The Alabama Crimson Tide are just a win over the Missouri Tigers away from reaching the inaugural College Football Playoff. Bama is favored to defeat Gary Pinkel's boys from Columbia in the SEC Championship, leaving a host of potential playoff opponents to consider if that is indeed to occur.
Who is the committee likely to pair the Tide up with? Here's Alabama's 3 Most Likely Bowl/Playoff Semifinal Opponents.
3) Ohio State
This choice comes with a caveat. The Ohio State Buckeyes will somehow have to convincingly run past the Wisconsin Badgers minus sensational QB JT Barrett. Barrett went down with a season-ending ankle injury, leaving third-stringer Cardale Jones under center for OSU's biggest game of the year. There's a lot of if's and but's that have to be vanquished for a Nick Saban/Urban Meyer showdown (which would in all likelihood take place in the Sugar Bowl), but it's still in play.
2) Baylor
If you poll the majority of college football analysts about who they think will slide into the #4 spot in the College Football Playoff, it's almost a 50/50 split between the Baylor Bears and their Big 12 rivals, the TCU Horned Frogs. Baylor has a win over the TCU to their credit, along with a chance to make a grand closing statement against #9 Kansas State. The committee has shown a preference for TCU's full body of work over Baylor's, but a convincing win over the Wildcats could change all that.
1) TCU
This likely happens one of two ways - either Baylor loses to KSU or barely squeaks by in less-than-impressive fashion. TCU has a relative cupcake on Saturday in Iowa State and, as stated before, appears to be the darling of the CFP committee. If all things fall into place, this matchup could rival this year's Iron Bowl when it comes to pinball-like numbers on the scoreboard.
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