As the New Year approaches, all eyes are on the gridiron, both professionally and in college.
In the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs are gunning to become the first team ever to win three straight Super Bowls, sitting at 13-1 with just a handful of games remaining. If they are to become history makers, however, they will have to somehow find a way past the likes of the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions, two teams that have been on fire in recent weeks.
The 2025 College Football Playoff is about to get underway in the NCAA after a roller-coaster campaign. Top-seed status has chopped and changed numerous times throughout the season, with the former number-one ranked Alabama Crimson Tide famously losing to unranked Vanderbilt in one of the greatest shockers of all time earlier in the season.
As the postseason gets underway, it’s the Georgia Bulldogs who are carrying the weight of being the country’s number-one ranked team, and so far, they have managed to handle the pressure that comes with that honor, as demonstrated by their overtime victory against the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 7.
The Bulldogs are among the frontrunners for the inaugural 12-team playoff, but they aren’t the outright favorites. Let’s find out who they are and what teams they can expect to face en route to glory.
No. 1 Oregon Ducks
All Oregon does is win. They won their respective bowl games in the last two seasons, even making it to the last-ever Pac-12 Championship Game last season, where Washington narrowly beat them in Las Vegas. No one, however, could have anticipated just how much the Ducks would shine in 2024.
They are currently the only unbeaten team in the country, with their recent 45-37 win over the No. 4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions taking them to 13-0. That has prompted online College Football National Championship odds makers to install them as a +360 joint-favorite for the championship, and it would take a brave punter to bet against them.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been a standout performer, guiding an explosive offense ranked No. 2 in SP+ efficiency. Oregon’s versatility on offense, complemented by a revitalized offensive line, has been crucial in dismantling even the country’s most formidable defenses. That recent win over Penn State rubber-stamped their sensational campaign and it wasn’t the only one, they also beat another heavyweight in the form of Ohio State in resounding fashion earlier in the year.
Expect them to go far in the postseason, but whether it results in a first national championship in history remains to be seen.
No. 5 Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns remain a legitimate championship contender despite some setbacks. With an 11-2 record, the Lone Star State outfit has been tested, including two losses to Georgia, but they remain undeterred. They missed a first-round bye after narrowly losing to the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship’s overtime thriller. However, they have a clear path free of their kryptonite until a potential title game showdown.
Texas is one of only two teams ranked in the top 10 in total offensive yards gained and defensive yards allowed (Penn State). Their quarterback situation could be pivotal, as Quinn Ewers has yet to display the consistency needed to elevate his side’s offense to championship form. Should Ewers falter, the highly-touted backup Arch Manning may become a factor.
No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs
The defending SEC champions, Georgia, have had an up-and-down season, finishing with an 11-2 record. Their campaign has been marked by inconsistency, ranging from a blowout win over Clemson to a tough loss to Alabama and a nail-biter against Georgia Tech that went into eight overtimes. Despite these hiccups, the Bulldogs remain a perennial contender.
They managed to secure the championship in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023, victories that saw them emerge as the dominant program in the country. Last season, they saw their crown ripped away when the number eight ranked Crimson Tide picked up a shocking redemption, despite Georgia being ranked number one and losing just one game all season.
They are hunting for revenge this year and could be a wise bet at odds of +500.
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