College Football Playoff Matchups We're Dying to See
When the first official College Football Playoff Top 25 of 2015 was released Tuesday night, it generated huge interest across the college gridiron world. That’s no surprise, of course. While the rankings can and will change from week to week, this was the first chance for teams and fans to see where they stand in the eyes of the committee that will determine the second College Football Playoff field.
While Clemson, LSU, Ohio State and Alabama made up the initial Top Four, there’s plenty of room for change, discussion and controversy. It got us thinking: Which matchups would we like to see in this season’s College Football Playoff?
Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing potential games that could unfold this postseason. Games were chosen for their potential storylines as well as overall entertainment value. Here we go:
Alabama vs. Clemson
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Of all the potential playoff matchups, this is perhaps the most obvious and the most rife with storylines. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has led the Tigers into national prominence, building a program that couldn’t get over the hump under Tommy Bowden’s watch into a consistent winner that has four consecutive seasons with at least 10 victories. As SI.com's Brian Hamilton writes, Swinney is the new king of football in South Carolina.
And this might be his best team yet. Clemson is ranked No. 1 in a national poll for the first time since the end of its 1981 national-title season and has a very talented offense led by sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Of course, Swinney isn't thinking about the playoffs just yet, as he told Ed McGranahan of the (Columbia, S.C.) State.
“You’ve got to earn your way there. You don’t get any passes, so it has nothing to do with where we are right now," he said. "The only poll that we’re excited about is Dec. 6, and I promise you we’ll have the biggest poll party you’ve seen. We’ll open up Death Valley and serve pizza to everybody. That’ll be a time to celebrate a poll. Until then, it doesn’t matter.”
Under Nick Saban’s watch, Alabama has regained its status as one of the nation’s elite programs, with three BCS National Championships in eight seasons. And Swinney has Saban, in a way, to thank for his success. In the 2008 season opener, then-No. 24 Alabama stomped No. 9 Clemson 34-10 in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. That was the beginning of the end of Bowden’s Clemson tenure; he resigned under pressure six weeks later.
That opened the door for a then-unknown wide receivers coach named Dabo Swinney to take over as interim coach, and you know how the rest has unfolded. The Alabama graduate and Pelham, Ala., native would surely welcome a chance to compete against his alma mater on college football's biggest stage.
Alabama vs. Stanford
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These days, college football highlights tend to be dominated by pass-happy, score-score-score offenses like Baylor, TCU and Clemson. But there’s still room for smashmouth systems, as Alabama and Stanford have proved this season.
The Crimson Tide has received inconsistent play from senior quarterback Jake Coker but has a backfield hoss it can count on in junior tailback Derrick Henry, a powerful, quick runner with 1,044 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
Like Alabama, Stanford has one loss, but the Cardinal appear to be the Pac-12’s best team. They’ve rebounded from a down 2014 season (8-5) behind the dynamic skills of sophomore tailback Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is a force to be reckoned with in the backfield, with 1,060 rushing yards and six touchdowns as well as 25 receptions for 310 yards and two touchdowns. He leads the nation in all-purpose yards.
Alabama-Stanford wouldn’t be the sexiest playoff matchup, but it’d be hard-fought, and a throwback for those who appreciate strong run games and good defense.
Baylor vs. LSU
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Baylor and LSU share recruiting territory in Texas, but they don’t share much else. Under Art Briles, Baylor has gained national prominence with a fast-paced Air Raid-style offense. Under Les Miles, LSU has developed a reputation as a physical, run-based program much more likely to grind out a defensive struggle than torch you through the air.
This year has been business as usual for the Bears, who average 61 points per game, No. 1 nationally. However, they do have a strong run game led by tailback Shock Linwood that averages 338 rushing yards per game, No. 3 nationally. Baylor must adapt following starting quarterback Seth Russell’s season-ending neck injury, which hands the offensive keys to true freshman Jarrett Stidham. Luckily, he can throw to standout wide receiver Corey Coleman, who has 962 yards and a national-best 18 receiving touchdowns.
LSU has received competent quarterback play from Brandon Harris (nine touchdowns, no interceptions) but the clear star has been sophomore tailback Leonard Fournette, a Heisman Trophy favorite with 1,352 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Fournette is a dynamic runner, and it’d be interesting to see how he fares against a Baylor defense that has struggled to stop quality offenses. Oh, by the way, LSU’s defensive coordinator is Kevin Steele, who flamed out as Baylor’s head coach from 1999-2002 with a 9-36 record, 1-31 in Big 12 play.
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Clemson vs. TCU
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The last time Clemson and TCU met, it was a rainy day in September 2009. TCU took a hard-fought 14-10 victory in only the teams’ fourth meeting ever (the series is now tied 2-2). If the programs face off this season, the scoreboard would need significantly more firepower.
TCU averages 48 points per game (No. 2 nationally) and 389.4 passing yards per game (No. 4 nationally) behind the leadership of senior quarterback Trevone Boykin, a prime Heisman Trophy candidate. Clemson’s hurry-up, no-huddle offense, installed by current SMU coach Chad Morris and now run by co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott, is also potent.
Sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson, an emerging star, has 1,936 passing yards with 20 touchdowns against seven interceptions and also has 386 rushing yards with four touchdowns. But Clemson also has a punishing running game led by tailback Wayne Gallman, who has 874 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
The Tigers offense is improving—with consecutive 50-point efforts against Miami and NC State—and averages 40 points per game, No. 12 nationally. Over the last six years, both Clemson and TCU have found elite offenses and elite-level success. It’d be fun to see them square off on a huge stage.
LSU vs. Michigan State
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Over the last two-plus years, Mark Dantonio has guided Michigan State into the national spotlight. The Spartans are 32-3 in the last two-plus seasons, with their only losses coming to Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon. It took a stunning final-play fumbled punt return for a touchdown to stay perfect, but they’re 8-0 and firmly in the College Football Playoff hunt.
Senior Connor Cook is one of college football’s steadiest quarterbacks, with 2,070 yards and 17 touchdowns against two interceptions this season. The Spartans defense is solid as well, allowing 22.1 points per game.
Michigan State would have its hands full with tailback Leonard Fournette, the nation’s top Heisman Trophy candidate with 1,352 rushing yards and 15 scores. But it’d be fun to see Les Miles, a Michigan man, take on an old rival on a gigantic national stage. Surely the Mad Hatter would have a few tricks up his sleeve.
LSU vs. Ohio State
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LSU and Ohio State have crossed paths three times in their shared history, but most fans will remember only one game. The 2008 BCS National Championship Game featured a pair of one-loss teams, but the Tigers were clearly the superior team, building a 24-10 halftime lead and hanging on for a 38-24 national-title victory.
Seven years later, both remain in the national spotlight, although Ohio State now has a national title of its own under its belt, thanks to Urban Meyer. Meyer facing off with old SEC rival Les Miles would be great fun, as would standout tailback Leonard Fournette against Ohio State’s defense and the Buckeyes’ fast-paced system against Kevin Steele’s defense.
Steele has trouble with hurry-up systems (who could forget West Virginia hanging 70 points on his Clemson defense in the 2012 Orange Bowl, which cost him his job?). And his Alabama linebackers didn’t exactly distinguish themselves in the Buckeyes’ surprising Sugar Bowl win in the first College Football Playoff. Does he have what it takes to stop Meyer this time? It’d be fascinating to find out.
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
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Notre Dame and Ohio State are two of the biggest brand names in college football, and the two programs are separated by only 253 miles. But unlike Notre Dame and Michigan, the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish have been infrequent combatants. They’ve met only five times in their history, and only three times since 1935 (a home-and-home series in 1995-96 and the 2006 Fiesta Bowl).
They’re scheduled for a home-and-home in 2022-23, but that’s too long to wait. Why not get them together a little sooner? A College Football Playoff matchup is well within the realm of possibility, if Notre Dame finishes the season with its only loss coming at Clemson’s hands. How would freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer match up against Joey Bosa and Ohio State’s defense?
How would tailback Ezekiel Elliott fare against star linebacker Jaylon Smith and Notre Dame’s improving defense? This would be a marquee matchup perfect for New Year’s Eve and the semifinals or the national title game.
Ohio State vs. TCU
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A year ago, TCU made a stunning turnaround from 4-8 to an 11-1 regular-season record, only to be left just outside of the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs are 8-0, but they haven’t received a ton of respect from the playoff committee, beginning at No. 8 in the initial poll. However, it’s important to note that TCU still has Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State left on its schedule, giving it plenty of opportunities to improve its resume.
Senior quarterback Trevone Boykin is a strong Heisman Trophy candidate, with 2,927 passing yards and 28 touchdowns against five interceptions, as well as 524 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He leads a dynamic offense that also features receiver Josh Doctson, who has 71 receptions for 1,250 yards and 14 touchdowns.
While Ohio State has struggled to find a consistent quarterback between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes offense remains dangerous. With Ezekiel Elliott (1,130 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) facing off against a struggling TCU defense, a shootout would be in the offing, especially with Boykin and the Air Raid offense churning out points. This would be a fun, fast-paced playoff matchup.
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