College Football Playoff: 5 bold predictions for Alabama vs. Cincinnati in Cotton Bowl

In the first of two College Football Playoff games on Friday, the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

The first of three College Football Playoff games will be underway on Friday afternoon, as the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide will face the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Alabama earned the No. 1 seed by crushing Georgia in the SEC Championship. Cincinnati made College Football Playoff history by being the first Group of Five team to make the four-team field. The Bearcats are the only undefeated team left in the country. The winner of this game will face the winner of the Orange Bowl between Georgia and Michigan in Indianapolis for a national title.

Here are five bold predictions for the Cotton Bowl being played out between Alabama and Cincinnati on Friday afternoon.

Cotton Bowl: 5 bold predictions for Alabama vs. Cincinnati football game

5. Bryce Young commences his Archie Griffin run at a second Heisman Trophy

In his first year as the Alabama starting quarterback and only his second year in school, Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young became the first quarterback in team history to win the Heisman Trophy. His utter evisceration of the Georgia secondary in the SEC Championship and late-game heroics in the Iron Bowl propelled Young to the top of the ballots of many Heisman Trophy voters.

While next year is next year, Young stands a fantastic shot at being the first repeat winner of college football’s most sacred individual award since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin went back-to-back in the 1970s. Young may not throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns in this game, but he will be the clear frontrunner to win the award for a second time before he does turn pro.

Look for Young to complete 75 percent of his passes for well over 300 yards and three touchdowns on a Cincinnati defense that won’t know what hit it.