College Football Playoff Semis Predictions!!

Dude…

This is the moment the Dudes have been waiting for!! Throughout this year, we’ve been highlighting the best teams in the nation. Now, we are down to 4. The Michigan Wolverines are the #1 overall seed. Going 13-0 and beating Iowa in the Big 10 Championship must be nice, however, it’s redemption time for Michigan. Last year, they lost to a tough TCU team in a high scoring battle. Now, they look for redemption. The #2 seed is a team from the Northwest. The Pac-12 Champions in Washington. This 13-0 team led by Heisman runner-up, Michael Penix Jr. They beat Oregon twice to clinch their first playoff berth. In the #3 seed from the Longhorn State. The 12-1 Texas Longhorns won the Big 12 Championship by a landslide. The Longhorns have proven that they are back. Finally, the ole reliable in #4 seed Alabama. This is nothing new for this historic franchise, who is coming off a huge SEC Championship win over Georgia. They look to keep rolling. 4 teams. Who comes out on top? Find out what The Dudes think!!

#1 Michigan vs. #4 Alabama

How6rd: This matchup will come down to two things for me: Can Michigan’s defensive line be physical to force Jalen Milroe to pass more often than not and can JJ McCarthy make big-time throws if his team goes down in the game and his passes are needed. If one of those come to fruition than this will be a competitive game on Michigan’s side, if both of those hypotheticals become reality I think Michigan would have a really good chance at winning this game. If both of those don’t happen then either Alabama will be totally off their usual gameplan and be down early on, which would be no Auburn situation this time, or Michigan will lose control of this game very quickly. Alabama is a very solid team and Jalen Milroe is a QB who has shown that he can run very aggressively with the ball and make some tight throws in key moments and I believe we see the same case in this one with Michigan making too late of an attempt at a comeback even with the defense they have. I’ll go with a lower scoring game than most ‘Bama games but still have Alabama coming out on top 24-20.

PC: I think this is the matchup most people think will be close. I do not. Unfortunately for Michigan, the Big 10 has looked abominable in Bowl Week. Ohio State lost to Mizzou. Penn State lost to Ole Miss. The SEC is owning the Big 10 and I think it continues in this matchup. Jalen Milroe has looked as dynamic as any QB in the nation. Jermaine Burton and the wide receiving core is ready to sauce up the Michigan defenders. The defense will show up and stop this high powered Michigan run. Look, this is Nick Saban in the playoffs. They’re coming off a win over Georgia who hadn’t lost in 2 years up to this point. I’m not even an Alabama fan, I just know the facts. I think it will be Alabama 40, Michigan 27.

K-Stelt: The Cheaters vs the “frauds”. Maybe it’s a game most people didn’t want. But these two teams are absolutely the best in their respective conferences. Michigan is a hard nose man defense who runs the ball down your throat. And Alabama will always be good when Nick Saben is at the helm. Although the Tide had some great moments this season. The Michigan defense will not be an easy one to face. That’s why I think the Cheaters in Michigan will head to the CFP Championship game

#2 Washington vs. #3 Texas

K-Stelt: Washington has shown to CFB fans that they are worthy of a playoff game. They played very good teams this year and were successful in all but 1 game. But the task they have at hand is how they will take on a very underrated Texas squad. Texas has looked good all year except at the Red River Showdown. The question we all have is how good was the Big 12 this year. That’s been the case for numerous years when adding Big 12 teams to the playoffs, not a strong enough conference. This game is a toss up but the Horns look like to be my favorite to win. 

How6rd: I personally believe this is a game that will come down to mistakes more than solid play, and what I mean by that is whichever team makes the least amount will win this game. Texas has a stagnant defensive line this year that should do a solid job at containing Washington’s late-season MVP in Dillon Johnson and making sure the Washington offense falls solely in the hands of Michael Penix and his receivers. Penix made some questionable decisions and poorly forced throws in his passing game later in the season which ultimately put him out of the Heisman race, but the good news for him is the Texas’ defensive backfield had just as many bad games letting receivers have a lot of room to work with on the field. In the case of Texas’ offense Quinn Ewers is a solid QB for the college level and I believe if called on to make important throws he has the capability to do so, but since Jonathon Brooks got hurt I think it’s been very up-and-down even with Ewers return and I just think any mistakes given up to a Washington defense that’s week in the trenches would be brutal for them. With all of that being said the trenches (offensive line/defensive line) are the most important area of the field in football and truthfully I think Texas can win that battle in this one, especially if they’re able to reach Penix, and win this game in a bit of a messy one with Texas going to the title game 31-24.

PC: This is the matchup I’m really looking forward to. I’ve been on the Penix Jr. bandwagon since his first big win over Oregon. He was my favorite to win the Heisman. His ability to stay calm in the heat of the moment is incredible. He was freestyling on the bench while Oregon was driving to tie the game. He knew he was getting another opportunity and that he wouldn’t fumble the bag. He’s continually proven he’s a great QB. What cost him the Heisman was how good the run has been for Washington. Dillon Johnson has been awesome all year. However, this Longhorn team is all the way back. Sure, they dropped a game to Oklahoma, but have massive wins including over Alabama. This defense is strong, and talented. Caleb Ewers has done a phenomenal job on the offensive side of the ball. This game should be back and forth, but I've been on the Husky bandwagon all year long. Penix hasn’t let me down yet, and I don’t think he will tonight. I’ve got Washington 31, Texas 27.