CFT 2017 Preseason Previews: Playoff Predictions

Fair warning: CFT’s 2017 College Football Playoff predictions are boring But, sometimes, reality is boring. Alabama and Ohio State have pulled ahead of the pack in recruiting, return a number of players — or, at least, a large enough number to outflank the competition — and are still coached by Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. As such, our staff is picking (with one outlier) those two to square off for the 2017 national championship, with different views on how the title game goes down. Kevin Rose Bowl: Ohio State over Florida State Sugar Bowl: Alabama over Penn State CFP National Championship: Ohio State over Alabama Bryan Rose Bowl: Ohio State over Florida State Sugar Bowl: Alabama over USC CFP

• 
  Alabama starts atop AP poll for 2nd straight year

  The Associated Press
• 
  Preseason AP No. 1 vs. national champion: Alabama gets fourth chance under Nick Saban

  Yahoo7

Virginia Tech football: Hezekiah Grimsley impressing coaches with strong camp

Raise your hands if you thought Hezekiah Grimsley would be the freshman receiver to stand out for the Virginia Tech Hokies in 2017? That honor would have gone to Caleb Farley, but a knee injury postponed that for one year. So, that created an opportunity for another young player and Grimsley is apparently the player who’s taking full advantage of it. Grimsley, a 6’0”, 172-pound true freshman from Lafayette High School in Williamsburg, is a player most ticketed for a redshirt season. Farley’s injury, as well as the departures of Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges to the NFL, created openings for multiple young receivers to step up opposite of Cam Phillips. Head coach Justin Fuente met with the media

WSU Cougars get commitment from California WR Patrick Nunn

Washington State has had a penchant for stock piling tall, rangy receivers in the last couple years. And at appears that the 2018 recruiting cycle will continue in that trend. On Sunday, Patrick Nunn, a 6-foot-3, 206-pound receiver from Juniperro Serra (San Mateo, Calif.) High committed to the Cougars. Nunn is listed by Scout.com as an athlete. He played receiver and — surprisingly — defensive end at Juniperro Serra, but is ranked a three-star receiver by Scout.com Nunn committed to WSU over an offer list that included Nevada, Fresno State, Hawaii, Wyoming and UNLV. He announced his commitment to WSU via Twitter, thanking his mother and his coaches for helping support and guide him through the