Another edition of the College Football Playoff is on the horizon as No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Cincinnati will battle it out on Dec. 31 for a bid to the national championship game on Jan. 10.
Alabama and Georgia enter the contest following an SEC Championship game that saw the Tide roll the Bulldogs, 41-24. Heisman hopeful Bryce Young scored four total touchdowns en route to a victory that pushed Nick Saban’s team to 11-1.
Meanwhile, outside of the SEC, Michigan and Cincinnati will make their first ever appearances in the Playoff. The Wolverines ran away with the Big Ten, winning their final five games by an average margin of 24 points, while the Bearcats capped off a second straight undefeated regular season by beating Houston in the AAC championship, 35-20.
No, Vanderbilt is not competing. But that doesn’t stop The Hustler’s sports staff from making their picks. Here’s who they are rolling with heading into the stretch run of the college football season:
Justin Hershey, Sports Editor
“Hey, congrats Cincinnati—we are finally going to give a Group of Five team a shot at the College Football Playoff! Have fun getting destroyed by Alabama,” – the College Football Playoff Committee (probably).
In all seriousness, Cincinnati earned the right to be here. But if Alabama doesn’t beat them by three touchdowns I’ll be shocked. Since watching Georgia thrash Vanderbilt firsthand, I’ve said they are the best team and I’m not going to turn my back on them now. It’s tough to beat a great team twice and Alabama has weaknesses. Give me the Dawgs.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia over No. 2 Michigan
National Championship: No. 3 Georgia over No. 1 Alabama
Bryce Smith, Deputy Sports Editor
Like the sun rising and setting, the Tide are seemingly inevitable in college football these days, and Nick Saban has this team playing its best ball of the season at the right time yet again. Who am I to pick against them? I’ll go with Michigan in a tight one over Georgia, but the boys from Ann Arbor ain’t beating two SEC teams in a row. Bryce Young for Heisman, mostly because he has a great first name.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 2 Michigan over No. 3 Georgia
National Championship: No. 1 Alabama over No. 2 Michigan
Andrew Wilf, Assistant Sports Editor
Georgia will beat Michigan 27-20 and then defeat Alabama 22-19. Even though Michigan beat archrival Ohio State during rivalry week and dominated Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, the Michigan offense will have less success against the Georgia defense. Alabama will make the national championship for the second consecutive season and defeat the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats 41-20 in the Cotton Bowl. Although Georgia was demolished by Alabama in the SEC Championship, the Bulldogs defense will revert back to the way they played all season. Quarterback Stetson Bennett may be replaced by J.T. Daniels but no matter who is at the helm, Georgia’s defense will drive the Bulldogs to a national championship trophy. Defense wins championships, and Georgia’s defense is the best in the country.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia over No. 2 Michigan
National Championship: No. 3 Georgia over No. 1 Alabama
Sam Curtis, Assistant Sports Editor
I really want to choose a non-SEC team to advance to the CFP finale, but the more logical part of my brain is rebelling against it. I simply can’t see Nick Saban’s squad falling to the underdog Bearcats despite their untarnished record. On the other side, Georgia will have a bounce-back performance, reminding fans that their defense, which held opponents to just 6.9 points per game before their loss to the Crimson Tide, is the best in college football. They’ll beat the Wolverines and earn a rematch with Alabama, and this time, they’ll be hoisting the trophy when the buzzer sounds.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia over No. 2 Michigan
National Championship: No. 3 Georgia over No. 1 Alabama
Jack Bukovnik, Staff Writer
I expect my picks to be the hottest takes on this roundtable, so let me start by saying yes, I watched Alabama in the SEC Championship. Yet, this hasn’t been the same dominant Crimson Tide team we’ve seen in previous years, as they have looked shaky in a number of games against weak opponents. Cincinnati has a spotless record, including a win over a CFP-contending Notre Dame team, so look for them to surprise people this New Year’s Eve. Next, Michigan is a team that’s getting hot at the right time with two massive wins to close out the season. Sure, Georgia statistically looks dominant, but they’ve played quite a weak schedule for an SEC team, and lost their sole game against a playoff contender. Lastly, look for Michigan’s momentum to carry them to a win over the Bearcats to finish off the Harbaugh comeback tour. I’ve been a Big Ten football guy my whole life (O-H), and a firm believer that SEC football isn’t all that. Look for the Midwest to shock the world as we move into 2022.
Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Cincinnati over No. 1 Alabama
Orange Bowl: No. 2 Michigan over No. 3 Georgia
College Football Playoff: No. 2 Michigan over No. 3 Cincinnati
Jonah Barbin, Staff Writer
At long last, it’s time to roll with the Wolverines. No longer known for not getting the job done, head coach Jim Harbaugh will lead his team over two formidable SEC foes to the promised land. First up, Big Blue will beat Georgia. Georgia’s nation-leading defense was just torched by Alabama, and Cade McNamara will have similar success. Alabama should have no trouble with Cincy (although props to them on an impressive undefeated campaign), making them the team that Michigan will stare down for the title. At the end of the day, I think teams’ coach-quarterback duo determine if they have what it takes to go all the way. It’ll come down to Bryce Young-Nick Saban and McNamara-Harbaugh this year, and I’m riding with the Michigan boys.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 2 Michigan over No. 3 Georgia
National Championship: No. 2 Michigan over No. 1 Alabama
Jaime Pérez, Staff Writer
For the first time since 2015, the College Football Playoff (which started in 2014) will have two programs making their debut in the same Playoff. Unfortunately for those two teams—Michigan and Cincinnati—they have to face one of the most dominant college defenses of all time in this year’s Georgia team and the defending champions in the Alabama Crimson Tide, respectively. While I will be rooting for chaos and upsets, I think Alabama and Georgia are the two best teams in the country and will show it in the semifinals. In the title game, I expect to see more of what we saw in the SEC Championship game, as Alabama will become the first team ever to win back-to-back titles in the CFP era.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia over No. 2 Michigan
National Championship: No. 1 Alabama over No. 3 Georgia
Jayce Pollard, Staff Writer
Last week, I was convinced that Alabama would meet its demise at the hands of a superior Georgia squad. Why? Because it took a Bryce Young miracle and Bryan Harsin being inept for the Crimson Tide to defeat Auburn. Because Alabama’s offensive line is its worst in a decade. Because the team struggled against Florida, Arkansas, LSU and Texas A&M. Last week’s win alleviated some of those concerns, but Cincinnati is coming to Dallas with the hope of five conferences at its back. This will be the greatest upset of all time. Georgia will also continue to roll in the semifinals, as Michigan’s running game will be ineffective and Cade McNamara is closer to a game manager than a world-beater. That sets up a match between Cincinnati and Georgia for the second consecutive season, and do we really think a walk-on quarterback is winning the national championship? #CinciNATTY
Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Cincinnati over No. 1 Alabama
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia over No. 2 Michigan
National Championship: No. 4 Cincinnati over No. 3 Georgia
Connor Campbell, Staff Writer
Cincy! You made it! I’m so proud! With that being said, get ready for a pummeling so bad it’ll leave you as dazed and confused as the Alabama frat boys the morning after celebrating their Cotton Bowl victory. Then Alabama will turn around, walk towards Michigan and Georgia, and say, “Who’s coming in second?” like Larry Bird in the 1988 3-point contest. And just like Larry Bird, they’ll back it up. Why do I have this much confidence in Alabama? The same reason I can count on Gonzaga to be in the Final Four and Vanderbilt to be in the College World Series final: Dominant programs win when it matters. I was fully confident that Bryce Young would march his team down the field for a touchdown during their final possession in the Iron Bowl, a confidence that only one other QB has ever produced in that situation: Tom Brady. Now Bryce Young is no Tom Brady, but don’t be shocked when he delivers his team a championship like Brady has done seven times before.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia over No. 2 Michigan
National Championship: No. 1 Alabama over No. 3 Georgia
Basim Naim, Staff Writer
As wonderful a Cinderella story as Cincinnati is, its recruiting, coaching, depth and experience with SEC-caliber competition and the College Football Playoff fall well short of Alabama’s. Michigan will be coming off a momentous 42-3 Big Ten Championship victory in its first CFP appearance, but it will be against a team that was definitively the best team in college football for half of the 2021 season, before being bested by its nemesis of more than a decade—Alabama. My layman’s judgment is that Georgia’s SEC experience, better recruiting and coaching staff who’s seen the stage before will lead it past Michigan. In the rematch of the SEC Championship, Alabama will keep on rolling. Nick Saban keeps showing that a threat from Georgia unequivocally results in championships—take the 2012, 2018 and 2021 SEC Championships and what will soon be the 2018 and 2022 CFP National Championships as examples.
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama over No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia over No. 2 Michigan
National Championship: No. 1 Alabama over No. 3 Georgia
