This college football season ended with a flourish as Clemson beat Alabama in one of the most memorable championship games in recent memory.
Next season appears as if it could open with the same type of marquee matchup, with the potential No. 1 and No. 2 teams meeting in the first week of the season.
Those two teams, Alabama and Florida State, also happen to be Kirk Herbstreit’s top choices to make an appearance in the national championship. Herbstreit shared his national championship favorites for next season on social media.
@KirkHerbstreit national championship favorite next year?
— Derek Quinn (@thederekquinn) January 14, 2017
FSU/Bama https://t.co/rkPmnU6Jco
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) January 14, 2017
The two teams are expected to be ranked in the top five, mostly in the top two spots. Is it possible that the most important game will take place in the first week of the season? Possibly.
However, with the College Football Playoff format, and what it takes to qualify for one of the four coveted positions so nebulous, a loss doesn’t necessarily eliminate either team from championship contention.
Underscoring the matchup will be ever-growing perception that the ACC has overtake the SEC as the most competitive conference in college football. This year was largely successful for the ACC, and with so big a matchup so early in the season for both conferences, this will be another pivotal matchup in proving or disproving that contention.
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