College Football Futures – Tide Roll to the Top

In the second year under the new, much more credible, College Football Playoff method, we watched the Alabama Crimson Tide capture their fourth national championship in the last seven years. Thankfully, this was a much more entertaining battle than Ohio State blowing out Oregon in the inaugural CFP championship.

What Nick Saban has done since taking over Alabama in 2007 is nothing short of incredible. Saban has effectively turned the Tide into the college version of the New England Patriots, minus the cheating (we hope). He has accomplished this feat with supreme recruiting (which is made easier when you’re a contender every year), top-notch training regimes, and a great mind for the game. Saban has consistently overcome a lack of elite talent at quarterback with a perennially stingy defense and bruising lines.

Defending the title won’t be easy for the Tide, though, as a number of teams are nipping at their heels. As usual, a bunch of them are SEC rivals. Yet, despite losing their starting quarterback, top two running backs (one of whom won the Heisman), and a whole lot of defensive talent to the NFL, Saban and company remain the favorites to for the 2017 National Championship.

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Odds to win the 2017 College Football Playoff

Alabama Crimson Tide: 19/3

It appears junior Cooper Bateman has seized the lead role in the quarterback battle with last year’s starter, Jake Coker, now with the Arizona Cardinals. But we are still more than two months away from kicking this season off. Whichever pivot lands the starting job, one thing is certain, he won’t have much experience under his belt. Bateman has only attempted 52 passes in his collegiate career, but that’s more than the rest of the roster combined.

Whoever does emerge will have the luxury of Calvin Ridley, the team’s top receiver last season as a freshman, on the outside to help ease them into the difficult situation. Along with Ridley, the world is about to be introduced to sophomore running back Bo Scarbrough. Scarbrough spent the 2015 season buried behind a second and third-round NFL draft picks. Alabama’s new workhorse already has the nation’s attention, as his name has been brought up in early Heisman discussions.

We know what to expect from a Nick Saban defense, but not from Bateman. Then again, does it matter? Bateman may just be the next piece of evidence that superior quarterback play isn’t a pre-requisite for a National Championship, not if you’re Alabama anyways.

Ohio State Buckeyes: 7/1

After defying the odds in 2014 with third-string freshman Cardale Jones at the helm, Ohio State entered 2015 as the first unanimous number one in the Associated Press poll. All was looking just fine and dandy for Urban Meyer’s crew, and then they hosted the Michigan State Spartans on the second-to-last week of regular season play.

The Spartans walked in without star quarterback Connor Cook and defeated the Buckeyes 17-14, ending OSU’s undefeated season and closing the door on their chances to repeat as national champions. The defeat resulted in a lot of criticism directed Urban Meyer’s way, specifically from his own players, most notably his versatile back, Ezekiel Elliott, who wanted more of the rock. Ohio State finished the regular season ranked seventh in the nation and went on to defeat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl; but with such a talented roster, this team had much higher expectations.

Entering 2016, the Buckeyes roster has been ravaged by the NFL draft. Ohio State had an incredible 12 players selected, three in the top ten and five total in the first round. One returnee who will be heavily relied upon is JT Barrett, now the undisputed starting quarterback with Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller in the NFL. Miller will have the help of returning receiver Curtis Samuel and redshirt freshman Mike Weber at running back.

The Buckeyes may not be the unanimous number one team this preseason, but don’t be surprised if Barrett and the kids exceed what last year’s loaded roster was able to accomplish.

Clemson Tigers: 22/3

In 2015, Clemson came out on the right end of a lot of close games in the ACC, going 14-0 en route to the championship. Coming in as the top seed, Deshaun Watson came up just short against the Tide, losing 45-40 in a thriller. That was a relatively young team, so the season is, and should be, viewed as a massive success.

Heading into 2016, Heisman finalist Watson returns as does top rusher Wayne Gallman, and leading receiver Artavis Scott. The Tigers do, however, lose their fierce duo of defensive ends, Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd, along with two members of their secondary, Mackensie Alexander and TJ Green.

There will be a lot of highlights from the Tigers offense this year, but will their defense be able to hold up against out-of-conference foe Auburn in Week 1? If it does, Clemson will again benefit from the weak competition in the ACC and, barring any big injuries, will find itself in the hunt for another CFP berth.

Michigan Wolverines: 10/1

Had punter Blake O’Neill not bobbled the snap on what should have been the final play against rival Michigan State, the Wolverines may have been playing Ohio State in the final week of the season with a shot at playing in the CFP. Instead, the Spartans pulled off the unthinkable to beat the Wolverines in the Big House.

Looking beyond that wild finish, it didn’t take Jim Harbaugh long to return this proud program to its winning ways. One of the most polarising coaches in the sport capped off a promising season by pummelling the Florida Gators, 41-7, in the Citrus Bowl.

Moving ahead, the Wolverines have a bit of a quarterback battle on their hands with last year’s starter, Jake Rudock, now a part of the Detroit Lions roster. Rudock was a transfer last season, but not the only quarterback Harbaugh brought in. Former Houston starter Jake O’Korn also transferred last year, but was forced to sit the season out. Now eligible to suit-up, O’Korn is the presumed leader in the battle against last year’s backup, Wilton Speight.

Whoever earns the starting job will be surrounded by talent, as Michigan will return their top two running backs and top three receivers from last season. A good majority of the defense is also back to pursue a championship in 2016.

If O’Korn can provide the team with solid quarterback-play, the Wolverines may find themselves on top of the uncompromising Big Ten.

Oklahoma Sooners: 13/1

After being upset by Texas in Week 5 of the 2015 season, Oklahoma’s championship hopes took a massive hit. However, seven consecutive wins to finish the season (the final three of which were against ranked opponents) proved to be enough to lift the Sooners into the CFP, where they drew top-seeded Clemson in the Orange Bowl. The Tigers shut down Sooner running back Samaje Perine, and QB Baker Mayfield threw two costly interceptions, ending Oklahoma’s season.

Perine and Mayfield, both Heisman hopefuls, return, hoping to erase that bitter memory. They won’t have star receiver Sterling Shepard, though, who was selected by the Giants in the NFL Draft.

Oklahoma will have the firepower to repeat as Big 12 champions, but escaping the gruelling conference unscathed is not an easy task. Their non-conference slate also features a Week 3 matchup against Ohio State, which has the potential to either turn the Sooners into championship favorites or end their hopes of returning to the playoffs.

The Next Three:

LSU Tigers: 18/1

Baylor Bears: 20/1

Tennessee Volunteers: 20/1

(Photo Credit: RammaJammaYellaHamma (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)