Finally able to create forum posts... so here's my first.
With the season over and the Buckeyes reigning supreme over the world of college football once again, it is time to begin making predictions of what the landscape will look like next year. I love speculating about college football, it's one of my favorite brain drain activities. So simply by looking at this year's final top 25 and using the knowledge of the game and teams already rattling in that nugget of yours. Let's hear the 2015-2016 top 4, title game match up, and National Champion.
I will start by assuming that the committee will ensure that there are no duplicate representatives in the four team playoff. Meaning, there won't be two from any one conference. So the real question is who will be the conference winners and which of the big 5 is left out.
SEC - Gloriously, the reign of the SEC has come to an end (all hail Doladale)... but the defeat of Alabama was merely the final nail in that coffin. They pronounced dead when the rest of the West was pummeled in their respective bowls. The nation's eyes were opened to the reality that the SEC simply isn't what it once was. That being said, there is a program the year in and year out will be battling for the their position in the national spotlight. While most of you are probably thinking Ole Miss is the obvious choice for that position, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's probably Nick Saban and his Crimson pantax Tide. While it's tempting to say it's Georgia's year, Reiche's epic ability to waste talent and loose in games they should win, will once again keep them watching from their lazy-boys. LSU and Arkansas are possible contenders, but with their youth I don't see them over taking the Tide.
The Big-12 - While Baylor was the better team this year (flat out they beat TCU on the field), TCU will be the representative from the Big-12. With all the crying last year and with 10 returning starters on offense and 7 on defense, I don't see anyone in the Big-12 standing in their way of getting a top 4 slot.
The Big-10 - The Buckeyes.... THE end.
The one remaining spot - This comes to the winner of the PAC or the ACC. Florida State is out. They will be perrenially bad without Winston at the helm and the ACC in general is full of mediocre teams. Clemson may be their next best bet, but a 1 loss Clemson team doesn't overcome a 1 loss PAC team, regardless of the team. So in the PAC 12 who will be the team that rises to the top? I'm going with USC. After watching a couple of their games last year, they are loaded with explosive talent. It's a matter of getting that talent to believe and achieve. With the Ducks all but out of the picture minus Marriota (see the 3 plays in the title game without him) I think USC finds themselves winning the PAC and renewing the flames of the media love-fest with SoCal's darlings.
My four:
1- The Ohio State University
2- TCU
3- USC
4- Alabama
This will give us the same matchup as last year in the first round. Something the media will be slathering over. Another face-off between two would be legendary coaches. On the other side TCU and USC face off and it ends in a TCU victory, leaving us the matchup the talking heads wanted all season. The team left out last year vs. the team that edged them out.
