College Football 2018: 5 takeaways from Conference Championship Week

5. Alabama emerges as the clear favorite

Undoubtedly, Alabama will be the team to beat in the College Football Playoff which is strikingly similar to previous editions of the playoff system.

The Crimson Tide had the toughest matchup out of the top 4 teams to remain perfect on the season and they did so on Saturday by taking down No. 4 Georgia –– a team that was neck-and-neck with Alabama nearly the entirety of the game.

Alabama’s loaded squad certainly makes them a favorite to win the national title, but so does history. Not only have the Crimson Tide been in each College Football Playoff since its inception, but they also have the most playoff wins (5) and championships (2).

Perhaps, it also has the best all-around team, that is on both sides of the ball. That’s not to disparage the rest of the playoff field, though.

Saturday’s game against Georgia marked the first time this season that a team finished within a score of Alabama. In the rest of the Crimson Tide’s games, they won by a margin of at least 20 or more points. In this regard, Alabama can get be productive on offense and get the stops it needs to on defense.

History has fared quite well on the side of Alabama in the College Football Playoff –– and even when the Crimson Tide wasn’t ranked No. 1 (such as last year) they still found a way to win it all. This season should be no exception.