Josh Pate predicts first-round games in College Football Playoff

A week from tonight, we will have all four results in from the opening-round games of the College Football Playoff. Now, ahead of those matchups in Norman, College Station, Oxford, and Eugene, Josh Pate has made his predictions for what the outcomes of those games will be to begin the CFP.

Pate shared those picks during Sunday night’s episode of ‘Josh Pate’s College Football Show’. He did so, with his predictions for the rest of the bracket and who is going to win the national championship coming in the next episode on Tuesday.

Here were those first-round picks as made this evening by Pate:

No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M

In a major matchup between the Hurricanes and Aggies to be played at Kyle Field, Pate noted the importance of defense in this one, as he is looking to see who shuts down the other’s run games or cuts off their explosive plays on offense, come Saturday afternoon. However, with little read on the game beyond that, as well as homefield, A&M was the pick here, with that sending them to play No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

“Neither of these big, opening-round matchups I have a great feel on…I don’t really have a strong feel on the game, therefore, I’ll just ride the model,” said Pate. “I’ll have fun watching it there, as we all will. I’ll take Texas A&M to win and cover, and we’re not betting a dime on it. No strong feel whatsoever.

No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma

Similarly, expect this time in a rematch we already saw this season between the Crimson Tide and Sooners, except this time at OU, Pate was more so looking for which offense would look their best in this one, with it projecting as a defensive game as he deemed it a race to 21. In the end, though, Oklahoma got it done in his prediction, with some big plays again and homefield advantage being enough to send them to the quarterfinals where they’d play No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

“Look, my instinct is to take Alabama in this game. I’ve got Alabama winning the national title. Now, of course, that prediction was made months ago, and I don’t feel great about that right now. But, I actually am going to pick Oklahoma to win the game,” Pate said. “I’ve watched Alabama play this team twice in the past two years and I’ve watched the things that you would call freak occurrences, random outcomes, i.e., turnovers? I’ve watched Brent Venables and his team be able to do that two times, and I’m starting to think maybe it’s not so randomized. And, I don’t know if we’re looking at the beginnings of a trend, or if those were just sort of a couple of one-offs and Alabama will restore order here. But, I’ve heard rumors of Sooner magic, I’ve heard rumblings of Sooner magic, and, I don’t want to go as far to say I believe in Sooner magic, but I will go as far as to say I don’t want to be against it. So, I will take Oklahoma to win this game.

No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss

As for the two games featuring the opponents from the Group of Five, Pate, naturally choosing the home team, tried to consider ways an upset could happen, like limiting explosives, maintaining possession, and hoping for the negative effect of a loss at head coach in this case for the Green Wave. Nonetheless, the Rebels, with him even suggesting they could be resting starters come the second half in The ‘Sip, were the emphatic pick for him here, as that would set up their own rematch with No. 3 Georgia in their quarterfinal from the Sugar Bowl.

“The way I think these games are going to play out? You’ve got a rare opportunity here if you are the favorite. It used to be that I was scared of playoff expansion, because I thought we’d get to a spot where the playoff was so big that teams would, like, rest starters at the end of the year in games if they knew they had a playoff spot locked up. What I didn’t plan on was we made the playoff so big that we would have games where teams could rest starters during playoff games. But, if you get out to an early lead in these games, think about the opportunity. If you get out to an early lead, if you go for the throat, if you go for the kill shot early and you get it? You could be up 35-7, and your starters are already out midway through or late third quarter,” said Pate. “I’m going to take Ole Miss to win and cover. I don’t know. I don’t know what to tell you other than it’s a playoff game. Enjoy it. We only get so many of them.”

No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon

Finally, Pate was even less hopeful for the Dukes, as he said the only hope may be that the home team eases up and can’t get back in gear once chaos potentially happens for JMU. However, simply put, domination by the Ducks is expected here in this pick, with that sending them to the quarters to play No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl.

“Rarely, rarely, are you this outmanned, but are getting the opposition’s full weight leaned upon you, but this is a playoff game. It’s a home playoff game at Autzen Stadium. And, I don’t really care if it’s a local high school wandering in there. They’re going to look for the splattering. They’re going to look to just have purple all over the place, paint the walls with their blood-type situation,” Pate said. “I think Oregon is going to get out to a huge lead really early, game is over at halftime and they are resting starters in the second half…I don’t know. I’m taking Oregon to win and cover. It is what it is.