College Football Playoff First Round Preview by Before the Snap
Before the Snap breaks down the key matchups and storylines from the first round of the College Football Playoff.
By the end of Saturday, the eight College Football Playoff quarterfinalists will be known. We already know five of them, and it’s time to find out who will be joining Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, and Alabama in just over a week from now.
If you don’t remember much about Round 12 from when you first saw the format a year ago, you’re not alone. Every game on campus was memorable. As neutral observers, we hope that doesn’t happen again this year, but we suspect it might. Alabama’s win over Oklahoma on Friday night was a step in the right direction as the Crimson Tide erased a 17-0 deficit and advanced to play No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
Here’s what you need to know about today’s CFP matchup.
Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN.
Reasons to watch: This is probably the most interesting match of the opening quartet. The Aggies and Hurricanes are both in the 12-team field for the first time, and both teams are mostly here thanks to their September wins over Notre Dame. Miami QB Carson Beck is used to the big stage since his days at the University of Georgia, but he can still make serious mistakes at the wrong time. If he accomplishes his goals, WR Malachi Toney will be able to take advantage of the Aggies’ sometimes vulnerable secondary. A&M DE Cassius Howell will try to keep him off balance. Aggies QB Marcell Reed is also a hard hitter, but they have great playmakers at their disposal like receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Kleiber. The Hurricanes have their own destructive power in DE Ruben Bain, who often gets help from Akheem Mesidor on the opposite side.
Reasons for disappointing expectations: Both teams have enough big-play weapons to suggest a comeback is possible for either team. If either team is able to pull away, it’s likely due to a barrage of turnovers, which can happen to either team.
Time/TV: Saturday, 3:30pm ET, TNT/truTV.
Reasons to watch: This is the second pairing in the playoffs of teams that faced each other in the regular season. The first matchup wasn’t particularly competitive as the Rebels won 45-10, but the Green Wave have won their last four games by double digits, including the American Championship final against North Texas. Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff has five receivers with at least 23 catches, and he may need all of them to keep the ball moving against DT Will Echols and the Ole Miss defense. Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kiwan Lacy found the end zone early and often in preliminary meetings with the Green Wave. Tulane’s defense may be overwhelmed again, but S Jack Chien-Chou usually shows up at the point of attack.
Reasons for disappointing expectations: If not, I’d be pleasantly surprised, but sometimes movies shouldn’t have sequels. If the first few drives don’t go the Green Wave’s way, there may not be much that can be done.
Time/TV: Saturday, 7:30pm ET, TNT/truTV.
Reasons to watch: The Sun Belt champion Dukes have the toughest task ahead of their playoff debut against the veteran Ducks on the opposite coast. But JMU won’t complain, even if it’s a heavy loser. JMU’s backfield tandem of QB Alonza Barnett III and RB Wayne Knight performed well on schedule, resulting in a 47.67% third-down conversion rate and over eight minutes of possession advantage per game. But this week, when he plays against the likes of Ducks LB Bryce Bettcher, it may be even harder to find the gaps. Oregon QB Dante Moore and RB Noah Whittington also know how to keep the sticks moving, but their blockers will have to consider Dukes DE Sahil West.
Reasons for disappointing expectations: Of course, this isn’t a rematch, but see above about the importance of the first few possessions. The Ducks want nothing more than to get things quickly.
(This story has been updated to include a photo gallery.)
