2017 College Football Playoff Preview
It’s another year for the College Football Playoff and another year where the stories are seemingly endless.
This year’s version of the playoff is an interesting one as the four teams involved have plenty of chance to make their way to the top of the heap.
Although there are plenty of stories with the teams the way that they got here is a compelling debate.
For the first time ever the CFP will feature two teams from the same conference both fighting for the national championship.
That is what plagued the BCS for years as the SEC ruled the BCS the entire time taking the overwhelming majority of titles during that era.
They were the conference that continued to produce at twice they were the only conference involved in the national championship.
It led to a massive demand for change in the way that the NCAA determined the national champion and it led to the new system.
Now instead of the two teams playing being decided on by a ranking spit out by a computer four teams would compete based on rankings created by a committee.
The idea was that this new system would provide a way for teams to earn their way into the title game every year.
It has worked out pretty good since as the new system has led to three different champions in three years.
Unfortunately for some, the only team to make the playoffs every year has been the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The SEC has still ruled the NCAA but it hasn’t been as dominant as it used to be with a new conference winning a title every year.
This year it could be different though as the SEC is back to being the best conference in the country.
They have become the first team to put two teams into the playoff in the same year after the Bulldogs took the SEC Championship and Alabama took another spot.
The controversy came with the Tide who were not even in the SEC Championship yet still got a spot in the playoff.
After losing to Auburn they were eliminated and when Georgia won the title they earned their spot in the playoff as a conference champion.
Alabama took another spot largely due to the issues in the Big Ten where too many teams were too good and nobody could find a way to win the conference outright.
That along with the fact that the Pac-12 remains the worst of the power five conferences and the spot was there for the taking.
Still putting Alabama in was a controversial pick but it is what happened as they will return for the fourth time in as many years.
They will return and they will get a very familiar foe in their semi-final match-up for the Sugar Bowl.
They will play the Clemson Tigers for the third year in a row in the playoff with the series tied at one apiece.
The first time Alabama took the win and took home the National Championship and last year the Tigers were able to get by the Tide for the title.
Now they face off with different teams looking to take the rubber match and find their way to the national title game.
The Tigers don’t have Deshaun Watson but Kelly Bryant is looking like a more than capable replacement as he looks for his coming out party.
For the Tide Jalen Hurts is back to lead the team and trying to win a title but like every year the team is built on defence and the running game.
Whoever can take the rubber match will take on the winner from the Rose Bowl in a match-up that might be more about the stars involved.
Nick Chubb has been one of the top running backs in the country over the last few years and the Bulldogs will need him to step up to help him win.
Chubb will drive the offence of the SEC champions while one of the most controversial players in the game tries to drive his team.
Baker Mayfield is the straw that stirs the drink for Oklahoma as the Heisman winner will take the attitude that many people hate into the playoff in his final year.
These two stars will have the lights all on them as they hope to take their teams to the national championship.
The College Football playoff is ready to go and for another year it is going to be interesting with many hoping to see another new champion rather than the first repeat champion.
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