RGIII’s Projected Faculty Soccer Playoff Bracket: Ohio State Not No. 1?

[ad_1] It is time for groups throughout the nation to organize their last statements for the Faculty Soccer Playoff committee.

However with just below two weeks earlier than the committee determines the 12-team subject, FOX Sports activities faculty soccer analyst Robert Griffin III took a shot at projecting what the Faculty Soccer Playoff would possibly appear to be. Griffin has a shock workforce getting the No. 1 seed in his projection, and he at the moment has the Huge 12 getting two groups. So, he thinks one of many groups at the moment in place to get an at-large spot would possibly journey up this weekend.

Let's dive proper into Griffin's CFP projections coming into the ultimate week of the common season.

First-round byes This would possibly come as a shock, however Griffin has stated on a number of events this season that he has Indiana as his No. 1 workforce within the nation over Ohio State, notably tabbing the Hoosiers as the highest workforce within the nation following their upset win at Oregon in October.

Indiana has continued to roll since then, successful its final 5 video games. After all, it had the shut name at Penn State, but it surely's received 9 of its 11 video games this season by double digits and quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the betting favourite for the Heisman. A win towards Purdue on Friday would ship Indiana to the Huge Ten Championship Recreation.

2. Ohio State Most polls, rankings and bracket initiatives have Ohio State at No. 1, however not in RGIII's CFP bracket projection. The defending champs actually have a resume worthy of the No. 1 spot, although. The Buckeyes have given up simply 9 touchdowns in 11 video games this season as they rank first within the nation in whole and scoring protection.

After all, Ohio State's offense additionally has a Heisman candidate in quarterback Julian Sayin — and he may not be the perfect participant on the unit. Vast receiver Jeremiah Smith (69 receptions, 902 yards, 10 touchdowns) is broadly considered the highest participant within the nation, though he and fellow star large receiver Carnell Tate are each coping with accidents.

A win over Michigan on Saturday would additionally ship Ohio State to the Huge Ten Championship Recreation. However identical to Indiana, Ohio State looks like a certainty to play within the CFP.

Can Michigan beat Ohio State for a fifth time to get into the CFP? 👀 3. Texas A&M Outdoors of the Huge Ten, Texas A&M is the one different undefeated workforce within the nation. The Aggies have had a resurgence within the second 12 months of Mike Elko's tenure in Faculty Station, with their protection being among the many greatest within the SEC. However quarterback Marcel Reed has been a giant motive for Texas A&M's success, throwing for two,752 yards and 25 touchdowns to go together with six dashing scores this season.

Texas A&M can attain the SEC Championship Recreation with a win over Texas on Friday.

Griffin has given Texas Tech loads of love this season. The truth is, he is put Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez within the No. 1 spot in his Heisman Record in consecutive weeks.

"The Heisman Trophy is Jacob Rodriguez's to lose. When you've got a dream of a defensive participant to win the Heisman Trophy, then you might want to faucet in with Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez."

Rodriguez may be a protracted shot to win the Heisman, however he and Texas Tech's protection are a big motive why the Crimson Raiders are 10-1 this season. Rodriguez has 97 whole tackles, seven compelled fumbles and 4 interceptions on the season, whereas Texas Tech ranks seventh in whole protection and fourth in scoring protection.

Texas Tech can clinch a spot within the Huge 12 Championship Recreation with a win over West Virginia on Saturday.

Jacob Rodriguez on Heisman Hopes 🏆 Texas Tech Contending in CFP & extra The remaining 5. Oregon The Geese picked up their signature win of the season in Week 13, defeating USC at house, 42-27. In what might need been a de facto playoff recreation, quarterback Dante Moore added to his case for Heisman consideration by throwing for 257 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

In contrast to the highest 4 groups in RGIII's projections, Oregon does not management its personal future to achieve its convention championship recreation. It must beat Washington on Saturday and for Michigan to upset Ohio State to achieve the Huge Ten Championship Recreation. So, the Geese might need a ceiling that stops them from getting a first-round bye.

New 12 months, usual Georgia. The Bulldogs are 10-1 going into their regular-season finale towards Georgia Tech due to sturdy play from quarterback Gunner Stockton (2,465 passing yards, 361 dashing yards, 27 whole touchdowns) and stout protection (top-15 in yards and factors allowed).

Georgia wants assist to get again to the SEC Championship Recreation, although. It wants both Texas A&M to lose to Texas or Alabama to lose to Auburn. If neither of these occurs, the Bulldogs may be in an analogous predicament as Oregon.

Ohio State and Georgia in Joel Klatt's prime 15 😮💨 All of the speak in Oxford is about Ole Miss' head coach. However as we await Lane Kiffin's resolution, do not forget that the Rebels are 10-1 and appear prone to make the CFP for the primary time in program historical past. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been a revelation, however working again Kewan Lacy may be the star of their offense at simply 19 years outdated. He is rushed for 1,136 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.

Ole Miss takes on Mississippi State within the Egg Bowl on Friday. A win in that recreation plus losses from Alabama and Texas A&M would ship Ole Miss to Atlanta to play for the SEC title.

This may be a shock inclusion, at the very least within the top-10 and securing one of many last at-large spots. BYU was ranked eleventh in final week's CFP Ballot and held the identical spot in the newest AP Ballot, so RGIII's giving the Cougars a little bit of a bump right here.

However it's powerful to disclaim that BYU is not among the many prime groups within the nation. BYU improved to 10-1 on the season with its win at Cincinnati on Saturday. Bear Bachmeier has been among the best quarterbacks within the Huge 12 regardless of being a freshman, and working again LJ Martin has rushed for 1,134 yards on 5.8 yards per carry this season.

BYU controls its future to achieve the Huge 12 Championship Recreation, solely needing to win at house towards UCF on Saturday.

Oklahoma picked up one other ranked win on Saturday because it defeated Twenty second-ranked Missouri, 17-6. It marked Oklahoma's third straight win over a ranked workforce, getting a pair of main street wins towards ranked groups — over Tennessee and Alabama — after its house loss to Ole Miss. Oklahoma additionally defeated Michigan earlier this season, giving it 4 victories over groups prone to be ranked on this week's CFP Ballot.

The Sooners are out of rivalry for the SEC title. So, Oklahoma's recreation at house towards LSU on Saturday may be a must-win scenario for its CFP hopes.

The final at-large spot in RGIII's CFP projection goes to … Notre Dame. The Preventing Irish actually appear worthy of a CFP bid after their thrashing of Syracuse on Saturday, successful 70-7. Notre Dame appeared to win that recreation 70-0 earlier than Syracuse scored a landing within the last seconds.

Notre Dame's win marked its ninth in a row, overcoming powerful, shut losses to Miami (Fla.) and Texas A&M to open the season. Notre Dame will get the nod over Alabama right here, which some would possibly view as controversial as a result of Crimson Tide's marquee wins this 12 months (Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Tennessee). Another notable at-large groups that RGIII has Notre Dame making it over are Vanderbilt, Miami, Utah, Michigan and Texas.

Notre Dame takes on Stanford in its regular-season finale on Saturday. With no convention championship recreation to play for, that is basically a must-win recreation for the Preventing Irish.

11. Virginia RGIII has the Cavaliers because the ACC consultant within the CFP. Virginia is 9-2 this season and might need the simplest path to creating the ACC Championship Recreation. It simply must beat three-win Virginia Tech at house on Saturday to play within the convention title recreation.

SMU is the one different ACC workforce that has a win-and-in recreation coming into Week 14, needing to beat Cal on the street to play within the ACC Championship Recreation. Past that, the situations are convoluted as six groups are nonetheless within the hunt.

Miami, who's the highest-ranked workforce within the ACC, truly has a fairly sophisticated path to make the CFP. It must win and get losses from at the very least certainly one of Virginia, SMU or Duke, if no more. There's additionally a state of affairs during which Miami's path to the ACC Championship Recreation could possibly be decided by SportSource Analytics rankings.

Lastly, for the Group of 5 consultant, RGIII picked James Madison. The Dukes weren't ranked in the newest CFP Ballot, with Tulane being the one Group of 5 workforce to be included. However James Madison (No. 20) was the highest-ranked Group of 5 workforce in the newest AP Ballot.

James Madison additionally might need a better path to CFP than the opposite Group of 5 groups. It has already clinched a spot within the Solar Belt Convention Championship Recreation and performs six-win Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Potential first-round matchups: No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon

No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 BYU

No. 11 Virginia vs. No. 6 Georgia

No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Ole Miss

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