CFP First Round Official Rooting Guide™
The first round is finally upon us as the inaugural 12-team playoff begins tomorrow.
As per usual, you can consider this your One Stop Shop for deciding who to root for and why.
Some notes before we begin:
-I am making a rooting pick for every game, so miss me with the "I can't root for either team" - this is not for you.
-My goal is to not just set up a favorable path for Georgia, but to inflict maximum pain and devastation on our enemies. It is not enough that I should prosper, my foes should fail.
-
FRIDAY, December 21, 2025 - 8:00 PM
#7 Notre Dame (-7.5) vs. #10 Indiana
- Rooting for Indiana
- Why?
- Notre Dame's offense has elements that we have struggled with. QB Riley Leonard has 700 rushing yards and 14 rushing TD on the season, to go along with an incredibly dynamic duo at RB. Jeremiyah Love (949 yards, 15 TD, 7.1 ypc) and Jadarian Price (651 yards, 7 TD, 7.3 ypc) are one of the best one-two punch combos at back in the country and have been ripping off long runs all season. Yes, I know they haven't played a tough schedule. I know they lost to NIU. I know they had two long pick sixes against USC. But if you had to describe the kind of offense that gives us trouble it would be one with a dynamic runner at QB, with an emphasis on motion and misdirection, which is precisely what they have. I'm not talking about scheme when I make this comparison, but it reminds me of a more talented version of Georgia Tech with the ability to run with the QB and multiple backs. And who have we been much more successful against? Pocket passers where our rushers can pin their ears back. Enter Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke and his -25 rushing yards this season. Nobody on Indiana scares me, offense or defense, while Notre Dame has real NFL types sprinkled across both sides. Ohio State was able to completely overwhelm Indiana, I would expect us to be able to do something similar.
SATURDAY, December 22, 2025 - 12:00 PM
#6 Penn State (-8.5) vs. #11 SMU
- Rooting for SMU
- Why?
- I waffled back and forth on this one, primarily because Penn State's QB isn't a threat in the open field and I like our rushers' ability to get after him. I also loathe Penn State and James Franklin. However, they are the most talented team between them/SMU/Boise State and I think we will wash over SMU from a pure talent perspective. The SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings does have a 100+ yard rushing game under his belt this season, but hasn't been nearly as big of a threat lately. Last seven games: 18, 41, -4, -2, 0, 29, 35 rushing yards. He had 304 yards, 4 total TD, 1 INT against Clemson, but that was on 50 passing attempts. On offense, they're nothing special on a per play basis, but do have some players that can make you miss in space. This one is much closer to a "rooting pick'em", so I won't begrudge anyone who thinks we matchup better with the bigger but potentially less dynamic Penn State offense.
SATURDAY, December 22, 2025 - 4:00 PM
#5 Texas (-12) vs. #12 Clemson
- Rooting for Clemson
- Why?
- Yes, we beat Texas in Austin by two scores. Yes, we held their offense to 19 points through 4 quarters and overtime in Atlanta. I just have no desire to play them a third time. If we do, it will invalidate the previous wins by turning the final matchup into a winner-take-all game. I don't think Clemson will put up much of a fight and I certainly don't see them beating Oregon down the road, all the more reason to root for the upset. Further, this will keep us head and shoulders atop the league. I am not concerned with SEC strength this posteason - I am concerned with the Dawgs being the unquestioned class of the finest conference in the country. Plus, if Clemson somehow upsets Texas, it will start some uncomfortable talk about Steve Sarkisian and his ability to win big games there. Those kind of whispers can infiltrate an entire organization - the more issues Sark has the better, especially with them on the schedule in 2025. We need big games to be his boogeyman.
SATURDAY, December 22, 2025 - 8:00 PM
#8 Ohio State (-7.5) vs. #9 Tennessee
- Rooting for Ohio State
- Why? See this post
- There is nothing to be gained from Tennessee winning. We don't want them to experience any success, any momentum, or any continued validation of their program. I hope they lose every game they ever play in all of their sports until the Sun implodes and consumes us all.
- I can already hear y'all so let me nip this in the bud: Ryan Day is not getting fired if they lose. The more SEC teams that lose the better. Cold weather narratives about non-Georgia teams do not concern me as I am not a Southern Football Team Fan or an SEC Fan. I am a Georgia Bulldog fan. And yes, I know that we have historically dominated Heupel's offense, but the only way that comes into play is with Tennessee making the National Championship Game which would be a plague upon all our houses. That fanbase cannot, under any circumstances, be four quarters away from their first National Championship since 1998. We have to keep the non-Alabama SEC Championship Club to a minimum. We can't have any of this "we made it just as far as you" talk. All of our North Georgia Dawgs know how horrible that fanbase can be. If they win a couple games and get hot, we'll never hear the end of it. Additionally, a non-Georgia SEC team winning the National Title will somewhat devalue the SEC Championship. Alabama won the 2021 SEC Championship - nobody cares because they lost the natty to Georgia. LSU won the 2011 SEC Championship - nobody cares because they lost the natty to Alabama. (The 2017 edition wasn't as bad because we didn't beat Alabama that year, unlike this year with Texas and Tennessee) In order for that game to continue to have maximum value, we need to survive longer than the other SEC teams.
My rooting picks in order of how much I want them to win:
Indiana > Ohio State > SMU > Texas. Dabo losing is a borderline win-win for me, I cannot stand his sanctimony.
If this holds, the bracket will be:
ROSE BOWL - #1 Oregon vs. #8 Ohio State (WINNER TO COTTON BOWL SEMI)
PEACH BOWL - #4 Arizona State vs. #12 Clemson (WINNER TO COTTON BOWL SEMI)
SUGAR BOWL - #2 Georgia vs. #10 Indiana (WINNER TO ORANGE BOWL SEMI)
FIESTA BOWL - #3 Boise State vs. #11 SMU (WINNER TO ORANGE BOWL SEMI)
