The college football postseason is set to expand in 2021, as the NCAA expands its selection process from four teams to eight. With a larger number of games on the field and more at stake, these extra matchups will provide an even greater opportunity for schools to earn their way into the playoffs.
The “2021 college football playoff semifinals” is a list of all the teams that will be in the 2021 College Football Playoff.
In the College Football Playoff, Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia, and Michigan will play for the national title in 2021, and those teams are strongly represented on ESPN’s All-America squad as well.
There are four All-Americans on the Crimson Tide, three on the Bulldogs, and one each on the Bearcats and Wolverines.
Only seven of the 26 players on offense, defense, and special teams were named to ESPN’s preseason All-America team in August, illustrating once again that performance, like polls, is more important than forecasts.
Offense
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young
Young might become the first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy after Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Kenny Stabler, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mac Jones all played quarterback for Alabama. Young finished second in the FBS in Total QBR in his first season as a starter (88.9). He threw for 4,322 yards on 68 percent of his throws, with 43 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He was at his finest in the SEC championship game, throwing for 421 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-24 shock of No. 1 Georgia.
Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State Spartans, running back
2 Related
Under second-year coach Mel Tucker, the Wake Forest transfer was instrumental in the Spartans’ comeback. With 1,636 yards running and 18 rushing touchdowns, Walker was second in the FBS. Walker earned most of his success via hard labor; his 990 yards after first contact led all FBS players. He eluded tackles 48 times, which was tied for second among running backs, and he broke 38 tackles, which was tied for third.
Sean Tucker, Syracuse Orange, running back
Tucker emerged as a star for the Orange on the 60th anniversary of Ernie Davis’ Heisman Trophy-winning season. With 1,496 running yards in a season, the rookie broke Joe Morris’ 42-year-old school record and established another with nine 100-yard games, including seven in a row. On Sept. 18, Tucker became the first Syracuse player to have 100 yards running (132) and receiving (121) in the same game, a 62-24 blowout of FCS club Albany.
Jordan Addison of the Pittsburgh Panthers is a wide receiver.
This season, Addison and quarterback Kenny Pickett were practically unbeatable, guiding the Panthers to an ACC title and 11 wins for the first time since 1981, when Dan Marino was the quarterback. Addison recorded the most touchdown catches among FBS players (17), the most by a Pitt player since Larry Fitzgerald had 22 in 2003, and 93 receptions for 1,479 yards. Addison set a school record with four touchdown catches in a 48-38 victory against Virginia on Nov. 20.
Purdue Boilermakers WR David Bell
This season, the Boilermakers’ standout wide receiver more than delivered against elite competition. Bell has 33 catches for 560 yards and two touchdowns in three games against top-five opponents. He recorded 11 receptions for more than 200 yards and a score in each of Purdue’s shocks of then-No. 2 Iowa and then-No. 3 Michigan State. With 8.5 catches per game, fourth with 116.9 yards per game, seventh with 93 receptions, and ninth with 1,286 yards, Bell ranks second among FBS players. The native of Indianapolis has already declared his intention to join the NFL draft.
Brock Bowers of the Georgia Bulldogs is a tight end.
Bowers’ wine from his homeland of Napa, California, may improve with age, but the Bulldogs didn’t have to wait for it. Bowers, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound freshman, leads Georgia in receptions with 47 for 791 yards. His 11 touchdown catches are a school record for any athlete and are the most by a Georgia tight end. Bowers has already shown to be a capable blocker and route runner. In a defeat to Alabama, he established an SEC championship game record for tight ends with 10 receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown.
OT: Alabama Crimson Tide’s Evan Neal
Neal, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 360 pounds, was a steadying presence for Alabama’s reconstructed offensive line. Neal led the Crimson Tide with 32 knockdown blocks in 13 games after switching from right tackle to left side to replace first-round choice Alex Leatherwood. In 481 pass blocks this season, he just allowed five quarterback pressures and 1.5 sacks. After some early-season issues, Alabama’s offensive line did not allow a sack in the SEC championship game against Georgia’s feared defensive line.
OG: Boston College Eagles’ Zion Johnson
Johnson did not begin playing football until his senior year in high school, but he has since grown into one of the top offensive linemen in the nation. In 2,288 plays with the Eagles, he only allowed one sack, and in 756 snaps this season, he only had four blown blocks. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks him as the No. 2 guard available in the 2022 draft.
Win up to $1 million in addition to other prizes if your bowl choices are flawless! Make your selections
Iowa Hawkeyes’ Tyler Linderbaum
After his rookie season, Linderbaum shifted from the defensive line to center, and he went on to become one of Iowa’s top players. Linderbaum was voted Big Ten offensive lineman of the year in 2021 after being a two-time finalist for the Rimington Trophy, which is presented to the finest center in the FBS. In 363 pass blocks this season, he only allowed four quarterback pressures. For the 2022 draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay ranks him as the No. 17 prospect and No. 1 center.
Kenyon Green, Texas A&M Aggies, is the OG.
Green has started 35 straight games as the sole returning starter from the Aggies’ illustrious offensive line in 2020. He was the Aggies’ offensive MVP and was selected SEC offensive lineman of the week three times this season. The reshuffled offensive line, anchored by Green, did not allow a sack in Texas A&M’s 41-38 upset of No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9. Kiper ranks him as the top guard prospect for the 2022 draft.
Mississippi State Bulldogs’ Charles Cross (OT)
Cross faces more pressure than any other offensive lineman in the FBS as the left tackle in Bulldogs coach Mike Leach’s pass-happy attack. Surprisingly, he only allowed five pressures and one sack in 682 pass blocks, second only to teammate LaQuinston Sharp’s 689 in the FBS. According to McShay, Cross is the No. 9 overall talent and the No. 2 offensive lineman available in the draft.
Alabama Crimson Tide’s Jameson Williams is an all-purpose player.
What do you gift a squad that seems to have it all? The transfer gateway poses yet another major concern. Williams recorded 68 catches for 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns as a transfer from Ohio State. His 21.3 yards per grab was second among FBS receivers with at least 30 catches. Williams finished third in the FBS with 690 yards after catch, with just three drops in 107 targets. Against Southern Miss, he recorded two kickoff returns for scores, including a 100-yarder on the game’s first play.
Defense
Michigan Wolverines DE Aidan Hutchinson
Hutchinson’s comeback from a broken ankle in November powered the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff, earning him a Heisman Trophy candidate and a chance to be the first overall choice in the 2022 NFL draft. The Big Ten defensive player of the year set a Michigan record with 58 tackles and 14 sacks. In a 42-27 win against Ohio State, he recorded a season-high seven tackles and three sacks. Hutchinson was able to produce pressure 17.5 percent of the time on 342 pass-rush plays, resulting in 19 incompletions, two interceptions, and four turnovers.
Jordan Davis of the Georgia Bulldogs is a defensive tackle.
Davis’ stat total is unimpressive at first glance: 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, nine quarterback pressures, and two sacks. But the junior’s contribution to Georgia’s top-ranked scoring defense went much beyond that. Davis, who stands 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds, commanded double-team blocks almost every snap, allowing Georgia’s linebackers to make plays. Davis’ favorite food is Swedish Fish, and he eats running backs like they’re Swedish Fish. In a 56-7 thumping of FCS team Charleston Southern on Nov. 20, he added a 1-yard touchdown run.
Florida State Seminoles DE Jeremaine Johnson II
Johnson relocated from Georgia to Florida State to become an every-down player, and he was voted the ACC defensive player of the year as a result of his choice. He produced 70 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a defensive score in his sole season with the Seminoles. He had 41 defensive pressures and 12 incompletions in 394 pass-rushing plays.
Alabama Crimson Tide LB Will Anderson Jr.
Bryce Young may win the Heisman Trophy, but Anderson is the finest player on the Crimson Tide and perhaps the best in the FBS. Anderson had 15.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss, which was 9.5 more than everyone else in the nation. Anderson, who was named the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the finest defensive player in the country, finished second on his team with 92 tackles, nine quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups.
LB: Georgia Bulldogs’ Nakobe Dean
Dean, Georgia’s defensive field general, tied for the team lead in tackles with 61, including five sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Dean, the Butkus Award winner as the best linebacker in the FBS, is regarded by McShay as the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 1 inside linebacker available in the 2022 selection. In the run game, he’s powerful enough to match up with running backs and tight ends in space, and he’s a solid tackler. In Georgia’s 34-7 blowout of rival Florida on Oct. 30, he had a 50-yard interception return for a score.
Devin Lloyd of the Utah Utes is a linebacker.
Lloyd, a two-time contender for the Butkus Award, led the Utes to their first Pac-12 title with 106 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and four interceptions while leading the team with 106 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and four interceptions. He had the second-most tackles for loss among FBS players with 22. In back-to-back games against BYU and San Diego State, the junior tallied 13 tackles. Lloyd, a safety in high school, is McShay’s No. 25 prospect eligible for the draft.
Malcolm Rodriguez of the Oklahoma State Cowboys is a linebacker.
Rodriguez led the Pokes with 112 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, nine quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries as the finest player on one of the most improved defenses in the FBS. The Cowboys allowed just 16.8 points per game this season, down from 23.5 in 2020. Rodriguez, a senior from Wagoner, Oklahoma, was a two-time state wrestling champion and a sure tackler in high school. In 699 plays this season, he only missed 11 tackles.
Ahmad Gardner of the Cincinnati Bearcats is a cornerback.
Gardner was given the moniker “Sauce” by a young football coach when he was six years old because of his fondness for dipping sauces. During Gardner’s time at Cincinnati, opposing quarterbacks have seldom doubled dipped on him. He has only allowed 14 catches on 32 targets in 12 games until last week’s AAC championship game, and he had never allowed a score in his career. In addition, he produced 35 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks to help the Bearcats go undefeated and become the first team from the Group of 5 to enter the playoffs.
Roger McCreary of the Auburn Tigers is a cornerback.
In high school, McCreary committed to South Alabama because he felt it would be the greatest scholarship offer he would get. After his senior season, Auburn’s coaches decided to offer him, and he has since evolved into one of the greatest lockdown cornerbacks in the nation. He finished the season with 49 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and 14 pass breakups. Behind LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr., McShay rates him as the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 2 cornerback.
S: Oregon Ducks’ Verone McKinley III
With six interceptions, the Ducks’ ball-hawking safety led the FBS and finished second on his team with 72 tackles. In September, he intercepted four passes in three games, including one at the Oregon 35-yard line on Sept. 11 that secured the Ducks’ 35-28 upset win over Ohio State. In the red zone, he’s thrown six of his 11 career interceptions. McKinley, the son of a high school coach, has grown up around the game and can predict routes better than anybody.
S: Baylor Bears’ Jalen Pitre
Pitre was selected the Big 12 defensive player of the year as a senior from Stafford, Texas. He was the only FBS player with at least three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions at the time. Pitre, a hybrid safety/linebacker, led the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 17.5, and he finished third on his team with 55 tackles, two sacks, and five pass breakups. He led a defense that allowed just 19.2 points per game, helping the Bears capture the Big 12 championship a year after being 2-7 in coach Dave Aranda’s first season.
Special forces
San Diego State Aztecs’ Matt Araiza
This season, the Aztecs’ homegrown hero was a field-position weapon, pinning more than half of his 76 punts inside opponents’ 20-yard line. He had the most punts within the 20-yard line among FBS players, with 39, and 15 inside the 10-yard line. The average starting field position for San Diego State’s opponents after Araiza’s punts was the 20-yard line. With a 51.4-yard average, Araiza dominated the nation.
Noah Ruggles of the Ohio State Buckeyes (K)
Ruggles, a transfer from North Carolina, topped all FBS kickers in scoring this season with 122 points. He made all 68 of his extra point tries and was 18-for-19 on field goals. Ruggles, a senior from Odessa, Florida, became the first Buckeyes kicker to make four field goals in back-to-back wins over Penn State and Nebraska. He made 14 of 15 field goal attempts within the 40-yard line and 4-of-4 beyond the 40-yard line.
Marcus Jones of the Houston Cougars (KR)
Jones moved to Houston from Troy in 2019 and set a new school mark for kickoff returns. He’s also a solid cornerback for the Cougars. He’s tied for the FBS career high with Boise State’s Avery Williams (2017-20) and Washington’s Dante Pettis with nine touchdown returns — six on kickoffs and three on punts (2014-17). Jones has a total of six kickoff returns for touchdowns since 1976, which is tied for sixth most in the NCAA. His 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 17 seconds remaining in a 44-37 win against SMU on Oct. 30 proved crucial.
Watch This Video-
The “college football playoff bracket 2021” is a list of the teams that will compete in the college football postseason. The list includes all 128 FBS schools, and it covers an entire season.
Related Tags
- college football playoff 2021-22 rankings
- 2021 college football playoff semifinals scores
- college football playoff 2021 rankings
- ncaa football playoffs 2022 format
- college football playoff 2022 predictions
