The College Football Playoff has arrived, starting on Friday Night, we'll see teams start their chase for the National Championship. The first round will tell us a ton about each team as we'll have two great matchups along with two teams trying to prove something against seemingly "inferior" Group of 5 opponents.
As we head into the Playoff, some fanbases feel as if their team is going to win it all, while other fanbases are concerned about how their team will look. While each program is confident, each team knows that deep down, they have one major flaw that could show itself at the worst possible moment.
These fatal flaws could haunt each Playoff team
Alabama - Lack of a rushing attack
The biggest issue when Alabama has struggled in games is trying to run the football, as it puts far too much pressure on Ty Simpson. In the SEC Championship Game, Alabama finished with -3 rushing yards, which is why the offense couldn't seem to get anything going on offense. Against Florida State, Alabama only managed 3 yards per carry and in the loss to Oklahoma, Alabama picked up just 2.4 yards per carry.
The struggles against Oklahoma are notable as Alabama will face the Sooners in a rematch to open the College Football Playoff. If the Crimson Tide can't find a way to pick up chunk yardage on the ground to better set up Ty Simpson, we'll likely see the same outcome as we saw in the first matchup, as Alabama couldn't rely on Simpson to carry the entire offense.
Georgia Bulldogs - Drew Bobo's injury
The Georgia Bulldogs quietly suffered a massive injury during rivalry weekend, as starting center Drew Bobo suffered a lower leg injury. Against Alabama, the injury wasn't an issue, but in a Playoff game, replacing the anchor of your offensive line is a concern. The long layoff should be helpful as it gives Georgia more time to adjust, but it could end up hurting an offense that struggles at times.
Indiana Hoosiers - Can Indiana return to form after the long layoff?
The Indiana Hoosiers picked up one of the biggest wins possible, beating Ohio State, and if you asked Curt Cignetti, he'd prefer his team played the next day. Indiana won't play in the first round of the Playoff, which could end up derailing this team's momentum. Last season, we saw every team with a first-round bye get wiped out, which could be a concern for Indiana.
Miami Hurricanes - Limiting Carson Beck turnovers
Early in the season, Miami looked like arguably the best team in the country before we watched them lose to Louisville and SMU. In the two losses, the biggest issue for Miami has been Carson Beck's turnovers, as he threw a combined 6 interceptions. This team has as much talent as every team in the Playoff, but if Carson Beck puts the defense in a bad position, they could be a quick exit.
James Madison Dukes - Talent Gap
Bob Chesney's James Madison team has only faced one Power 4 team this season, as they lost to Louisville at the beginning of the season. The biggest concern for JMU should be the fact that the teams in the Playoff are far more talented than that Louisville team. At the end of the day, James Madison will be facing teams with far more talent, which will make it impossible to compete with the likes of Oregon, whom they'll face in the first round.
Ohio State Buckeyes - Recent Offensive Line struggles
The Ohio State Buckeyes cruised through the regular season, which isn't always the best thing for a team. In the Big Ten Championship, Indiana's defensive line applied more pressure than we've seen any team put on Julian Sayin, which should be a concern as the tests in the Playoff will be just as tough. The Buckeyes have all the talent at the skill positions you could ask for, but the offensive line will need to play at a high level to allow Julian Sayin to dissect defenses.
Ole Miss Rebels - Staff Shakeup
Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss before the College Football Playoff is going to have a massive impact on this team, whether they want to admit it or not. Pete Golding and his staff can operate every day like they did under Lane Kiffin, but it's still going to be different when this team takes the field against Tulane.
Pete Golding can no longer focus all his attention on his defense as he's now a head coach for the first time. Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis Jr no longer has Lane Kiffin to lean on, and he's already taken a job at LSU, which is another distraction. This team will be motivated, but all of the shakeups on the staff will play a significant role.
Oklahoma Sooners - Finding a rhythm on offense
At the start of the season, John Mateer looked like the Heisman favorite, but after his hand surgery, he and this offense haven't looked the same. After the injury, Oklahoma's offense is averaging just over 18 points per game. The Sooners' defense can win low scoring affairs, but the offense is going to need to find some rhythm to help take some pressure off the other side.
Oregon Ducks - Injuries
The biggest issue for this Oregon Ducks team has been the injuries they've dealt with this season. Evan Stewart has missed the entire season, while injuries to Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr have depleted the wide receiver room. The good news for Oregon is that the two weeks off should help this team, and they could beat James Madison while injured, but they can't win the Championship if they don't get healthy.
Texas A&M Aggies - Marcel Reed's passing woes
Mike Elko's team was able to cruise for most of the season as they were hardly tested in SEC Play until the finale. Against Texas, Marcel Reed's inconsistent play haunted the Aggies as he missed throws and threw a pair of interceptions. If the Aggies are going to go on a run, Reed is going to have to be dialed in as a passer, as he'll be facing some of the best defenses he's seen this season.
Texas Tech Red Raiders - A lack of a true test
For the most part, Texas Tech cruised through Big 12 play, as its only loss came when Behren Morton missed the Arizona State game. When the Red Raiders most likely face Oregon, it'll be their toughest test of the season, which could be a concern. Joey McGuire's team is going to need to overcome whatever struggles they have early against their first opponent, as they'll face more resistance than they have all season.
Tulane Green Wave - Jake Retzlaff passing
We've already seen Tulane face Ole Miss this season, and the 45-10 loss wasn't pretty for the Green Wave. Jake Retzlaff couldn't get anything going through the air when Tulane faced Ole Miss, as he went just 5-16 for 56 yards, while Brendan Sullivan didn't fare much better. If Ole Miss turns this game into a shootout, Tulane will be in serious trouble, as they don't have the pieces to keep pace.