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Welcome to the hypothetical College Football Championsip Tournament. In this tourney, the Top 8 teams in the land will play it out on the field for a real title. We'll break down every matchup and determine who I really think is the best team.

Here's how the 8 teams were picked: The 6 conference champions all got in. 1 major at-large(Kansas), also got it, and 1 mid-major at-large(Hawaii). They're seeded by how they would have been ranked if it was really about how they played.  

Here are the first round matchups:

#1 Ohio State vs. #8 Hawaii     The Peach Bowl     Atlanta, Georgia

This is one interesting matchup. Could Hawaii pull the upset? They have the better QB, but they're pretty one dimensional. The one team OSU lost to (Illinois) was a spread team with a running QB. That really looks like the best way to stop this wonderful defense. Overall, I think the great offense will shut down the great offense. And OSU has a good offense, too. Cinderella doesn't get past midnight. The game is tied at the half, but OSU dominates in the second half. Beanie does great.                                                                                                                                                                                            Ohio State 42, Hawaii 27. 

#4 Virginia Tech vs. #5 USC      Orange Bowl     Miami, Florida

So the hottest team in the country faces off against the computers #1. Let me just put it out there: I hate Va. Tech. They are incredibly overrated. They struggled through a weak conference and lost to the team they beat to win the conference. I think USC is really good with everyone healthy, but lose one good starter, and for some reason, the whole team falls apart. SC will be healthy. This won't be close. USC wins threw and threw.                                                                                  USC 43, Virginia Tech 7.

#3 LSU vs. #6 Oklahoma    Citrus (Capital One) Bowl   Orlando, Florida

Excellent matchup. The best of the round. Both teams have great offenses and defenses, great coaches, and are battle tested. All this makes for an awesome game. Unfortunately, one does have to lose. Oklahoma lost to Colorado this year. Ugh. But I love their QB. LSU lost to Kentucky and Arkansas. Eh, that's not to great. But LSU didn't really impress me in their games agianst good teams. LSU is the heavy favorite, and holds a tight lead at the half. But Sam Bradford leads a late drive to win the games. Matt Flynn throws 3 INTs.                                                                                             Oklahoma 38, LSU 35.

#2 Kansas vs. #7 West Virginia   Cotton Bowl    Dallas, TX

This may be my favorite matchup. I am one of the few Kansas lovers, and for good reason. They have one heck of an offense. And the D has been great too. I love this team. But West Virginia is very talented. If Pat White never got hurt, they'd be #1. But, the rest of the team scared me in the Pitt loss. They fell apart without White. This is gonna turn into a shootout. This doesn't bode well for the Mounties. Kansas storms out to a quick lead, kinda look like they're falling back, but surprisingly delivers a great game in Texas.                                                                           Kansas 52, West Virginia 35.

So the second round is set: #1 Ohio State vs. #5 USC in the Fiesta Bowl, OSU's second home, and #6 Oklahoma vs. #2 Kansas in the Rose Bowl.

Please voice your picks on these games. I want some feedback. Coming soon: The Semi-Final Matchups.