Eleven Warriors CFP Predictions: 11W Staff Taking Ohio State to Repeat As National Champions

Seven staffers submitted their picks, and all took Ohio State to repeat. But the intrigue lies in the journey to get there.

Three different opponents were selected multiple times to face the No. 2 Buckeyes in the national title game: Indiana, Texas Tech and Oregon. Three of us selected a rematch with Indiana for all the marbles, but two others picked the Hoosiers to be upset in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl by either Oklahoma or Alabama. The season-ending injury to star Indiana defensive end Stephen Daley may play a role in that.

A majority of staff sided with Miami as Ohio State's quarterfinals opponent in another chance for the Buckeyes to Break the U (we have a shirt!). All but one of us took Georgia as OSU's semifinal opponent, your beloved writer of these predictions being the lone outlier, taking interim coach Pete Golding and Ole Miss to upset the Bulldogs.

Andy Anders

The upside (and downside) of having an alphabetically privileged first and last name is that I get to go first on a lot of lists like these.

I've been awful at predicting games all year. Dan Hope, Chase Brown and I pick five games against the spread every week during the regular season, and I have by far the worst record on the year at 25-45. I'd be out of work if I were a football coach with that mark. I'd be dead broke if I gambled on any of my picks. I'm also dead last in our staff prediction rankings for Ohio State games this season; my scores are off by an average of 16 points per game.

Maybe I should pick against the Buckeyes for that reason. But I'm not. Gotta give them one last bit of adversity, you know?

First Round

• No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 James Madison
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Tulane
• No. 7 Texas A&M over No. 10 Miami
• No. 9 Alabama over No. 8 Oklahoma

Quarterfinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 9 Alabama
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 3 Georgia
• No. 4 Texas Tech over No. 5 Oregon

Semifinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 4 Texas Tech
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 6 Ole Miss

National Champion

Ohio State

I still think Ohio State has the best collection of talent in the country, and the extra time to prepare for each game should allow for improved schematics over what was done in the Big Ten Championship Game. I think the Buckeyes and Hoosiers are the two best teams in the country, and I have Ohio State winning the rematch for the school's first-ever repeat national championship.

My biggest projected upset is Ole Miss over Georgia in the quarterfinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Yes, the game is in the Bulldogs' backyard and they've looked like a fantastic team in the second half of the year, but I think the Rebels will be playing inspired football in the wake of Lane Kiffin's departure and will have confidence coming off a win over Tulane in the first round. They'll also be hungry for revenge after losing a 43-35 shootout to Georgia earlier in the season.

Chase Brown

First Round

• No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 James Madison
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Tulane
• No. 7 Texas A&M over No. 10 Miami
• No. 8 Oklahoma over No. 9 Alabama

Quarterfinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 8 Oklahoma
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 3 Georgia over No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 4 Texas Tech over No. 5 Oregon

Semifinals

• No. 4 Texas Tech over No. 1 Indiana
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3 Georgia

National Champion

Ohio State

Our beloved Skull Session writer, social media efficianado, fellow beat correspondent and senior producer is also taking the Buckeyes to win it all. Brown's pick against the chalk is Texas Tech upsetting Indiana in the semifinals, which isn't too outlandish to consider. 

The Red Raiders boast the nation's No. 3 scoring defense behind the Buckeyes and Hoosiers, captained by Heisman Trophy finalist and Butkus Award-winning linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. They also rank No. 1 in forced turnovers with 31 and No. 2 in turnover margin (1.31), behind Arizona (1.33). Texas Tech features four wide receivers with at least 500 receiving yards and a heady quarterback to distribute the rock in Behren Morton. Morton's completed 67% of his passes for 2,643 yards and 22 touchdowns this year with just four interceptions.

Dan Hope

First Round

• No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 James Madison
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Tulane
• No. 10 Miami over No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 8 Oklahoma over No. 9 Alabama

Quarterfinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 8 Oklahoma
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 10 Miami
• No. 3 Georgia over No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 4 Texas Tech over No. 5 Oregon

Semifinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 4 Texas Tech
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3 Georgia

National Champion

Ohio State

Deputy editor Dan Hope, the hardest-working man on the Ohio State Beat™, has the Buckeyes winning it all, too. His bracket is all chalk outside of Miami getting the better of Texas A&M on the road, but in fairness, it feels like a chalk kind of year, given that two Group of Five teams are in the CFP and that the top four teams have separated themselves from the pack on the gridiron this season.

Matt Gutridge

First Round

• No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 James Madison
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Tulane
• No. 10 Miami over No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 8 Oklahoma over No. 9 Alabama

Quarterfinals

• No. 8 Oklahoma over No. 1 Indiana
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 10 Miami
• No. 3 Georgia over No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 5 Oregon over No. 4 Texas Tech

Semifinals

• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3 Georgia
• No. 5 Oregon over No. 8 Oklahoma

National Champion

Ohio State

Gutridge, our researcher extraordinaire, volunteered his own explanation. Take it away, Matt: 

Anything is possible in this playoff, but two conferences have the most teams represented. With that, I'm banking on a Big Ten or SEC team to win every game except for one (Miami over Texas A&M). Like last year, I'm expecting the No. 1 seed to get knocked out early. 

In the end, I'm hoping for a rematch of last year's Rose Bowl being played in Miami Gardens. Like last year, Ohio State beats Oregon, but this time in a closer game for the national championship.

Kyle Jones

First Round

• No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 James Madison
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Tulane
• No. 7 Texas A&M over No. 10 Miami
• No. 9 Alabama over No. 8 Oklahoma

Quarterfinals

• No. 9 Alabama over No. 1 Indiana
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 3 Georgia over No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 5 Oregon over No. 4 Texas Tech

Semifinals

• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3 Georgia
• No. 5 Oregon over No. 9 Alabama

National Champion

Ohio State

There are parallels between the brackets of Gutridge and Jones, our film guru. Both have an upset of Indiana in the quarterfinals, though at the hands of different teams, as Jones is taking Alabama to make the semifinals. Both have Ohio State and Oregon ultimately meeting in the national championship game, with the Buckeyes prevailing.

The Ducks are an interesting squad this year after finishing 11-1 and barely missing the Big Ten Championship Game with a loss to Indiana at home, in which they were manhandled. They also struggled against Wisconsin and at Iowa. But it's still a roster rife with talent, including a great quarterback to steer the ship in Dante Moore. They have a top-10 offense and top-10 defense. But better outcomes in the trenches than Oregon had against the Hoosiers will be required if it's to go on a run to the title game.

Ramzy Nasrallah

First Round

• No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 James Madison
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Tulane
• No. 10 Miami over No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 8 Oklahoma over No. 9 Alabama

Quarterfinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 8 Oklahoma
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 10 Miami
• No. 3 Georgia over No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 4 Texas Tech over No. 5 Oregon

Semifinals

• No. 4 Texas Tech over No. 1 Indiana
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3 Georgia

National Champion

Ohio State

Nasrallah, Executive Editor and cunning columnist, keeps the unanimous selection of Ohio State as national champions going, but joins Brown in having the Buckeyes play Texas Tech in the title game. Miami and Ohio State clashing in the Orange Bowl would be iconic, as Nasrallah and several others picked. Breaking the U (again, we have a shirt!) in the backyard of the Hurricanes would be that much sweeter.

Josh Poloha

First Round

• No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 James Madison
• No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Tulane
• No. 10 Miami over No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 9 Alabama over No. 8 Oklahoma

Quarterfinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 9 Alabama
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 10 Miami
• No. 3 Georgia over No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 5 Oregon over No. 4 Texas Tech

Semifinals

• No. 1 Indiana over No. 5 Oregon
• No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3 Georgia

National Champion

Ohio State

It's Big Ten supremacy from associate producer Josh Poloha. He's the only staffer to have all three CFP teams from the conference – Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon – make the semifinals in the bracket. Another pick for Miami to get saddened again by the Buckeyes, too, just like in the 2003 BCS National Championship Game. Ideally, this one won't require two overtimes.