The Bell Ringer's College Football Playoff Bracket

Welcome back to my playoff bracket walkthrough. I try to do one for each sports, and college football is always a fun one. I'll try to keep this one brief and analyze each predicted matchup. I won't talk about the ones that I didn't pick despite still being possible because, well, it wouldn't be my bracket, right? I want to congratulate each team on a great season, including the ones that just barely missed the playoffs. There is still honor and pride to be found in bowl games. I've always been a believer in that. Anyways, let's jump into my bracket for this College Football Playoff.

First Round

#9 Alabama vs. #8 Oklahoma (Dec. 19)

The committee selected this matchup to truly test the new-age Alabama Crimson Tide. Oklahoma has been a thorn in their side for the past couple of years. Even when Alabama has the upper hand, victory slips through their fingers. The Tide had fewer mishaps this year compared to last, but this was one of their more questionable hiccups. The Sooners and a banged-up QB John Mateer won 23-21 in Tuscaloosa earlier this season, and now they will host the rematch in Norman. Mateer was a Heisman candidate for much of the season before his hand injury but has struggled to regain his pre-injury form. Alabama QB Ty Simpson is also made a good case for the Heisman, but his inability to deliver in big moments created reasons for doubt. What do we make of this? I believe we are in for a low-scoring, defensive battle as both offenses have struggled and neither team has an efficient run game. The winner will make the fewest mistakes.

My Pick: Alabama Crimson Tide (can't beat a team three times in a row!)

#10 Miami vs. #7 Texas A&M (Dec. 20)

These two teams were in my fringe category before the season. They could either do just enough to get in or stay out of the playoffs. There was no room for error. Did they make mistakes? Sure, but everyone does. Both teams recovered well, and now they're auditioning for a second-round matchup with Ohio State. I wholeheartedly believe both of these teams had a good chance to win their conference if they made it to the conference championship game. Texas A&M boasts one of the best defenses I've seen all year and features an excellent pass rush. No one can get to the quarterback like these guys. That will be Miami QB Carson Beck's biggest task: avoid the pressure. He did not do a good job of that at Georgia, but playing in an easier conference has restored his confidence. Miami played better than I thought they would this season, but A&M is ferocious. I think we will see why the SEC just means more.

My Pick: Texas A&M Aggies

#11 Tulane vs. #6 Ole Miss (Dec. 20)

Allow me to start off by thanking the committee for not punishing Ole Miss for Lane Kiffin's antics. For those who are unaware, Lane Kiffin is their former head coach who left for LSU just after the regular season ended. Pete Golding was instantly promoted to take his place, and this is a permanent role. It will be interesting to see how the Rebs perform without the man who led them through the season. Tulane isn't exactly off the hook either. HC Jon Sumrall is sticking around for the playoffs, but everyone will be thinking about his impending departure for Florida. Both teams are caught in transition. I think Ole Miss is clearly the better team, and they throttled Tulane 45-10 in their September matchup. Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff has performed well this season after being chased out of BYU, but I think their magical run ends here. It was a historical and dramatically eventful season for both teams to remember.

My Pick: Ole Miss Rebels

#12 James Madison vs. #5 Oregon (Dec. 20)

In this era of college football, at least one "Team of 5" champion will make the playoffs. That means a conference champion that isn't your typical SEC, Big Ten, etc., will earn the right to compete in this bracket. Interestingly enough, we have two of those champions this year: Tulane and James Madison. Now this is a great story and all, but Oregon is projected to win by 3 touchdowns. This is not to discredit JMU's incredible season featuring an undefeated conference record, but it's the Sun Belt. They're playing a very good and very NIL-rich Big Ten team on the road. The Ducks are notoriously overrated and never win anything, but I don't see them losing this game. If they do, then we seriously need to reconsider our playoff rankings. I trust QB Dante Moore and HC Dan Lanning to make quick work of this matchup, but keep your eye on some of these talented JMU players as we head towards the NFL Draft.

My Pick: Oregon Ducks

Second Round

Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31)

#7 Texas A&M vs. #2 Ohio State

Both of these teams suffered heartbreaking defeats at the end of the season, but there's a catch. The great thing about college football is having months to prepare for a single game. I guarantee Texas prepared for their rivalry game against A&M all season long, and they had home-field advantage to boot. Indiana had a far weaker schedule than Ohio State, and they had much more time to prepare for their Big Ten Championship faceoff. Ohio State was obsessed with beating Michigan, and I think they lost sight of Indiana in the process. You have to take both losses with a grain of salt. There is so much going on behind the scenes that we as fans do not see, but we know the true identity of these teams. They're warriors. Texas A&M is hungry and motivated to make a name for themselves, and Ohio State looks to defend their title. I believe the Buckeyes are the more well-rounded team with a balanced offense compared to A&M's pass-happy approach, but we are in for a treat with this hard-hitting, defensive matchup.

My Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes

Orange Bowl (Jan. 1)

#5 Oregon vs. #4 Texas Tech

I think the Orange Bowl matchup between these two teams should be rebranded to the NIL Bowl. Both Oregon and Texas Tech have been supercharged by tens of millions of dollars pouring in to recruit athletes, coaches, and upgrade facilities. There's nothing wrong with that, but at some point it becomes excessive. I think a salary cap will certainly have to be implemented soon. Regardless, we're witnessing history. Texas Tech dominated their conference, and each of their 12 wins was by 3+ scores. Their lone loss came on the road to Arizona State, and it was only by 4 points. This is one of the deepest and strongest teams in all of college football, and they run up against a flashy Oregon team. Texas Tech does very well defending the pass, and Oregon loves to air the ball out. They offer somewhat of a running game, but it is not as big of a threat as in years' past. That has always been their Achilles Heel. Oregon arguably had a harder schedule in the Big Ten, but does it really matter in this game? Will they get hot after a confidence-boosting game against JMU, or will the Red Raiders' bye week prove to be beneficial? Only time will tell.

My Pick: Texas Tech Red Raiders

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)

#9 Alabama vs. #1 Indiana

If Bama can survive their first-round matchup with Oklahoma, they'll arrive in a familiar yet unpleasant environment. The Rose Bowl has not been kind to the Crimson Tide in recent years, and they would once again face off with a #1 seed team from the Big Ten. For reference, they lost the Rose Bowl to #1 ranked Michigan in 2024. Now they find themselves in the same scenario without much of a contrast. They're the underdogs once again, and this time, they have to face a well-balanced Indiana team. The Tide have a good defense, but Indiana's isn't anything to scoff at either. Indiana has a two-back system and an elite passing game with QB Fernando Mendoza. Alabama's success, however, rides all on QB Ty Simpson. If he has an off day, like he has several times this year, they don't stand a chance. A less talked about topic in football is Special Teams. Allow me to point out that Bama has struggled with field goals, kickoffs, and punts all year long. I can see a path for them to get through this game, but it requires complete perfection. Indiana has a little bit more leeway in their system. I trust coach Curt Cignetti more than Kalen DeBoer.

My Pick: Indiana Hoosiers

Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1)

#6 Ole Miss vs. #3 Georgia

In another life, this would've been the SEC championship game. I think it would've been a better game than Georgia vs. Alabama even without Lane Kiffin. I'm glad we get to see this matchup regardless, though. Georgia took a step back last year with Carson Beck's injury and a contagious dropped passes problem, but they look much more like themselves this season. Kirby Smart has commanded his team back into contention under QB Gunner Stockton and their ever-elite defense. That is Kirby's specialty. It's hard to score on these Bulldogs, but Ole Miss managed to put up 35 points on the road in their Oct. 11th matchup. Remember, Ole Miss has a new head coach but the same OC. The Rebs feature a balanced attack in both the passing and running games, which seems to be a rarity in today's game. Many teams are fully committed to one or the other, but we're getting an even matchup here. Both offenses and defenses are well balanced, but I think the instability of the Ole Miss locker room is bound to catch up with them.

My Pick: Georgia Bulldogs

Semi-Finals

Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 8)

#3 Georgia vs. #2 Ohio State

This is the real National Championship in my opinion. I truly believe that the winner of this game will likely win it all. Both of these rosters are extremely young, and Ohio State's biggest stars are mostly sophomores. Georgia has a fair number of guys who are draft eligible, but I would not be surprised to see some of them return for their senior year. Ohio State QB Julian Sayin threw for over 3,300 yards and tossed 31 touchdowns in his Heisman campaign, and his star WR duo of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are nearly impossible to cover. Their RB is named Bo Jackson (yes, like THE Bo Jackson), and he ran all over every opponent this year. Georgia has their own talented QB, a trusty RB in Nate Frazier, and standout WR Zachariah Branch. These guys are all incredible, but what really makes these teams so competitive is their defense. The Buckeyes have allowed an astonishing 8.2 points per game this season. That's it. Georgia's defense only allowed 15.9 per game, and they played some pretty high-flying offenses. This game could go either way, and I think it will come down to the last second. A single overtime may not even be enough.

My Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes

Peach Bowl (Jan. 9)

#4 Texas Tech vs. #1 Indiana

One might expect this to be a defensive battle, but with two experienced QBs known for shining in big moments, they might do just that. Behren Morton (Texas Tech) was nearly a Top 5 QB in almost every statistic, including being tied for 1st in completion percentage. Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) deservingly earned both the Quarterback of the Year award and Heisman Trophy after leading all of FBS college football in touchdowns. He also led Indiana to a perfect 13-0 season. I'll be honest, I was never sold on Indiana especially after Notre Dame bludgeoned them in the playoffs last season. Don't let the garbage time points fool you, it was a bad loss. They didn't really play anyone this year either, but that last win over Ohio State was very impressive. Mendoza showed some true grit: a signature characteristic of him. The run game was dominant, and the defense hardly let anything through. I was impressed. For Texas Tech, they are certainly building something amazing for years to come in the Big XII. They are poised to dominate this conference, and other schools need to start spending to keep up. I don't think they have it in them this year, but it's been an impressive season nonetheless.

My Pick: Indiana Hoosiers

National Championship (Jan. 19)

#2 Ohio State vs. #1 Indiana

The #1 and #2 seeds facing off seems pretty basic, doesn't it? Well, they're the best teams for a reason. Keep in mind that this is just my bracket and thoughts, and any of the 12 teams in this bracket are talented enough to make a deep run. They wouldn't be given a fighting chance if they hadn't already earned it. Now, let's discuss. This is the Big Ten Championship rematch that I need in order to sleep at night. The last matchup didn't sit right with me. It was a messy, mistake-filled, and overall disappointing game. Indiana barely won because of Ohio State's field goal blunders, which are quite unusual for them. Now we get one final faceoff to determine who really is the better team. Both teams are a cut above the rest of the league, but compared to each other, it's an even match. It will be smashmouth, pound the rock football. It will also have play-action and deep passes. It will even feature defensive talent that rises to the occasion every time. What's not to love about that? If this isn't the National Championship, I'll be disappointed. Of course I'll watch every game still, but this would be something special. I never back down from my preseason picks, but hats off to Indiana if they complete their first undefeated season in the Modern Era.

My Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes