Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/771981
As we are in the midst of the frigid, teeth-chattering winter, the fact that only a few NFL games remain in the season is certainly not assisting in warming the soul. Sure, the Super Bowl is something that the majority of the country looks forward to annually, but it is undoubtedly the bittersweet last bite of our multi-month pigskin feast. What makes the middle of January even more difficult is the fact that the college football countdown has been reset, and the ticking of the clock will repeat itself until September. I sit here writing this on December 15, just 16 days away from the third installment of the College Football Playoff. You might be asking yourself, how am I going to write about games that haven't happened yet for a magazine article that is being published after the College Football Playoff has finished? The answer is that anything is possible, especially when you shamelessly guess the outcome without considering the consequences that your credibility could crumble. In the chance that I am correct on these predictions, don't try to credit Biff Tannen's copy of Gray's Sports Almanac, because any true Back to the Future fan knows that that particular copy's information was from 1950-2000. The much less interesting of the semi-final games definitely appears to be the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. the No. 4 Washington Huskies. Alabama is one of two teams in all of college football without a loss (Western Michigan being the other), which is only part of the reason that they are the heavy favorite to win it all, once again. The Crimson Tide's resume is absolutely loaded, as they've won four out of the past six National Championships. Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama football has become a force with so much momentum, that I'm genuinely curious when and how it could possibly be stopped. The Crimson Tide strike fear in every single opponent; they're the unanimous top dog with everyone debating the rest of the field. Without argument, Alabama is the best football program in the country, as its defense has allowed an average of 11.8 points per game, while scoring an average of 40.5 points per game on offense. Going into New Year's Eve, they're riding high on a 25-game win streak, and the "happy to be here" Huskies certainly won't be the team that ends the impressive streak. While looking solely at each team's record, Washington is just short of matching Alabama's unbeaten season. The Huskies finished the regular season with only one loss, which came to a very talented USC Trojans team in a 26-13 battle. So, while Washington has looked very impressive this season, let's not forget that they play in the Pac-12 conference, which is simply an inferior conference. Even outside of the Pac-12, Washington's non-conference schedule was beyond weak, featuring Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State. The Huskies have never played against anyone as big and talented as Alabama. The odds-makers have the Crimson Tide as 16 point favorites, and I see no reason why 'Bama wouldn't win, while also covering the spread. Expect a blowout with this one, folks. The Huskies will be completely washed away by the Tide. CFB Playoff Predictions: 18