How many teams could Trevor Lawrence lead to the College Football Playoff?
By John Buhler
Big Ten (5)
The Big Ten has the programs in place to send several schools to the College Football Playoff with Lawrence as their starting quarterback. We’re lucky enough to have multiple teams out of both divisions capable of it. These five programs are the Michigan Wolverines, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Wisconsin Badgers.
Michigan Wolverines
If Lawrence were to go to Ann Arbor, he must be allowed to call all his own plays, Terry Bradshaw style. Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff don’t need to waste a former five-star recruit like they did with Shea Patterson, who actually agreed to transfer there. With Lawrence calling the shots, Michigan could maybe go 11-1 and hope Ohio State messes up at least twice.
Michigan could have four or five wins over top-25 teams: The Washington Huskies out-of-conference, plus four in-conference with Minnesota and Wisconsin out of the West and division rivals Ohio State and Penn State out of the East. Even with Lawrence, it’s hard to see Michigan winning in The Horseshoe. Getting Penn State and Wisconsin at home certainly helps their cause.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota is one of the weakest teams who could make the playoff with Lawrence as its quarterback. The Golden Gophers could do it for a few reasons. P.J. Fleck is an incredible coach, who gets the most out of his wide receiver talent. You have to love the direction the program is trending in. Most importantly, all three of the Gophers’ toughest games are in conference play.
Minnesota could be favored in at least nine of its games next season. If Lawrence could help the Golden Gophers beat two of these three teams in Michigan, Wisconsin and the Iowa Hawkeyes, then Minnesota might be good enough to get to Indianapolis at with an 11-1 record and a Big Ten West title. He could be the difference vs. either Ohio State or Penn State at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State may find it blasphemous to move off Justin Fields in favor of Lawrence for the 2020 campaign, but that’s what we’re doing in this exercise. It doesn’t matter who the Buckeyes play next fall, if they have Lawrence as their starting quarterback, the Buckeyes are the favorite to win it all. At this time, Ohio State is favored to meet Clemson for the 2020 National Championship.
Given the amount of talent in Columbus, you could argue a Lawrence-led Buckeyes team would rival 2019 LSU, 2001 Miami or even 1995 Nebraska as the most loaded National Championship team of all time. Of course, Fields is every bit as good as Lawrence. It’s why they’ll go No. 1 and No. 2 in the 2021 NFL Draft. To think they grew up only miles apart as kids northwest of Atlanta…
Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State is one of eight teams entering the 2020 NCAA season that has a great shot at making the College Football Playoff as is. James Franklin continues to do a marvelous job in State College. With its four hardest games coming in its first seven, the Nittany Lions have an opportunity to go on a run if they were to beat Iowa and Ohio State back-to-back at Beaver Stadium mid-season.
Penn State’s two other tough games come in the first five on the road at Virginia Tech and at Michigan. With Lawrence as quarterback, he could be the difference-maker in those road games, as well as at home vs. Iowa and certainly vs. Ohio State. Their final five games are against Big Ten cannon fodder. Lawrence will have no problem beating whoever comes out of the Big Ten West.
Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin has a brutal stretch mid-season next year when the Badgers have to go to the Big House to play Michigan, face Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in a neutral-site affair and then host rival Minnesota. Ending the season at Kinnick Stadium vs. Iowa won’t be easy either, but the Badgers could have four quality wins under their belt with Lawrence as their starting quarterback.
He will be light years better than whatever Wisconsin has trotted out under center since the mythical 2011 season when Russell Wilson played for then-head coach Bret Bielema. While the Badgers’ schedule will make things very difficult for them as is, Wisconsin would be battle-tested to face either Ohio State or Penn State coming out of the Big Ten East for a shot at the playoff.
First team out: Since their name keeps coming up, it’s probably Iowa. They could win the Big Ten West and play for a conference title with Lawrence as their 21st Century Chuck Long. However, Kirk Ferentz will always find a way to lose a game he shouldn’t like the Big Ten Mark Richt he is. Plus, Iowa never plays anyone who matters out-of-conference. Iowa State doesn’t really count.