It should be the most fun part of bowl season to watch this.
There will be College Football Playoff games on college campuses. That is it. From now on, the CFP will not be the clean, made-for-TV show it is until the quarterfinals, and it feels like the teams are playing real college football games.
At least I hope the weather is not too bad in South Bend, State College, and Columbus in December. It is a weird twist on everything.
Who will win every match in the first round? Here are the early CFP calls, which were made without any research and based on quick thoughts. The big previews will come in a few days.
College Football Playoff First Round
10 Indiana at 7 Notre Dame
Friday, December 20
8:00, ABC/ESPN
Not Based on Research: It stinks for Notre Dame that it does not get any kind of home field weather advantage, that it gets the team from down the road, that it gets weird and dangerous Indiana instead of Clemson or SMU, and …
That is how good you are, Notre Dame. Beat Indiana, beat Georgia (without Carson Beck), beat Penn State (who should breeze through the kid’s table), and go play for the national title.
There is a lot of danger in Indiana, though. The Irish have had time to prepare, and now it is all about positioning against IU: keep everything in front of you, let the small hits go through instead of the big ones, and never let the Hoosiers get into a rhythm.
The Irish are just that good.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Notre Dame 34, Indiana 20
Line: Notre Dame -7.5, o/u: 50.5
11 SMU at 6 Penn State
Saturday, December 21
12:00, TNT
No Research, Instant Analysis: This scares me more than it should at first glance. The Penn State team does not do well with changes in speed or being taken out of its comfort zone.
To give the Penn State fans a scare early on, SMU will work quickly, spread the ball around, and stop the pass rush just enough. The early start is unfair to SMU; everyone will pick Penn State, and…
By the end of the third quarter, we will wish this was Alabama.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Penn State 38, SMU 23
Line: Penn State -8.5, o/u: 53.5
12 Clemson at 5 Texas
Saturday, December 21
4:00, TNT
No Research, Right Away Analysis: It is Texas. We know the meltdown is going to happen.
Even though Georgia did not really show it in the second half of the SEC Championship, that is when the Longhorns learned that there is a whole other level of college football talent this year that they are not a part of it.
That will not matter here because they will be jumpy around Clemson for an hour like a cat playing with a string ball.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Texas 34, Clemson 13
Line: Texas -11, o/u: 51.5
9 Tennessee at 8 Ohio State
Saturday, December 21
8:00, ABC/ESPN
There is no need for research because Ohio State is going to win the national title. This game will be the hardest one on the way to that goal.
The Tennessee pass rush will be terrible, but Ohio State’s coaches will not make the same mistake again. Instead of playing slowly and controlling the game, set up the next thing that will happen.
That is what Michigan did and beat them. Soon there will be flash, quick hitters, and the speed that everyone was yelling for a few weeks ago.
That, and the Ohio State defense will be furious when they come out of the tunnel.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Ohio State 27, Tennessee 17
Line: Ohio State -7.5, o/u: 47.5