To think that 2016 is almost over, I must reflect on the great moments we have seen this year. We have seen the Golden State Warriors become the team with the most Ws in a season, to the team which took the biggest L in sports history, blowing a 3-1 lead. Villanova won the national championship in basketball on a buzzer-beater. Kevin Durant went to the Warriors, and they still couldn’t beat Cleveland on Christmas Day. The Orioles put in Ubaldo Jimenez instead of Zack Britton, and Edwin Encarnacion needed one swing for victory. The Chicago Cubs overcame a 3-1 lead to win their first World Series in 108 years. And Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Washington ALL will be in the College Football Playoff. A great way to end the year, here are my predictions for the 4 biggest college football games of the New Year’s Six.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: #4 Washington Huskies vs. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide
All I have heard since November when the season ended has been ‘Oh, Washington gonna win, they got a chance’, but everyone knows it will never happen. 2014 should be a reminder to all of us that Ohio State was a #4 team that obviously should have been ranked higher. Washington is NOTHING compared to that Ohio State team. That team had future NFLers in Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, and Michael Thomas. Also, Alabama’s defense wasn’t as good as the one we have this year, led by DE Jonathan Allen and CB Minkah Fitzpatrick. Washington QB Jake Browning can keep it high-scoring, but I wouldn’t think it would even be a one-score game at the end of it all. Alabama takes it 45-31.
Playstation Fiesta Bowl: #3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #2 Clemson Tigers
This game has got me seriously mind-boggled as to who will win, and this game will probably be a 1-point win by either team. In fact, this’ll come down to OT. You know what, make that multiple OTs. This game might as well never end. Clemson, led by QB Deshaun Watson, has proved again it will contend for a national championship, with its big-play RB Wayne Gallman, receivers Mike Williams, Jordan Leggett, and Hunter Renfrow, and defenders in LBs Ben Boulware, Kendall Joseph, and Safeties Jadar Johnson and Van Smith. Ohio State is led by QB JT Barrett, RB Mike Samuel, and WRs Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown, and Dontre Wilson. If one defense will break and lost the game for their team, it’ll be Ohio State, as they have been relatively thin due to injuries. Clemson wins 50-49.