College Gameday is how most fans start of their Saturday morning. Rece Davis leading the ensemble consisting of legendary Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and now Nick Saban. But what makes the program better from the others is the choice of guest celebrity pickers.
Texas A&M quarterback and college football icon Johnny Manziel’s was the first exclusive interview of the 2024 college football program, and he had some high praise towards the Oregon Ducks. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner predicted that the Georgia Bulldogs will end up in the College Football Playoff national title game against head coach Dan Lanning and the University of Oregon.
News College Gameday / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Come January in Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Manziel believes both quick and dynamic offenses led by elite quarterback play will push each respective programs into a title opportunity. Georgia’s Carson Beck and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel would make for quite the show.
Manziel pictures that Bulldogs will end up as the Southeastern Conference champions and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State is his No. 2 seed and the Big Ten Conference title holder but thinks the Ducks will have the last laugh over the Buckeyes.
I really like Oregon’s chances coming out of their league this year to go through a playoff slate.
– Johnny Manziel via College Gameday
In the Heisman Tropy winner’s mind, Oregon will end up having to host at Autzen Stadium in the first round as a No. 6 seed and guess against who? Manziel’s Aggies who just sneak into the field at the No. 11 spot.
The entirety of his College Football Playoff rankings looks like this: No. 1 Georgia (SEC champion), No. 2 Ohio State (Big Ten champion), No. 3 Miami (ACC champion), No. 4 Utah (Big 12 champion), No. 5 Texas (as much as it pained him to say), No. 6 OregonNo. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 10 Clemson, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 12 Liberty.
The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive the top four seeds and a first-round bye straight to the quarterfinals in the College Football Playoff. The power four conference champions from the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference will most likely receive byes.
The Ducks have +700 odds to be the last team standing, hoisting the national championship trophy according to FanDuel. Those odds are tied for the third best with Texas (+700). Ohio State is at No. 2 with +450 and Georgia is No. 1 with +270.
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