Will Alabama football get in playoff? Making my final 12-team CFP predictions | Toppmeyer

• Georgia and Ohio State built the nation’s best teams. Of course they’ll make the playoff.
• How many qualifiers from the SEC? Five. That includes Alabama in Kalen DeBoer’s first season.
• Michigan won’t make playoff, but Penn State will.

Anything seems possible in January.

You’re going to lose that extra 10 pounds that stubbornly clings to you like Louisiana humidity.

You’re going to learn a new language.

You’re going to spend less time on your phone and more time reading.

You’re going to make smarter financial decisions.

Come June, you’ve added five more pounds to your 10-pound cushion thanks to the 12-pack and three hot dogs you crushed celebrating Memorial Day.

Come July, the only Spanish phrases you know to say on your Cancún vacation are “Buenos dias” and “Cerveza, por favor.”

Come August, David McCullough’s 1,120-page “Truman” collects dust on your shelf, but you’ve attained a new high score on Candy Crush.

By September, you own zero shares of Coca-Cola but purchased two Bug-A-Salt guns off Amazon, and you can take out a house fly with a blast of salt from 10 yards away.

I made initial College Football Playoff projections in January, when anything seemed possible (like Missouri to the playoff). But January is the time for fantasy. August’s sobering light brings realism.

Here is my final playoff projection of the preseason.

Georgia (automatic bid, SEC): The Carson Beck-Trevor Etienne combination ranks as the SEC’s best quarterback-running back duo. The offensive line will be solid, and the defense robust. This isn’t Kirby Smart’s deepest squad, but it’s still the nation’s best collection of talent this side of Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State (automatic bid, Big Ten): If the Buckeyes had Georgia’s Beck, they’d be my front-runner to win the national championship. They’re loaded. They have not one, but two, All-America-caliber running backs. Alabama transfer safety Caleb Downs cements the defense. Ohio State should cruise through the Big Ten.

Miami (automatic bid, ACC): Mario Cristobal assembled a talented squad. Quarterback Cam Ward (Washington State) and running back Damien Martinez (Oregon State) defected from the Pac-2. Transfers should improve the defensive front, too. The Hurricanes will host Florida State in their toughest ACC game.

3 underrated teams in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll

Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network offers three underrated teams in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.

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Oklahoma State (automatic bid, Big 12): How far can the nation’s best running back take the Cowboys? To the playoff, anyway. Ollie Gordon II spearheads an experienced roster. They were the Big 12’s second-best team last season, behind Texas. And Texas isn’t a problem anymore.

Memphis (automatic bid, Group of Five): I can think of Power Four schools that would be blessed to have Seth Henigan as their starting quarterback. Upperclassmen stock Memphis’ lineup, and the schedule doesn’t present many potholes other than a Week 3 game against Florida State.

Texas (at-large): The Longhorns are built for the SEC and made sure of it by reloading their wide receiving corps, including Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond. Their offensive line will make SEC peers blush. I’ve got a few questions about the interior of Texas’ defense, but not enough questions to think it won’t be one of the SEC’s top five teams.

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Oregon (at-large): All that Nike money looks good on Oregon. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel will keep the offense humming. He headlined a dynamite transfer class. Ohio State assembled the Big Ten’s best roster, but Oregon is closer to No. 1 than to No. 3 in that conference.

Alabama (at-large): Working with Kalen DeBoer will be a boon for Jalen Milroe. Already one of the nation’s most exciting quarterbacks, Milroe can become one of the nation’s most complete quarterbacks. Alabama’s offense will be fine. How its secondary develops will determine its national championship quest.

Ole Miss (at-large): The Rebels won 11 games last season, and this roster is superior. In fact, this is Lane Kiffin’s best squad ever. And the schedule ranks among the SEC’s most favorable. He retained his “Portal King” moniker by using transfers to elevate what had been an average defense.

Penn State (at-large): Speaking of favorable schedules, the Big Ten gifted Penn State a docket devoid of Oregon and Michigan. James Franklin fizzles in the big games, but he’s dependable in the ones he should win, and the Nittany Lions should be favored in nearly every game. As usual, their backfield and defense will be sufficiently stocked.

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3 overrated teams in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll

Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network offers three overrated teams in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.

LSU (at-large): The only way for LSU’s defense to go is up after last season’s disaster. New defensive coordinator Blake Baker previously engineered defensive improvement at Missouri. The offense remains in good hands with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. He’s plenty talented and showed it in a bowl victory against Wisconsin.

Utah (at-large): Veteran quarterback Cameron Rising’s return should boost an offense that misfired when he missed the season with a knee injury. Utah won the 2022 Pac-12 Championship behind Rising. As usual, Utah’s defense is in good shape. In a Big 12 marked by parity, Oklahoma State and Utah are a bit better than the rest.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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