“Prophecy did not lead us here. Nor will it win this battle.” The culling games (aka, College Football Playoff) have begun, and now we stand a few arms reach away from the finals. However, getting here was not easy!! On top of the throne stands the Ducks, the Dawgs, the Broncos, and ASU. 2 predictable entries into the big league, but the other 2? Yeah, they were quite the surprise. Devils won the Big 12, and that gives them an easy seed. For the Broncos? Well, they had Ashton Jeanty. 250 rushing yards on average across the board with 30 carries in every single game. This guy single-handedly resurrected Boise State, and we are all here for it!! However, every throne needs its usurper, and for our 4 champs? They gonna wish they hadn’t reached the playoffs!!

“My picks are as follows,” Joel Klatt says on his show. The segment we all were waiting for: Penn State, ASU, Ducks, and ND win the game and keep running for the natty. This is what Klatt thinks. The Broncos vs the Lions will be one he-k of a showdown. Not only is the 2nd best rushing team going up against the Top 5 rush defense team, but we are also going to see if James Franklin truly has what it takes to bring the Lions to their 3rd natty appearance since 1986. This will be one back-and-forth game, but what is more interesting is the 3 upsets Klatt points out next.

What do you think? The SEC dominance continues as the Horns and the Dawgs swim past the Irish and the Devils while also crushing their dreams for a natty win. On the other end, how can Ryan Day even let the Ducks go without roasting them and serving it as a New Year’s gift for the Buckeyes’ faithful? Klatt doesn’t think so…

…Oh, the Bucks. This is going to be fun. “Buckeyes move on, Oregon covers,” Klatt adds. The North is coming to Pasadena. With that one single win over the Vols, the Bucks have somehow managed to remove the Ducks as the betting favorites. “What’s a king to a God?” But then again, as Klatt points out, Dan Lanning should have this one.

When the stage is set and the stakes are high, “Will Stein and Dillon Gabriel are going to do a great job of taking advantage of the aggressiveness.” Greg McElroy predicted it first. Dillion Gabriel and the Ducks offense have always shown up when it is needed. Over 37 points per game average and has only allowed 7 turnovers. This says a lot. Yeah, the Bucks got a bit close for comfort and almost planted that stake right in the heart, but Gabriel stopped them!!

2nd highest QBR and Heisman finalist for a reason, folks. The 2nd upset? Well, Notre Dame vs Georgia. What has Kirby Smart not lost? A team that was once bringing in over 9 YPP and 5 YPR is now struggling to get past 7 yards per pass and 4 yards per rush. They lifted the SEC title win but with broken arms and lost valor.

Caron Beck is no more. Smart is not only losing out on his QB1, but this tanks the entire passing game of the Georgia offense. When you take this and pair it up with how disastrous the running corp and receiver corp have been in the last 4-5 games, it doesn’t paint a good picture. With the Irish and their “organized chaos” defense, Smart and Co. have very slim chances of surviving this culling.

If they do. Well, then we’re going to see Georgia in the natty, for sure. Moving on to the final and the most “surprising” upset that Klatt predicts: This one will ruffle some feathers (and not in a good way).

Texas Longhorns vs the ASU

Any sane person would opt for a Hook’em win over the Devils. Like, why wouldn’t you? Texas has one of the strongest offenses in the country, with 2 massive quarterbacks in charge. Quinn Ewers has gotten plenty of rest, and although the injuries have been a bane, the guy has stood on business whenever it was required the most.

And h-ll!! If Ewers fails, Steve Sarkisian has Arch Manning, so why bother? “I’m gonna take the twelve and a half there with Arizona State,” Klatt adds. This is surprising. Picking the Devils over the Longhorns is like heading to an Italian restaurant and asking for a burger!!

But, up to a certain extent, Klatt’s pick ain’t that wrong. Every time a game has come down to the wire, ASU has managed to snag a surprise win. Win over Texas Tech despite being down to 21-28. Win over UCF, despite being don 28-31. So on and so forth.

The Devils have been quite the sleeper team this season, and it won’t be surprising if they show glimpses of greatness against the Horns. Will it be enough to secure them a safe seat on the natty run? We shall find out.