CFP National Championship Preview

An all-SEC College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship kicks off tonight at 8:00 PM. The Georgia Bulldogs take on the Alabama Crimson Tide to determine the best college football team of the season. Georgia is looking for its first National Championship title since 1980. Meanwhile, this will be Alabama’s third year in a row making an appearance in the National Championship, and potentially their second National Championship title in that time span, as Alabama also took home the title back in 2015.

Going into the playoffs, Alabama entered with controversy. Despite not winning their conference, let alone making the SEC championship, Alabama was selected over the Big 10 Champions, Ohio State. Nonetheless, Alabama dominated Clemson in their third straight CFP meeting, prevailing 24-6 in the Sugar Bowl.

Georgia defeated Oklahoma 54-48 in double overtime to move on to the National Championship in what could be considered the greatest Rose Bowl of all time. The SEC champions, led by true freshman quarterback Jake Fromm, enter the game as underdogs. Georgia’s head coach, Kirby Smart, is a former assistant coach to Nick Saban. This will be Nick Saban’s twelfth game against a former assistant coach, and Saban is 11-0 all time in such matchups.

In some ways, the National Champion has already been declared. In fact, Governor Rick Scott of Florida has already declared the University of Central Florida Knights the true National Champions. Having gone 11-0 in the regular season (One game was canceled due to Hurricane Irma.), and winning their conference to go 12-0, UCF was left out of the playoffs because they seemingly lacked a sufficient strength of schedule. Then, UCF went into the Peach Bowl and defeated the Auburn Tigers. It just so happens that Auburn beat both Alabama and Georgia in the regular season (Auburn lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship.). A perfect season, and defeating the runner-up of the SEC, has caused not just UCF, but the state of Florida, to recognize UCF as National Champions.

As far as tonight’s game goes, we should still be in for a good game all around. Georgia is hungry for their first National Championship title in nearly four decades. Alabama is out to prove to people they belong in the playoffs, and make up for their loss in last year’s National Championship to Clemson. (One could argue that to Alabama, not winning the National Championship is considered a disappointing season.).

Personally, I believe that Georgia’s offense will be too much for Alabama’s defense to handle. I think this will be a somewhat high scoring game. In the end, Georgia will come out on top, emerging from the contest as National Champions.

MY PREDICTION: GEORGIA BULLDOGS 31, ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE 23