The College Football Playoff is down to its Final Four, and it didn't get here without some surprises. While favorites have won all eight games in the first two rounds (Arizona State is the only underdog that even covered the spread), no team that won its conference or received a first-round bye remains.
We're also guaranteed a first-time national title-winning coach. Still, we certainly have a "blue blood" flavor to the remaining teams. Ohio State ranks 2nd all-time with 975 wins, while Notre Dame and Texas are tied for fourth at 960. Little ol' Penn State pulls up the rear with 942, down at seventh among FBS programs.
So, no matter what happens, a powerhouse of the sport will be our national champion. But instead of figuring out who that'll be, which one of our four possible title game matchups is the best? To figure that out, I looked at the possibilities from multiple perspectives. How competitive would the game likely be? How does the matchup look? Speaking of looks, which uniforms would look cool on the field together (perhaps the most important criterion)? And, while I'm not a television executive, I also considered which matchup would be most appealing to a broader audience.
More eyeballs is better for the sport as a whole, and our first matchup would bring plenty of them.
1. (8) Ohio State vs. (7) Notre Dame
As mentioned, both teams are in the top four in wins all-time. It's two programs that are synonymous with the sport of college football and its history. While the modern era of the game has been dominated by teams from the Southeast, the early days of the sport were run by the Midwest, and these two were at the vanguard.
They also have two of the largest, most fervent fanbases who are starving for a national title. Sure, Ohio State won it 10 years ago, but after recent failures against Michigan and watching the Wolverines win it all last year, it feels more like 100 to Buckeye fans.
As for Notre Dame, the Irish haven't won a national title since 1998, and recent appearances in the BCS and CFP before this season haven't gone particularly well!
2. (5) Texas vs. (7) Notre Dame
It's a matchup that isn't all that dissimilar to our first one, though I would argue neither one of these teams has the offensive firepower Ohio State does. This matchup has a much higher chance of being a rock fight, which looks like what we saw between Notre Dame and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. You know, a fun, entertaining game but not exactly a high-flying affair.
It's also similar in that Texas has won a national title in somewhat recent memory (2005), but it feels much longer than 20 years, and the Longhorns have had plenty of rough patches since.
3. (5) Texas vs. (6) Penn State
If I'm a television executive, this might be the least appealing matchup of the four, but I give it the edge for third simply because it's more likely to be the most competitive and entertaining of the remaining options.
Both teams are led by their defensive lines and have quarterbacks who are talented but still questioned by plenty around the country. There's also the fact that this is the only possible "Big Ten vs. SEC" matchup available, and while it doesn't mean a whole lot to me, there are plenty of people to whom it would mean something.
4. (8) Ohio State vs. (6) Penn State
So why is this last? It's not because it wouldn't be a great matchup. It's just that it's a matchup we've seen every season since 1993 when Penn State joined the Big Ten. It's also a matchup that's been pretty one-sided in recent years; Ohio State has won eight straight, including a 20-13 victory in State College earlier this season.
It'd still be an incredible matchup between two of the best teams in the country, and you know Big Ten executives would be thrilled to see it, but I'm not sure it'd be as appealing to casual fans outside the Big Ten footprint.
