2020 College Football Championship Predictions

Here are my 2020 College Football Championship predictions.  I haven’t published much this year on the college football front but this is a weekend you just can’t pass on.  So let’s go, here’s who I have my money on today:

Iowa State moneyline +194 over Oklahoma

Iowa State has never won an outright conference championship in over 100 years of playing college football.  And that’s why this is the perfect year for them to do it.  “It took a Pandemic” the headlines will read.

Oklahoma has taken down ten of the last 14 Big 12 championship games.

True, Oklahoma didn’t have RB Rhamondre Stevenson in the first meeting. He’s a got fresh legs to combine in a rotation against a terrific Iowa State run defense that allowed 114 yards the first time around.   And that defense will be up to the task the second time around as well as they smell blood in the water .  They win the game and go begging for the chips to fall exactly their way (Clemson, Ohio State, A&M all lose) in the other matchups for them to possibly be considered for selection in the final four.  Will that all happen?  Unlikely, but they’ll do their part.

Minnesota / Wisconsin Under 47

Wisconsin’s offense is horrific right now.  They simply can’t score.  Receivers are all banged up.  RB Jalen Berger missed the Iowa game.  On the other side of the ball the Golden Gophers passing game is not great this year, ranked outside the top 50 and the Scon defense is still as stout as ever, in fact, it’s all they have.  The battle for the Axe is always great to watch and this will be as hard a fight as ever.

Texas A & M -14 over Tennessee

Two things need to happen today in order for A&M to get into the final four Clemson loses to Notre Dame and Texas A&M blows the doors off Tennessee.  This assumes the Buckeyes don’t blow it but they’re a huge favorite over Northwestern.    Anyway, the A&M defense is stellar.  And they have what it takes to shut down this Vols team.   They need to pull away early and show the committee they are worthy of being chosen if the chips fall the right way in the other games.  But they can only do their own part.  Aggies win big.

Ohio State – 19 Northwestern

Wisconsin looked like it was going to pull off the shocker last year.  Everything worked perfectly in the first half of the 2019 Big Ten Championship, and then … 34-21 Ohio State.

Northwestern was tough against the Buckeyes in the 2018 Big Ten Championship. The defense hung around against the high-powered attack, it was a good, hard battle, and then … 45-24 Ohio State.

This year’s version of Ohio State has a massive chip on its shoulder because it’s being doubted, and rightly so.  It has one win over a team that’s going to finish with a winning record, and that was at home to an Indiana team that bombed away for close to 500 passing yards.

It took the Big Ten to change the rules just to get the Buckeyes this spot, it’s the College Football Playoff’s darling because of the eye test against mediocre teams – and Indiana – and probably isn’t in the top four if the brand name was, say, Purdue, and …The Buckeyes are very, very good.

There’s no real fear of being left out of the CFP with a win – any win.

The committee isn’t going to pick a Big 12 champion, or Cincinnati, or Texas A&M over an unbeaten Big Ten champion Ohio State, however, this team appears to have the attitude that it doesn’t want to leave any doubt.

Justin Fields and the Buckeye offense get all the love and respect, but the defense is going to show up with a major attitude against a middling Northwestern O. As long as Ohio State doesn’t start turning the ball over, getting the big win shouldn’t be a problem.

Clemson – 10.5 over Notre Dame

I missed the good number here so perhaps thinking of putting this into a teaser leg but I’m keeping this handicap simple.  Revenge.  Healthy defense now free of Covid.  Trevor Lawrence is back.    Clemson quite possibly the best team in the country hands down and they won’t lose today.

Alabama – 17 over Florida

What a crushing loss last week.  Florida goes down to LSU and their season is over.  Gators giving up a ton of touchdowns despite their defensive line being stout.  But every thing they’re good at, Bama is better.  They lead the SEC in sacks but guess who is second, Bama.  I just think the demoralizing loss last week will lead to yet another domination by the evil empire that is Bama and they coast into the final four yet again.