Round 1 Ohio State > Tennessee Texas > Clemson Notre Dame > Indiana Penn State > SMU Those are my thoughts. I think there will be some really good games in here. OSU great defense. 4 points away from undefeated. Tennessee has hammered teams, winning four games by 40+ with an explosive offense. I've got Ohio State here. Texas has two of the best QBs in the NCAA. They've been handled by Georgia twice, but they were up to the task in the second showdown. They're a damn good team. Clemson's D is going to be tested. They've been too porous, giving up 30+ points five times. Texas takes this one. Notre Dame is 1 point away from undefeated. Their defense has been excellent, and their offense has really figured things out. Caveat: their kicker is injured, and he has struggled mightily. Indiana has a big time passing game, and they've rolled up 40+ points 8 times this season. Their only loss is to a very good Ohio State team. Irish win a shootout. Penn State's losses have come against Oregon and Ohio State. They've beaten no one else except for Illinois. They're a good but not great team. SMU's losses were to BYU and Clemson. The offense couldn't get going against BYU, marking the only time they scored less than 28 points. This could be the best game of the bunch.
My picks vs. the spread Round Two Oregon vs. Ohio State (Oregon by 1) -Ohio State is a 1-point favorite. This could be an all-time game. Oregon has found a way to win every game this season. Arizona State vs. Texas (Texas by 6) -Texas is a 14-point favorite. I don't know about that. I think Scattebo puts on a show. He has 2100 yards from scrimmage and 22 TDs. Georgia vs. Notre Dame (Notre Dame by 3) -Notre Dame opened at 1.5-point favorites, but Georgia is currently a 1.5-point favorite. A lot depends on Carson Beck's status. Even if he's out, Georgia's strong in the trenches, which threatens to neutralize one of ND's greatest strengths. Boise State vs. Penn State (Penn State by 1) -PSU is currently a 10-point favorite, and they looked fantastic in Round One. Many thought Boise State shouldn't be here, but their offense is electric.
Ohio State asserted itself. Team to beat, in my view. Texas did win, but not by 14 points, and Scattebo did put on a show, winning the MVP in a losing effort. Penn State put a bit of a beating on Boise State, bottling up Jeanty for most of the game. Georgia and Notre Dame will face off today.
Semi-Finals Texas vs. Ohio State (-6) Penn State vs. Notre Dame (-1.5) Going to be some good games, potential classics. I think Ohio State is the team to beat in college football. They have it clicking on offense, and they're arguably the best defense. I have them winning, 24-17. I'm a Notre Dame fan, so let me start by tempering my hopes with some hard facts. The Irish are one of the most banged up teams in the top 25, and they're probably the most depleted team left. Penn State's defense contained Jeanty, and the Irish struggled to run (outside QB runs) against Georgia. Penn State's losses are to excellent teams (Ohio State and Oregon), too. But Notre Dame rides the nation's longest winning streak, and they've dispatched six ranked opponents, including two top ten teams. I think the Irish take it 27-17.
Ended up being a solid game. Great season by Ohio State and Notre Dame. Much respect to Ryan Day. He adjusted immediately after the opening drive by Notre Dame and his team set the tone the rest of the way.
