Ohio State Football: Predictions For College Football Playoff
By Ryan Rosko
Youth vs Experience
Kris Grimes
The 2016 College Playoff will be an interesting one. Many pundits and sports fans alike will easily pick a Ohio State or Clemson vs Alabama final. However, let’s not rule out the possibility that Washington could pose a real threat to a pro-style team like Alabama.
Washington vs Alabama:
With teams like Big Ten Conference champion Penn State, 10-2 Michigan, and 10-2 Oklahoma sitting on the outside looking in, it was a bold move to keep Washington in the playoff. They had the 127th easiest strength of schedule out 128 pro teams. They also lost to ninth ranked USC, before beating then eighth ranked Colorado in the PAC-12 Championship game.
Yet, Washington is an unknown. Are they just a victim of having an easy schedule? Are they a really good team that simply didn’t know better when they faced USC and learned by the time they faced Colorado?
We won’t know until December 31st, but they do possess former Boise State head coach Chris Peterson. If you’re unfamiliar with him, look up Boise State and the Statue of Liberty play or simply Boise State and trick plays.
Washington doesn’t live or die by the trick play like Boise State did, but against Alabama, Washington will put all of the chips on the table. They will have to in order to pull an upset on Alabama.
On the other side of the ball against Washington, the 12-0 Crimson Tide come into the College Playoffs as the resounding favorites to win the National Championship.
Where Washington has potential trick plays and Chris Peterson, Alabama has Nick Saban and his NFL pro style built team. The talent gap between Alabama and Washington is significant, and highly in favor of the Tide Rolling.
Yet we have to remember that only two years ago Alabama was expected to roll the Ohio State Buckeyes. The talent gap was supposed to be as significant then as it is now. However, the Buckeyes pulled out a rather convincing win on their way to winning the first ever National Championship.
It’s entirely possible that Washington could come out and do many of the same things Ohio State did. While I fully expect Alabama to defeat Washington easily, the football fan in me wants to see the Huskies make a game of it. Winner: Alabama
Ohio State vs Clemson:
In the second game on December 31st, the third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and second ranked Clemson Tigers will clash. This is the game that the whole country will be watching, as it could easily go either way.
On one side you have the Clemson Tigers and their Heisman candidate quarterback Deshaun Watson. He leads a lethal aerial offense that also possesses a potential NFL first round wide receiver in Mike Williams.
If there is one concern for the Ohio State Buckeyes, it’s that they haven’t faced a truly elite college quarterback this season. While they played Oklahoma and Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield earlier this season, he wasn’t quite the candidate then as he is now.
So what’s going to be interesting is to see how the Buckeyes handle the Tigers on defense. At times this season, the Buckeyes were susceptible to getting beat by passes across the middle of the field. Teams like Penn State and even Michigan constantly found ways to clear the middle of the field and turn short passes into big plays.
If Clemson wins, it’s likely going to be because Ohio State doesn’t have the strongest defense in the country. They have the talent, but as a young team, how will they perform against a quarterback who lit up teams for 350+ passing yards and 5+ touchdowns in multiple games this season?
It’s likely that the Buckeyes defensive performance will dictate whether Clemson wins easily or if Ohio State can make it a game. Safety Malik Hooker will likely play a large part in dictating the success or failure of the Tigers offense.
The reason the defense is the key for the Buckeyes is because their offense is far from perfect. While quarterback J.T. Barrett has the potential to elevate his game to an elite level, we haven’t seen it much this season. At least not through the air. The offense typically struggles to move the ball at times, and like the Michigan game, can be stellar on one drive then disappear for the next two quarters.
It will likely take a balanced attack from the Ohio State offense to make the Clemson game a competitive one. That means WR/RB Curtis Samuel will have to make plays, as will running back Mike Weber, and who knows, maybe wide receiver Noah Brown will re-emerge for two or three touchdowns again. Just like he did in the Buckeyes’ big win versus Oklahoma.
It will be a tough game, and while I want the Buckeyes to win, the Tigers pose a true threat with their offense. The Tigers and Buckeyes have had some close games this season, and I expect this one to be no different.
The x-factor? The Buckeyes have Urban Meyer at head coach and the Tigers have Dabo Sweeney. When it comes to big games, and close games, I’d go with Meyer any day. Winner: Ohio State
The National Championship Game:
Across the country, the buzz will be all about the rematch of Ohio State and Alabama, or Meyer vs Saban. A young team vs an older more experienced team.
There will be highlights of former Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott running through the heart of the Alabama defense for 75 yards and the score.
While Elliott is no longer a Buckeye, the Crimson Tide will be out for revenge. They will look to avenge the championship they felt they deserved in 2014, and this time they may have the team to do just that.
Without a dominant running back, the Buckeyes offense will once again rely on Barrett. I’d love to say that Barrett could have an Elliott-like performance, or even a Cardale Jones-like game, but against Alabama they could expose his weaknesses.
If this is indeed the matchup, I could see Alabama getting their second national title in as many years. Again I’d love to see Ohio State hoist the trophy, but against a team like Alabama, with their experience it’s going to be hard for a young Buckeyes team to win. Winner: Alabama (regrettably).