The College Football Playoff was announced on Sunday. The 1st round of the College Football Playoffs is on December 19th and December 20th. We have some intriguing round 1 matchups this season and several players who need to step up. Below are 5 players who need to step up if their team is going to win the 1st round of the playoffs.
Marcel Reed has improved compared to last season. He is a good athlete who had to improve as a passer, and he has. If Texas A&M is going to beat Miami, they will need a big game from Reed. Miami’s defense is excellent, especially its pass rush. Reed will need to be able to avoid pressure and make big plays with his legs and his feet.
Carson Beck is the opposing quarterback against Marcel Reed. He is the class feast or famine quarterback. In Miami’s two losses against Louisville and SMU, he threw 2 touchdown passes vs. 6 interceptions. Against SMU in overtime, he threw a crippling interception that effectively cost them a game. Since that game, he has been locked in, throwing 11 touchdowns vs. 1 interception. All be it against not the best competition. Playing at Texas A&M is also a tough place to play, but Beck will need to be at his best to get the win.
This is a cop out, but the Alabama offensive line as a unit needs to be better if they are going to beat Oklahoma. Against Georgia in the SEC championship, they had -3 yards rushing. That’s insane for an Alabama team. That includes sacks, but it shows how dominant Georgia was in the SEC Championship game against Alabama.
Jake Retzlaff might not be the flashiest quarterback, but he is a gamer. The kid makes plays with his feet and his legs at a high level. If Tulane is going to upset Ole Miss, he needs to be at his best. Tulane has a puncher shot to pull off the upset because they already played once against them, even though it is a loss to Ole Miss. A 2nd match up can sometimes go to the losing team. Plus, head coach Lane Kiffin has moved onto LSU, so nobody knows how Ole Miss will respond.
Malachi Toney has been one of the most explosive players in College Football. He has eye-popping 84 catches and 7 touchdowns. Not bad for a freshman. If Miami is going to pull off the upset against Texas A&M they will need a big game from Toney.