8-team simulated College Football Playoff: Who wins?
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Auburn
Outside of Alabama vs. Ohio State, Oklahoma vs. Auburn may be the most fascinating of these four College Football Playoff games. It’s a battle of two gifted offenses, with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Jarrett Stidham going head-to-head. Defensively, both teams had some questions. Especially for the Tigers in the SEC Championship and Oklahoma as the worst pass defense, statistically, in the country.
What separates these teams is consistency. Sure, the Sooner defense wasn’t great for most, if not the entire season, but the offense never slowed down. It was led by Heisman favorite Baker Mayfield, who delivered stellar performances against everyone in the Big 12. He capped this off with a four-touchdown game in the Big 12 Championship, potentially securing college football’s most prestigious trophy.
Stidham struggled against Georgia. While he did against other big-name opponents, too, facing Oklahoma’s secondary wouldn’t be the worst way to make up for it.
However, the status of running back Kerryon Johnson impacts the Tigers. He didn’t look 100 percent in the SEC Championship Game, after injuring his shoulder vs. Alabama. If he’s still not healthy for this playoff game, it means an aerial game is on the way, which favors Mayfield.
If that’s the case, Oklahoma wins and advances to the semifinals. It offers multiple looks on offense, with arguably the best player in the nation and a team that’s been almost impossible to top in shootouts.