The first round of the College Football Playoff kicks off this weekend with a slate of four games played on college fields. After Alabama’s stunning come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma on Friday, three games will be played on Saturday. Two should be pushovers, while one, the first game of the day, could be interesting.

James Madison vs Oregon, 7:30 EST, Eugene, Oregon

Many point to James Madison being part of the 12-team CFP bracket as a problem and the reason Notre Dame was left out. I disagree, and believe that the Dukes, who finished the regular season with a 12-1 record on their way to a Sun Belt title, are deserving of a spot. It’s no different than an NFL team that wins their division by a game or so and eeks into the playoffs while other teams more worthy of being in the postseason are left to sit at home.

That being the case, this game should be a runaway. Oregon outclasses JMU at every level on both sides of the football. Factor in that Bob Chesney, the second-year head coach of JMU, took the job at UCLA just a few weeks ago, and the underdogs are now dealing with a major disruption. Chesney will be on the sidelines leading the Dukes on Saturday, yet his time away dealing with the UCLA job won’t help his soon-to-be former team. The earlier Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is resting on the sidelines, the better it will be for the Ducks, who should win this game by four touchdowns.

Tulane vs Ole Miss, 3:30 EST, Oxford, Mississippi

Another contest in which a Power 4 team outmatches the winner of a lesser conference, and a game where both programs had coaching changes soon after the regular season ended.

Tulane finished the year with a record of 11-2 and smashed North Texas in the title game to win the American Athletic Conference. Soon after, head coach Jon Sumrall was announced as the new head coach at Florida, replacing the fired Billy Napier. Tulane is a scrappy squad led by quarterback Jake Retzlaff, a highly productive passer who transferred from BYU after a cloud of controversy. Sumrall will be on the sidelines coaching Tulane, and he’d love to make life miserable for Ole Miss.

Top Stories

Another Almost Fatal Disaster Surfaces From Statesville Airport Amidst Ongoing Greg Biffle’s Crash Investigation

Prayers Pour In From Terrell Owens as 275lbs Former Cowboys Player Announces Major Health News

Tiger Woods & Charlie Woods Paid Special Homage by Annika Sorenstam’s Son at PNC Championship

NTSB Appeals for Greg Biffle’s Wife’s Alleged In-Flight Text Messages as Crash Investigation Heats Up

Josh Allen Makes Lifetime Buffalo Announcement as Pregnant Hailee Steinfeld Receives Bills QB’s Clear Family Plan

Travis Kelce Reveals Real Reason Behind Decision to Snub the Media Amid Retirement Rumors

Lane Kiffin won’t be on the sidelines for Ole Miss after a very public discussion on his future ended in hard feelings when he was swiped away by conference rival LSU. The Rebels are led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, the backup who came off the bench in the middle of September to replace injured starter Austin Simmons and never looked back.

Like Oregon, Ole Miss is superior to its rival on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Retzlaff will keep it competitive early and has the ability to make plays with his legs and arm, yet the Rebels’ talent will make this a runaway game. How will the distraction around Kiffin affect Ole Miss? From what I’ve been told, the team is fired up and is intent on proving the success of the Rebels this year was due to the team and players, not the recently departed head coach.

Miami vs Texas A&M, 12 EST, College Station, Texas

Coincidentally, the most competitive game of the day and the one most are looking forward to will be the first to kick off, at 11 a.m. local Aggies time. Texas A&M, which finished the season struggling, hosts the Miami Hurricanes, who held their collective breath to see if they would be part of the College Football Playoff.

The Aggies have a dynamic quarterback in Marcel Reed and several playmaking skill players at his disposal, including receiver KC Concepcion, who also doubles as a game-impacting return specialist. TAMU also has a terrific offensive line, most of whom will be playing in the NFL soon.

The Hurricanes counter with one of the best one-two punches at pass rush with Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. Both are speedy edge rushers who will be drafted next April, and Bain will be a top-10 selection. Reed, who faltered late in the season and needed late-game heroics to beat South Carolina, then lost badly to interstate rival Texas, may find it difficult to consistently make good decisions with the Hurricanes’ pass rush in his face.

The Hurricanes have a well-balanced offense led by Carson Beck, the inconsistent quarterback who transferred from Georgia. He, too, must withstand the pass rush of a soon-to-be first-round draft pick in Cashius Howell, who finished the season with 14.5 TFLs and 11 sacks.

This game will come down to whichever team’s quarterback makes the fewest mistakes. And while that can be said for any contest, both Beck and Reed have shown the propensity of putting their respective teams in a hole with poor decision-making and bad passes.