CFB – Third Down With Devin

Why the Buckeyes are poised to go back-to-back

The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a stellar start to their quest to defend their National Championship from last season. Despite some doubt from the national media, the Buckeyes have picked up big wins against ranked teams including Texas and Illinois. Currently, they are 7-0 and ranked number one in the nation, but the question remains if they will be able to keep up this momentum as they enter crucial late-season games.

Last season, after a brutal loss to Michigan that made some feel like their season was over, Ohio State went on arguably the most impressive playoff run in college football history, as they won four straight games to win the National Championship. It wasn’t just their offense or defense that led to their success, as both were the best in the country, and had almost no weaknesses.

Entering this season, Ohio State underwent major offseason changes, as it lost numerous key players, including quarterback Will Howard and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Although they have a weakened defensive line, the majority of their defense including the linebacker group and secondary improved significantly. Ultimately, the biggest question entering this season was how their offense would hold up with redshirt freshman Julian Sayin at quarterback.

Through seven weeks of the season Julian Sayin has not just met his expectations, he has blown them out of the water. Although he is given some help with the number one wide receiver in the country, Jermiah Smith, and an elite running game, he has been able to play carefree football and win games. Sayin currently has the highest completion percentage in the country at 78.4%, and the third highest QBR at 199.8. Despite his elite stats, when watching Ohio State’s offense, there is a clear leap that he still needs to take, as they are playing pretty conservatively with lots of screen passes. Similar to Will Howard last season, I believe Ryan Day will give Sayin the green light come playoff time to pass downfield more often and truly show his talent.

When it comes to the defense, they have been lights out, allowing on average only 5.9 points per game. Although the offense has been pretty good, the defense deserves almost all the credit as they force turnovers at a high rate and barely let the other team cross the 50-yard line. Although we will have to wait and see how they fare against a true offensive juggernaut like Indiana come playoff time, they have shown so far that they are the best in the country.

Ohio State has already won the national championship, and it is looking like they are on pace to win another, but nothing matters for them this season if they cannot beat Michigan. It will be no easy task to win in the Big House, but with Ohio State’s loaded talent, they have no excuse not to win.

Washington’s Offense Too Much for Michigan to Handle

The lead up to the college football national championship has been very entertaining. Both teams, Michigan, and Washington, are coming off thrilling semifinal games that were determined by the final play. Michigan made a comeback against Alabama to win in overtime, while Washington held off a determined comeback by Texas.

While Michigan is a school known for their football success, they had yet to make it to the championship of the college football playoff despite numerous appearances in the semifinals. For Michigan, this season has been a rollercoaster, having more ups and downs than any other team in the country. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended not once, but twice. Prior to winning games against Penn State and Ohio State, Harbaugh was suspended for sign stealing allegations. While it seemed unlikely for Michigan to overcome the loss of their head coach when facing two of the best teams in the nation, they won. If anything is for sure, the Michigan Wolverines know how to win football games. While the offense has shown moments of greatness, it has been the defense which has held them in every game. They have allowed 10.2 points per game which is the lowest among every team in college football. The Wolverines showcased their defensive dominance tallying five sacks in the first half alone, then finishing the game with seven sacks. With the offense occasionally being a little shaky, their defense will be critical to win.

Washington is coming off its fifth consecutive one-score win. Although they have struggled to secure wins of larger margins, they are a more complete football team on both sides of the field. Star QB Michael Penix Jr. playing in his sixth year of college football was the Heisman runner up this season. Though Penix did not win the award, he is widely considered the best quarterback in college football. Penix Jr. has 4,648 passing yards, which is the most among all D1 quarterbacks. Along with this, he just had one of the greatest performances in college football history passing for 430 yards in the semifinal win against Texas. Even though Washington tends to pass the ball, running back Dillon Johnson gives them an alternative if the pass game falters. Though Johnson has been one of the top running backs this season, it will be difficult for him to find openings against Michigan’s elite defensive line.

The determining factor in this game will be the battle between the Washington offense and the Michigan defense. If Michigan can replicate the same pressure on Penix that they put on Alabama, it will be a struggle for Washington’s offense. However, Washington is much more reliable than Alabama’s, making it a tougher task for the Michigan defense. Ultimately, the experience and skill of Michael Penix Jr. will be too much to contain for the Michigan defense and will lead to Washington winning the national championship.

Final Score Prediction: Washington 31 Michigan 23