The strangest and most controversial offseason in recent memory is officially behind us as we had seven games kick off in week one. In the first season with COVID-19, this is unchartered water for all of us. We will see postponements, cancelations, and maybe even players playing multiple positions. At this point, nothing is guaranteed. But, there’s no shortage of opinions on what will happen. With that in mind, today our staff provides our first ever 2020 College Football Playoff predictions.
Our Expert Staff of Prognosticators
Aarik Long
Our first panelist is Aarik Long. Mr. Long provides in-depth coverage of the Georgia Bulldogs for you. Additionally, Long has been plugged into the quarterback battle in Athens and was quick on the story of Jamie Newman opting out this year.
Phillip Jordan
As we stay in the SEC, Jordan gives us the heartbeat on the plains. He covers the Auburn Tigers deep in the south. Jordan has the inside scoop on the Tiger program and recently talked about the development of Bo Nix.
Travis Knobbe
Now, we move from the SEC to the Big 12. Knobbe covers the West Virginia Mountaineers. Even though 2019 was not what Mountaineer fans had in mind, they could be poised for a bounce-back year. But, here we look at four bold predictions on the year.
Cahil Murchison
We move to deep in the heart of Texas. Murchison covers the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies have a lot of preseason notoriety in 2020. But, will this year be different? Murchison looks here at five of the best reasons that it could look different in College Station.
Hector Rodriguez
Staying in the SEC, here we have the Florida Gators covered by Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a veteran here and often has his pulse on the recruiting trail for the Gators. The offense could be the key in Florida getting to the playoffs and here could be three reasons why.
Tony Siracusa
First, Siracusa is one of the site managers for our College Football department here at Last Word on Sports. Siracusa looks at the national scene as well as in-depth coverage for UCLA. With the PAC 12 sitting out the Fall, Siracusa is pinch-hitting with the coverage of SMU. He had the details on the Mustangs week one victory.
Nick Manchester
Manchester covers the Ohio State Buckeyes for us here. Unfortunately, with the Buckeyes not playing this fall, Manchester had to pivot as well. He has provided some deep insight into the Cincinnati Bearcats program. Here he takes a look at a preview of the upcoming season.
Kevin McGuffey
The Kentucky Wildcats are covered thoroughly by Mr. McGuffey. He has been giving wonderful coverage to the Wildcats program for years. However, he also branches out to preview the SEC in this wacky year.
Jason Rhea
Mr. Rhea is another one of our site managers for College Football. He covers the national scene, the Oklahoma Sooners, and heads up our Heisman Poll that you’ve grown to love each week. Here, we have our preseason Heisman Poll.
Mike Loveall
This is our version of the ESPN College Gameday celebrity guest picker. Loveall is a former site manager and a contributor to the Tennessee Volunteer program. While he is no longer a full-time member of the team, his input is very valuable here.
David Knight
Knight wears several hats for us at Last Word on Sports. He covers us on our basketball site and currently covers South Carolina in terms of College Football. He has previously chipped in on Georgia and Clemson coverage. Here, he breaks down the Gamecocks 2020 schedule.
Steve Rhea
Finally, our full-time writer for the Oklahoma Sooners is Mr. Rhea. He provides insight on a weekly basis of the comings and goings of the Sooner football program. On the lighter side, here you can find him breaking down some of his best gameday foods.
The Favorites
With the Big 10 and the PAC 12 not playing in the Fall season there was some room here. Most thought Ohio State would be a lock for at least a playoff spot. And, Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan had outside shots at cracking the final four. However, the SEC, Big 12, and ACC have plenty of contenders. Let’s look at those contenders as we get closer to unveiling our 2020 College Football Playoff predictions.
Clemson
It would be a complete shock to see the Tigers not make the playoffs, at the very least. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne are household names. Notre Dame and potentially Virginia Tech look to be the only teams capable of challenging the Tigers.
Alabama
We don’t yet know whether it will be Mac Jones or true freshman Bryce Young taking snaps for the Tide. But, it may not matter much. Alabama still has plenty of weapons with Najee Harris, Devonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle. Trips to Tennesse and LSU loom large.
Georgia
The quarterback position is concerning. We have to assume that JT Daniels will hold the keys come September 26th. The Bulldogs have another budding superstar in Zamir White toting the rock and George Pickens at the receiving position. However, Georgia travels to Alabama, Kentucky, and Jacksonville to face Florida in the span of a month that will make their season.
Oklahoma
The Sooners will certainly be one of the top teams in the country. But, they have a lot of youth on offense in losing the starting quarterback, running back, and best receiver. Alex Grinch will have the defense playing well. However, they have losses at all levels of the defense to overcome. As always, the season will hinge on Bedlam and the Red River Showdown will tell the story.
Florida
The schedule is pretty kind to the Gators. They host LSU, play Georgia in Jacksonville, and miss Alabama. Kyle Trask showed that he is a very capable quarterback in the SEC. And, we know that the defense is championship caliber. However, the biggest question is can the Gators find enough playmakers at the running back and wide receiver position?
The Predictions
From our 12-member panel, here are our 2020 College Football Playoff Predictions. We love interaction so please comment and let us know your predictions and perhaps where we went wrong with ours.
| Aarik Long | Phillip Jordan | Travis Knobbe | Cahil Murchison | Hector Rodriguez | Tony Siracusa | |
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| Nick Manchester | Kevin McGuffey | Jason Rhea | Mike Loveall | David Knight | Steve Rhea | |
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