-case scenario
Boise’s only other meeting with a Power Five program this season went poorly. Ole Miss pounded the Broncos 35-13 in the season opener. This game unfolds similarly. Boise’s offense never gets on track, and past Fiesta Bowl success is not repeated.
19. Auburn
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Following last season’s surprising run to the BCS title game, Auburn’s 2014 was a comedown. The Tigers finished 8-4 and lost to rivals Alabama and Georgia, giving up a total of 89 points in the process. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson was fired, replaced by former Florida head coach Will Muschamp. The Tigers could badly use an Outback Bowl win over Wisconsin to build momentum for 2015.
Best-case scenario
Auburn shows up motivated in Tampa. The Tigers’ defensive front seven keeps Heisman runner-up Melvin Gordon in check, and quarterback Nick Marshall and tailback Cameron Artis-Payne combine for 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns as AU rolls past the Badgers to secure its spot in the final Top 20.
Worst-case scenario
While Muschamp is now on staff, his influence isn’t felt much in the bowl game. Gordon shreds Auburn for 200 yards and two scores, and the Tigers play with no fight and end the season 8-5.
18. Wisconsin
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Wisconsin enters an Outback Bowl matchup against Auburn trying to shake off an ugly December. The Badgers won the Big Ten West but suffered a 59-0 humiliation at Ohio State’s hands in the Big Ten title game. Then, coach Gary Andersen made a stunning exit stage left for Oregon State. Wisconsin hired former assistant Paul Chryst away from Pitt, but he’ll only watch the bowl game. Wisconsin AD and former longtime coach Barry Alvarez will lead the team in Tampa.
Best-case scenario
Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon makes the most of what will likely be his final collegiate game by abusing Auburn’s front seven for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Joel Stave plays within himself, and Alvarez goes back to his athletic director role a winner.
Worst-case scenario
Alvarez doesn’t connect with the team in his second go-round as interim coach. Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall abuses what is typically a stout defense for 250 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, accounting for four total touchdowns, as Alvarez’s record as interim head coach falls to 0-2.
17. Clemson
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Clemson didn’t accomplish everything it wanted to this season, but the Tigers were pretty good when freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson was healthy. Losses to Georgia and Florida State were particularly disappointing, but with Watson playing on a torn ACL, Clemson dominated South Carolina, ending its five-year hex against the Gamecocks. Now, it gets a chance to end 2014 with 10 wins thanks to a Russell Athletic Bowl matchup against a reeling Oklahoma squad.
Best-case scenario
Clemson takes advantage of an Oklahoma team that clearly doesn’t want to be there. All-American defensive end Vic Beasley abuses the Sooners offensive line for multiple sacks of Trevor Knight, and the Tigers whip OU for win No. 10.
Worst-case scenario
Watson isn’t playing in the bowl game following surgery to repair his torn ACL, leaving quarterbacking duties to senior Cole Stoudt. Stoudt throws a pair of pick-sixes to OU defenders, and tailback Samaje Perine runs wild like Todd Gurley did on Clemson’s defensive line. The Tigers finish the season outside of the Top 20.
16. Missouri
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All things considered, Missouri had a very solid season. Sure, the Tigers lost to Big Ten dreg Indiana—at home—but they rebounded to win their second consecutive SEC East title and won 10 games. A 42-13 SEC Championship loss to Alabama was a disappointment but not necessarily a surprise. Missouri now has a chance to put an excellent cap on the season with a Citrus Bowl win over Minnesota.
Best-case scenario
When Maty Mauk has been good, he’s been a serviceable SEC quarterback. When he’s been bad, he’s been awful. The good Mauk (not the one that combined for 117 yards, no touchdowns and five interceptions against Georgia and Florida) shows up and doesn’t make mistakes, and Mizzou shuts down David Cobb and the Gophers, ending the season with win No. 11.
Worst-case scenario
The bad Mauk shows up and throws multiple interceptions, Cobb runs for 150 yards and three touchdowns, and Gary Pinkel and Co. leave central Florida with a dispiriting defeat to a Big Ten team that actually accomplished something this season.
15. Arizona State
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Arizona State was a fun team to watch this season, at least offensively. The Sun Devils averaged 37 points per game, ranking No. 18 nationally, and had several excellent playmakers in tailback D.J. Foster and wideout Jaelen Strong.
But the defense never jelled, allowing 27.7 points per game, No. 77 nationally. That’s why ASU is 9-3 and in the Sun Bowl rather than playing in a higher-level bowl game. Still, a win over Duke would produce a second consecutive 10-win season, a solid chip for Todd Graham and Co.
Best-case scenario
The Sun Devils are motivated to play in El Paso, and quarterback Taylor Kelly utilizes Foster and Strong very well against a Duke team that will certainly be ready to play under David Cutcliffe. ASU rolls the Blue Devils, picks up a 10th win and gains momentum for 2015, slipping into the Top 10 nationally.
Worst-case scenario
Much like last season’s Holiday Bowl, ASU doesn’t come ready for action, and Duke (which pushed Texas A&M hard in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl) has no such problems. The Blue Devils roll ASU, and the Sun Devils fall out of the final Top 20 in the national polls.
14. UCLA
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UCLA had an up-and-down 2014. The Bruins were touted as dark-horse College Football Playoff contenders, but that campaign never really gained steam. Quarterback Brett Hundley accounted for 3,567 total yards and 29 total touchdowns but was never a serious candidate for the Heisman Trophy, as had been expected of him.
A five-game win streak ended in the regular-season finale with a lifeless 31-10 loss to an average Stanford team. Now, the Bruins get a chance to finish on a positive note with an Alamo Bowl matchup against Kansas State.
Best-case scenario
Hundley, playing in what is expected to be his final collegiate game, comes out motivated against K-State. He becomes the latest dual-threat quarterback to thrive against K-State’s defense. He throws for 300 yards and rushes for 100, and the Bruins tame the Wildcats in the Alamo for their 10th win.
Worst-case scenario
Hundley struggles to get going and looks unmotivated, and Tyler Lockett burns the UCLA defense. The Bruins lose to the Wildcats, and Jim Mora Jr. enters winter in a bad mood. That’s not good for anyone in Westwood.
13. Georgia
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It’s hard to view this season as anything but a disappointment for Georgia. A year that began with dreams of reaching the first College Football Playoff ended 9-3, with the losses coming to rivals South Carolina, Florida and Georgia Tech. Ouch.
When Todd Gurley was on the field, he was the best player in college football. But a four-game NCAA suspension for accepting payments for his autograph followed by a torn ACL truncated his season. Now, the Bulldogs must find a way to get motivated for a Belk Bowl matchup with Louisville.
Best-case scenario
Nick Chubb makes everyone forget about Gurley, tearing up the Cardinals defense for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia reminds Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham that he left something good behind, and the Bulldogs finish 2014 with their 10th win.
Worst-case scenario
Grantham and Louisville’s run defense shut down Chubb, and Hutson Mason gives everyone one last chance to remember that he isn’t Aaron Murray. Louisville wins a defense-fueled game, and everyone in Athens spends the winter complaining about Mark Richt. Again.
12. Georgia Tech
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It’s been a pretty darn good year in Atlanta. While some wondered if Paul Johnson’s Georgia Tech tenure was going stale, this season proved that is far from the case.
The Yellow Jackets went 10-3, won the ACC Coastal Division, beat Clemson and Georgia along the way and showed that the flexbone option offense can still flummox opponents with a new starting quarterback, Justin Thomas. Tech averages 333.6 rushing yards per game, third nationally. It has an excellent chance to end the season on a high note with an Orange Bowl victory.
Best-case scenario
Justin Thomas finishes up his first season with a sharp, focused effort against a good Mississippi State defense, chewing up yardage and clock. Georgia Tech controls the tempo and takes an Orange Bowl win over the Bulldogs to close out an 11-win season.
Worst-case scenario
Johnson is 1-5 in bowl games at Tech. Opponents typically gain a big advantage with the extra prep time that bowl season provides and are able to contain the flexbone offense. Mississippi State is the latest to take advantage of this phenomenon, and several Thomas turnovers don’t help. A second consecutive season ends with a bowl loss to a Mississippi team.
11. Kansas State
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Kansas State has nothing to be ashamed about in its 2014 season. The Wildcats compiled a 9-3 record and beat all of the teams they were expected to beat, played defending BCS runner-up Auburn tough and were outclassed by high-powered Baylor and TCU teams.
Bill Snyder’s group has a shot at a 10-win season if it can defeat UCLA in the Alamo Bowl, which would be nothing to sniff at in Manhattan. It’d be K-State’s third 10-win season in the last five seasons under Snyder, who returned to the program he built in 2009.
Best-case scenario
Jake Waters connects with speedy Tyler Lockett for several big plays in their final game together, an underrated defense harasses UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, and the Wildcats win the Alamo Bowl, nab their 10th win and secure a Top 10 ranking in the final national polls.
Worst-case scenario
UCLA and Hundley torch K-State’s defense much like TCU and Baylor did with mobile, strong-armed quarterbacks, and Waters struggles to move the offense against the Bruins defense. The Wildcats finish 9-4, and everyone in the Little Apple is disappointed as we move into the offseason.
10. Arizona
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Rich Rodriguez’s third season in Tucson was one to remember for Arizona fans. The Wildcats finished 9-3 and handed Oregon its only loss of the regular season, winning the Pac-12 South Championship.
Freshman quarterback Anu Solomon was excellent in his first season as the starter, throwing for 3,458 yards with 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions. A Pac-12 title game loss to Oregon was disappointing, but the Wildcats can wrap up a 10-win season with a Fiesta Bowl win over Group of Five qualifier Boise State.
Best-case scenario
Solomon torches Boise State’s secondary with smart passes, and fellow freshman Nick Wilson rips the Broncos defense, finishing a stellar season with 150 yards and two touchdowns. Arizona wraps up a Top 10 final ranking.
Worst-case scenario
Solomon is intercepted multiple times by the Broncos secondary, and Boise adds another power-conference foe to its list of postseason victims. Arizona is embarrassed before a stadium full of its own fans.
9. Ole Miss
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It was a season to remember in Oxford, although it could’ve been better for Ole Miss. The Rebels finished 9-3, which included a heart-stopping home upset of Alabama, but they lost three of their final five games. However, a season-ending Egg Bowl win over rival Mississippi State (which ended the Bulldogs’ hopes of a College Football Playoff bid) was particularly sweet.
A loaded defense stuffed foes all season, allowing 13.8 points per game, best in the nation. Now, the Rebels will finish the season where they started it—in the Georgia Dome. A Peach Bowl win over TCU would give Ole Miss 10 wins and provide a huge momentum boost for 2015.
Best-case scenario
The Rebels defense intercepts TCU’s Trevone Boykin multiple times, with Senquez Golson and Cody Prewitt having free rein against Horned Frogs receivers. The “good” version of Bo Wallace shows up, and he throws three touchdowns as Ole Miss clinches a Top 10 final ranking with a Peach Bowl victory.
Worst-case scenario
"Bad" Bo Wallace shows up, throwing passes into coverage, several of which are intercepted. Robert Nkemdiche and the rest of the defensive line fail to get pressure on Boykin, and he lights up the Rebs secondary. A chance to show the nation what Ole Miss football can be about goes by the boards on national TV.
8. Michigan State
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Following a 13-1 season capped by a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl win, Michigan State had its sights set high this season. The Spartans didn’t quite reach those lofty goals, but their only losses came to College Football Playoff teams.
They blew a third-quarter lead in a 46-27 loss at Oregon and couldn’t slow down Ohio State’s offense in a 49-37 defeat. Their consolation prize? A Cotton Bowl date with Baylor, which will be like a virtual home game for the Bears.
Best-case scenario
Quarterback Connor Cook and Tony Lippett burn Baylor’s secondary for multiple long touchdowns, and senior tailback Jeremy Langford helps the Spartans grind out long drives and keep Bryce Petty and Co. off the field. Michigan State ends the season on a major high note.
Worst-case scenario
The defensive issues that existed in the Oregon and Ohio State losses show up again. Cook just looks average against Baylor’s defense, and the Big 12 makes a major statement about its playoff worthiness against the Big Ten. There are questions about whether Michigan State can make the leap to national title contender under Mark Dantonio’s watch, and the Spartans finish the season outside of the Top 10.
7. Mississippi State
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It was a special season for Mississippi State, but it could’ve been so much better. Following a 7-6 season, the Bulldogs broke out behind quarterback Dak Prescott and a talented defense. They began the season 9-0 and in the College Football Playoff hunt, but losses to Alabama and rival Ole Miss dampened their enthusiasm. They’ll get a huge chance to finish on a high note by facing off against Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
Best-case scenario
The extra time to prepare for the Yellow Jackets’ flexbone offense pays off, as a defense led by linebacker Benardrick McKinney shuts down quarterback Justin Thomas. Prescott throws for 300 yards and rushes for 100, and the Bulldogs win going away. Afterward, Prescott says he’ll return for his senior season.
Worst-case scenario
The bad vibes from the season’s sour end carry over, and MSU can’t get Tech’s offense off the field. Prescott throws multiple interceptions, the Bulldogs lose, and afterward, reports of Dan Mullen’s interest in the still-vacant Michigan job surface.
6. TCU
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TCU was the nation’s most surprising team in 2014. Following a 4-8 season, coach Gary Patterson moved to an Air Raid offense, with smashing success. The Horned Frogs averaged 46.8 points per game, second nationally, and quarterback Trevone Boykin was excellent.
Boykin threw for 3,714 yards with 30 touchdowns against seven interceptions and added 642 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. The Frogs now get a chance to cap the season with a major bowl win against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.
Best-case scenario
Boykin finds holes in the Rebels’ talented defense and makes big plays with his arm and feet, and the Horned Frogs end the season with an emphatic rout of Ole Miss. They wind up cracking the final Top Five, and Boykin announces afterward that he’ll return for his senior season, making TCU an immediate 2015 playoff contender.
Worst-case scenario
Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace conducts surgical strikes on TCU’s defense. Boykin is intercepted multiple times, and the Horned Frogs waste a key opportunity to show America why they should’ve made the College Football Playoff field.
5. Baylor
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For most teams, 11-1 and a Top Five ranking would be an impressive season. For Baylor, it was a disappointment.
The Bears’ only loss came at West Virginia, but they and fellow Big 12 team TCU were leapfrogged by Ohio State for the fourth and final College Football Playoff spot. The Bears lead the nation in scoring at 48.8 points per game and will still finish their season in AT&T Stadium—this time against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.
Best-case scenario
Bryce Petty passes early and often against the Spartans secondary, defensive end Shawn Oakman consistently harasses Connor Cook, and Petty goes out a winner in impressive fashion against local fans, securing the Bears’ Top Five finish.
Worst-case scenario
Cook finds the same holes in Baylor’s secondary that Texas Tech and TCU did and makes multiple big connections with Tony Lippett. Shilique Calhoun makes Petty’s life miserable, and Baylor shows that it wasn’t really worthy of a playoff berth.
4. Ohio State
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Urban Meyer’s Ohio State team had an amazing finish to the 2014 regular season. While many wrote off the Buckeyes following a stunning 35-21 home loss to a Virginia Tech team that finished the season 6-6, OSU just kept winning, ending the season on an 11-game win streak punctuated by a 59-0 blowout of Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game that lifted it into the College Football Playoff.
While the Buckeyes will be playing without breakout star quarterback J.T. Barnett, who broke his ankle against Michigan, OSU averages 45.2 points per game, fourth best nationally. The Buckeyes are confident in third-string quarterback Cardale Jones, but will he stand up against Alabama’s defense?
Best-case scenario
Jones burns Alabama’s secondary for multiple big plays, Joey Bosa runs wild against the Crimson Tide’s offensive line, and Ohio State stuns 'Bama in the Sugar Bowl. Then, the Buckeyes do what Michigan State couldn’t and outscore Oregon in the national title game for a most surprising championship.
Worst-case scenario
Blake Sims picks apart the Buckeyes defense, which can’t slow down the backfield tandem of T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. Jones wilts in the national spotlight, and the Big Ten gets another black eye on the big stage.
3. Florida State
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This season, Florida State has been college football’s black hat, and the Seminoles have worn it well. Jimbo Fisher’s team is 13-0 and is seemingly impossible to kill, winning seven games by six points or less and erasing three double-digit road deficits.
The Seminoles are the underdogs again in the Rose Bowl against Oregon, but that doesn’t seem to matter. Sophomore quarterback Jameis Winston has regressed statistically from his Heisman Trophy season, throwing 24 touchdowns against 17 interceptions this season after a 40-10 ratio last fall. But you can’t discount the Seminoles’ utter will to win.
USA Today's Dan Wolken writes that when the Winston era ends at FSU, so will the scrutiny. Winston was cleared Sunday in an FSU student code of conduct hearing connected to sexual assault allegations from 2012.
Best-case scenario
Winston, Rashad Greene and Nick O’ Leary take advantage of an Oregon secondary weakened by the loss of star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, freshman tailback Dalvin Cook breaks multiple long touchdown runs, and the Seminoles stay unbeaten. In the national title game, protege defeats mentor as Fisher beats old boss Nick Saban and Alabama for FSU’s second consecutive national title.
Worst-case scenario
Winston throws multiple first-half interceptions, and this time around, FSU can’t overcome an ugly first half at the Rose Bowl as Oregon ends the 29-game win streak in impressive fashion. Fans outside Florida rejoice as the Seminoles’ win streak ends at long last.
2. Oregon
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Oregon is in excellent shape as the inaugural College Football Playoff begins. The Ducks (12-1) are coming off a Pac-12 Championship whipping of Arizona, the only team that defeated them this season, and are the playoff’s No. 2 seed.
They feature the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense, averaging 46.3 points per game, keyed by Heisman Trophy-winning junior quarterback Marcus Mariota, who has thrown for 3,783 yards with 38 touchdowns against two interceptions. Star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu’s season-ending knee injury is a major concern, but Oregon will still be the favorite in the Rose Bowl against No. 3 Florida State.
Best-case scenario
Mariota and a strong running game led by talented freshman Royce Freeman gash a Florida State defense with serious issues at linebacker. Even without Ekpre-Olomu, the Ducks defense takes advantage of Jameis Winston's taking chances, intercepts him multiple times and builds a lead large enough to withstand the Seminoles’ inevitable comeback.
In the national title game, Oregon does what it couldn’t do four years ago and finishes the job against an SEC team, taking out Alabama for a national title.
Worst-case scenario
Florida State’s stout defensive line abuses Oregon’s offensive line. Winston, wideout Rashad Greene and tough tight end Nick O’Leary abuse the Duck secondary, and Florida State rolls to 14-0 with a Rose Bowl rout.
1. Alabama
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Alabama is in an enviable position entering the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide were the nation’s clear No. 1 team, entering the postseason on an eight-game winning streak following a narrow early-October defeat at Ole Miss.
‘Bama has a stingy defense that allows 16.6 points per game and a balanced offense that features the nation’s top receiver in Amari Cooper (115 receptions, 1,656 yards, 14 touchdowns). Alabama is also the playoff’s top seed and has a geographically friendly semifinal game in the Sugar Bowl against No. 4 Ohio State, which worked its way into the playoffs following a 59-0 Big Ten title demolition of Wisconsin.
AL.com's Michael Casagrande notes that Alabama's loss to Oklahoma in last season's Sugar Bowl will play a factor in the Tide's mindset this time around. "It's kind of getting our identity back," safety Nick Perry said. "We felt we didn't play our best game last year, and now we have to have something to play for. Hopefully, we can win this game and then have another game we can play in. That's something we think about and know we have to go out and play our best game."
Best-case scenario
Alabama’s battle-tested defense tees off on Ohio State third-string quarterback Cardale Jones, and the Tide offense gets big days from Cooper and T.J. Yeldon and rolls the Buckeyes to advance to the national title game. In AT&T Stadium, Alabama scores a major victory for the SEC, waxing Oregon’s fast-paced system with potent offense to score the program’s third national title in four seasons.
Worst-case scenario
Defensive end Joey Bosa has a field day against Alabama freshman left tackle Cam Robinson, Jones proves capable of big plays against the Tide’s defense (much as Auburn’s Nick Marshall did), and Ohio State scores a surprising upset to move on to the national title game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
