Rip up your Preseason College Football Playoff predictions because we’re in December, which means the playoffs are upon us. This season has been one of the craziest and most unpredictable years in a long time. Both the preseason #1 and #2 teams are not even in the playoffs which I would bet no one would have guessed in July. This playoff is about to be crazy and I’m here to tell you the most accurate predictions you’ll ever see.

Round One: #8 Oklahoma vs #9 Alabama- We will kick off the predictions with the first game of the playoff, Friday night in Norman, Oklahoma as the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. This is the Sooners first CFP appearance since 2019 where they lost to LSU in the Peach bowl. Many believed when the playoff bracket was released, that Alabama should not be in the playoff. I was one of them. I believed that after getting blown out by Georgia in the SEC Title that both Miami and Notre Dame should have gotten into the dance. This game should be a great matchup, with these two teams who have already played each other where Oklahoma took them down in Tuscaloosa 23-21. I think the main key in this game will be which team’s QB plays best against these two really good defenses. I think beating a team twice in the same season is very hard and I don’t believe in this Sooners team as they have been playing sloppy football in the last couple weeks of the regular season. Alabama is getting doubted and that is when you don’t want to face them. Give me the Crimson Tide to pull a stunner and advance to the rose bowl to play Indiana. Alabama 27-Oklahoma 17

Round One: #7 Texas A&M vs #10 Miami- For the first Saturday game the Miami Hurricanes will head to College Station to take on the Aggies of Texas A&M for a ticket to the Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. These two teams have both had really good seasons and a huge surprise in the college football landscape this year. Texas A&M who was 11-0 all the way to the last week of the regular season where they fell to their rivals, Texas and missed out on an appearance in the SEC Championship game. Texas A&M is led by star QB Marcell Reed and his elite offense. They will put up video game numbers in this one even against a great defense like Miami’s. Miami’s main takeaway is their run defense. They were dominant this season in stopping the run with their defense ranked 7th in the country in the category. The Aggies rushing game hasn’t been that special this season with starting running back Rueben Owens Jr. only rushing for 618 yards and 5 touchdowns. He had only two games this year where he broke over 100 yards rushing and that may be the difference in this one. The Hurricanes will have to stop the Aggies top 20 offense in one of the hardest environments to play in all of college football. I don’t believe Miami quarterback Carson Beck and his passing attack is good enough to shine on this huge stage and I think The Hurricanes get decimated Saturday afternoon and end their season on the losing end. Texas A&M 34-Miami 13  

Round One: #6 Ole Miss vs #11 Tulane- We will go next to one of the more interesting games in round one. Ole Miss, no longer with Lane Kiffin as he is in Baton Rouge as the new coach at LSU. Ole Miss led with star quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss who came into the season as the backup but has truly turned into a star. If he plays up to his talent level the green wave will have no answer on defense. Kewen Lacy, their running back will be a big part in this game because of his electric speed and ability to find the gap. Tulane is led by quarterback Jake Retzlaff who transferred in from BYU this past offseason. He has a really solid arm and can run when the pocket collapses. The offense will definitely struggle in this playoff environment and the defense will need to come up with multiple turnovers if they want to pull the upset against Ole Miss. I don’t think that happens, Ole Miss is way too good of a team to get upset and I believe they will win. Ole Miss 42-Tulane 24

Round One: #5 Oregon vs #12 James Maddison- Another game with a Group of 5 team in it. James Maddison, who is a heavy underdog, heads into Eugene, Oregon to take on the Ducks. James Maddison won the Sun Belt title and got into the playoff because Duke beat Virginia in the ACC championship. James Maddison’s offense which was electric in Sun Belt play has been really hot and their quarterback, Alonzo Barnett III leads this high powered Dukes offense and if he continues to do what he has done all year and plays up to the level he needs to play with against Oregon they could have a chance. I really like their defense; They have some really good players especially along the defensive line. They have 36 sacks this season which has been a great boost to the team. For Oregon, quarterback Dante Moore has been really solid for the Ducks and truly has come alive this year and many mock drafts have him going inside the top 10 at this year’s NFL draft. Oregon has a really good defense as well and will create much pressure. Oregon will be challenged early but their talent is undeniable and that will prevail them over James Maddison. Oregon 28-James Maddison 13

Quarterfinals: #4 Texas Tech vs #5 Oregon- The BIG12 title champs, Texas Tech are at the 4 seed in the college football playoff and will get to play Oregon in the orange bowl in Miami. This is one of, if not the most exciting game in the quarterfinals. Either team can win and this game should be a high scoring affair. I have worries about this Texas Tech offense since it has been the defense carrying them to this 12-1 record mostly. Jacob Rodriguez and Ben Roberts on the defensive side have both been huge with Ben Roberts coming up with two interceptions in the BIG12 title game. If this defense can continue to play at a high level and their offense plays solid football they can easily win this game. For Oregon, this isn’t a game like James Maddison that they can most likely blow out. It’s going to be a battle and this Ducks offense will be tested by this Red Raider defense. If Oregon can establish the run game and if their defense can create some turnovers on the Texas Tech offense, they will be in a good spot. I think this game will come down to the wire but I think Texas Tech’s defense is too good not to pick to win at least one game in the playoff. They will force a late crucial turnover and win the game over the Ducks. Maybe next year is your year, Dan Lanning. Texas Tech 37-Oregon 28

Quarterfinals: #1 Indiana vs #9 Alabama- The Rose Bowl, maybe the best bowl game ever. The location, atmosphere, and history makes this place special. It is definitely on my bucket list to visit and see a game at. Indiana has had an amazing season with a 13-0 record and the Heisman winner, in Fernando Mendoza who transferred in from Cal this past offseason. He has been so good this year but he wouldn’t be in this position without his offensive weapons. Running back Roman Hemby, as well as receivers Elijah Serratt, and Omar Cooper Jr. have all been great for the Hoosiers and have provided the team with many big time plays especially in crucial moments. Even though they have some great players, the main guy who needs a ton of credit is Head Coach, Curt Cignetti. He has been amazing here at Indiana in his first two years; from receiving a team who had gone 3-9 for three straight years to a 11-1 and 13-0 BIG10 championship and potentially a national championship team. It is incredible what he is doing and that will continue in the playoffs. I have Alabama getting a tough victory in Oklahoma but I just don’t think their offense is consistent enough to keep this train rolling. If everything goes right for the Crimson Tide, they can definitely pull the upset but I just don’t see it. I think Indiana is just the outright better team and I have them winning and advancing to the semifinals. Indiana 31-Alabama 20

Quarterfinals: #3 Georgia vs #6 Ole Miss- With Ole Miss winning at home in the first round, it has set up a great quarterfinal matchup in the Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia, most recently beat Alabama in the SEC championship to win their second straight conference title. They come into this game on four straight weeks of rest and will definitely be healthy come time. Gunnar Stockton leads them in this battle as his playmaking ability and arm talent has been shown off at a very high level week after week this season. With weapons like Nate Frazier and Zachariah Branch making great strides this season and consistently making amazing plays against SEC defenses, this offense has been one of the hottest in the country in recent weeks. Their defense has an amazing Linebacker core in CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson who have both been game wreckers and huge pieces for this squad. They will for sure be on their A game and make a huge impact. For Ole Miss, They played these Bulldogs before this season where they came up just short in an amazing game. This time they have no Lane Kiffin and a lot of coaching staff changes which has a huge impact on the outcome of this game. Ole Miss has had an amazing season this year but Georgia may just be the hottest team in all of college football and that is why I have Georgia knocking off the Rebels in New Orleans and getting back to the College Football Semifinals finally after a two year drought. Georgia 30-Ole Miss 17

Quarterfinals: #2 Ohio State vs #7 Texas A&M- Ohio State comes into the playoff off of a loss in the BIG10 title game to Indiana. They were very competitive in that game only losing by 3. Their kicker, Jayden Fielding missed a chip shot field goal that would have tied the game late in the fourth which ultimately lost them the game. Julian Sayin, one of the Heisman finalists, was unstoppable in games this year throwing for over 3,000 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. That comes pretty easy when you have the best player to throw to in college football, Jeremiah Smith. He is a freak athlete and one of the best receivers anyone has ever seen play college football. The passing attack is amazing with Smith as well as Carnell Tate who is projected to go in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. They put up some crazy video game numbers and it will definitely be hard to stop for this Aggies defense. Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles all headline the Buckeyes defense and all have made their own individual impact this season. They have been one of the best if not most well rounded defenses this season with them ranking first in least amount of points allowed in games with 8.8. This is a very impressive defense with many stars. Texas A&M will need to have a day on offense in this one which they have shown time and time again their ability to do. The team averages 36 points per game and is near the top of the nation in that category. They have the offense and the defense to slow down this Buckeyes offense in big moments. Julian Sayin is still a Sophomore and will be prone to make mistakes in this one. It should be a shootout back and forth but I feel like there is magic in the air in College Station and the Aggies pull the stunner over the Buckeyes. Texas A&M 45-Ohio State 38

Semifinals: #1 Indiana vs #4 Texas Tech- Now for the semifinals, Indiana will take on Texas Tech in the Peach Bowl for a ticket to the National Championship game. Texas Tech comes into this game hungry as they just took down Oregon. They match up very well with this Hoosiers team whose offense has been one of the best in the country this year. Texas Tech’s defense will have to face a very tough team but with Ben Roberts and Jacob Rodriguez that shouldn’t be too hard to at least slow down Indiana. With that being said, it is pretty much best offense vs best defense in this one. Who will break first? I think this one ends up being a much lower scoring game than many probably think. I like both teams and I wish they were on other sides of the bracket so they could play in the National Championship but that’s not how it unfolded. With all this to look at and all the previous games we’ve looked at and I’ve predicted, I just think this is the Indiana Hoosiers year and Curt Cignetti is doing something we really have never seen a coach do before. I think Indiana wins a close one, and Heisman winner Frenando Mendoza leads the Hoosiers to the natty. Indiana 21-Texas Tech 16

Semifinals: #3 Georgia vs #7 Texas A&M- With Indiana heading to the National Championship game, they will have to await the winner of Georgia vs Texas A&M to see who they play. These two teams have not played yet this year and it should be a classic. Both teams put up high numbers and are two of the best offenses in college football. Gunnar Stockton and Marcel Reed headline these two teams with their amazing playmaking ability and these two will be ready to put on a show. Both defenses tend to get scored on with Texas A&M relying on their offense many times to get them the win. The team trailed South Carolina earlier in the season 30-3 at halftime before A&M mounted a 27 point comeback in the second half to end up winning the game 31-30. For Georgia they played a lot of close games earlier in the season but as the season progressed they finally found their footing on the defensive side with them playing up to their talent level. In the SEC title game vs Alabama they only allowed 7 points. They dominated the game up and down and even though I have Texas A&M beating Miami and Ohio State, I still have questions about this defense when playing a hot Georgia offense. I think Georgia has too good of an offense to not take against a struggling A&M defense. Georgia 27- Texas A&M 23

National Championship: #1 Indiana vs #3 Georgia- the entire college football season leads up to this game. The two best teams in the country are going at it for a chance at a championship. Indiana, a program who has never played in a national championship game or has claimed one. This is easily the biggest game in program history and it’s not even close. The job that Curt Cignetti has done up to this point is absolutely incredible. This team this year was typically picked to finish 9-3 and Finnish 4-5 in the BIG10. Now they are in the National Championship against the best college football team in the 2020s so far. They won back to back National titles in 2021 and 2022 against Alabama and TCU. They have returned to the title game for a chance to win their 3rd national championship in 5 years. This game will come down to whoever’s defense steps up and makes the most impact plays in the big moments. Georgia defense is the better defense out of the two with players like KJ Bolden, CJ Allen, Ellis Robinson IV, and Raylen Wilson. The Indiana offense will have a tough time but they were built for this moment and I don’t think that affects them too much. Roman Hemby should have a big day on the ground and his speed should carry him for at least one big score.  The Hoosiers defensive backs will be key as well as they will need to slow down the speed of Dillon Bell and Zachariah Branch. I believe they will be able to limit deep balls and force Georgia to utilize the ground game with Nate Fraizer. So after going through the whole playoff and going through each of these teams here is the prediction. I love Indiana’s story a lot and I think the job they have done this year is great, but they just don’t have the same all around talent as Georgia and I think Georgia will be able to expose their flaws in this game. Nate Frazier will have a big game and the defense will make the plays needed to lift them over the Hoosiers in a close one. I have Georgia hoisting their third National Championship in 5 years. Georgia 34-Indiana 27