With a crazy September in the books, The Circuit dives into college football and creates their own top 25 poll, Heisman rankings & playoff picks as things stand roughly ⅓ of the way through the 2021 season.
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Circuit Top 25 Poll
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1- Georgia Bulldogs
2- Alabama Crimson Tide
3- Iowa Hawkeyes
4- Cincinnati Bearcats
5- Oklahoma Sooners
6- Penn State Nittany Lions
7- Michigan Wolverines
8- Ohio State Buckeyes
9- Oregon Ducks
10- BYU Cougars
11- Michigan State Spartans
12- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
13- Oklahoma State Cowboys
14- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
15- Arkansas Razorbacks
16- Kentucky Wildcats
17- Wake Forest Demon Deacons
18- Ole Miss Rebels
19- Texas Longhorns
20- Arizona State Sun Devils
21- Florida Gators
22- Clemson Tigers
23- Auburn Tigers
24- NC State Wolfpack
25- SMU Mustangs
While Alabama holds #1 in the AP Poll, UGA comes in #1 here at The Circuit. Sure Clemson isn’t Clemson this year, and maybe Arkansas isn’t quite SEC champion caliber. But those are two top-10 wins this year for the Dawgs. And they didn’t just beat Arkansas, they spit-roasted those Hogs.
Iowa and Cincinnati are big winners so far in college football. With Clemson, Ohio State, Iowa State, Oregon, etc… all losing early, the door is open for the Bearcats to crash the CFP party. And with Iowa, could this be the year they finally get respect?
Michigan could foil those plans. The Wolverines look great so far, and could be the best team in the B1G this season. Can Harbough actually beat Ohio State? If he can, the Maize & Blue could be in the playoff.
The biggest question looming in college football is this: Could we see three Power Five conferences miss out on the playoff? Alabama and Georgia are essentially locks at this point, and the B1G champion (be it Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa or Michigan State) is likely to get in. So then it comes down to Cincinnati vs. the Big 12 vs. the Pac 12 vs. the ACC. The ACC is already done, the Pac 12 is in trouble with Oregon losing, and does anyone think this shaky Oklahoma team can run the table?
Circuit Heisman Watch Rankings
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1- Bryce Young (Alabama QB)
2- Kenneth Walker III (Michigan State RB)
3- Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati QB)
4- Matt Corral (Ole Miss QB)
5- Sean Clifford (Penn State QB)
Matt Corral was the favorite for this award before he got neutered on live TV against Alabama. The Crimson Tide out it on yet another opponent, and Bryce Young is starting to look like the best Saban QB yet.
What Would the Playoff Look Like Today?
1 Georgia vs. 4 Cincinnati
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2 Alabama vs. 3 Iowa
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Semi-Final Predictions:
1 Georgia over 4 Cincinnati
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Cincinnati would be a great story, and this is a rematch of a classic Sugar Bowl from last season. But this time around, the Dawgs beat down the Cats.
2 Alabama over 3 Iowa
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Iowa getting in means they finally get the respect they deserve. Unfortunately that respect will go out the window when Bryce Young throws a 75 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game. The Tide roll, and Iowa never makes the playoff again.
National Championship Prediction:
1 Georgia over 2 Alabama
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Alabama will probably win the title again. The Crimson Tide have another great team, led by an awesome quarterback. But for the sanity of college football fans, let’s have some fun and pick Georgia. I think they’re defense is actually better than Alabama’s, and JT Daniels can hang with Bryce Young on his best day. GO DAWGS!