Cameron Jourdan – Golfweek- Special to Sky View Sports
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- This hypothetical exercise reimagines the College Football Playoff bracket with men’s golf teams instead of football teams.
- Several teams in the football playoff, including Miami and Tulane, do not have men’s golf teams and were eliminated by default.
- The bracket simulation is based on fall season performance, team rankings, and individual player rankings.
The College Football Playoff bracket is set, and whether you agree with the 12 teams who made the field, that won’t change who has a shot to win a national championship starting later this month.
While millions of eyes will be on the race for the national championship over the next month, Golfweek figured, why not have some fun? Let’s look at the bracket from a different standpoint: who would win if the football teams were replaced with their men’s golf teams?
The fall season of college golf is in the books, and plenty of action is left this spring for teams to try to make their way to the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California, where only the top eight after four rounds of stroke play earn a spot in match play.
For this exercise (which is completely hypothetical), we’re going to assume these teams face off in match play (five matches) against one another until a champion is crowned. The bracket will be the same as the College Football Playoff one, and we’ll make selections and picks based on how teams and players have performed in the fall season.
And remember: this is NOT that serious. Let’s get into it:Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
First round
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama
The best matchup is the first one. Alabama is ranked 11th after the fall season, while Oklahoma is 13th. They only played one tournament together, the Ben Hogan at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, where the Crimson Tide beat the Sooners by 10 shots. Alabama also has two wins in the fall to OU’s one.
The prime matchup will be Alabama’s William Jennings, with two wins this fall, against OU’s Jase Summy, a Walker Cupper and winner of the Western Amateur. However, OU’s highest-ranked player is Ryder Cowan, and Clark Van Gaalen also provides depth for the Sooners. In a pairing good enough to be a championship match on the course, it’s a virtual coin flip. But we’re going with OU.
Pick: OU wins, 3-2
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami
Well, this is awkward. Miami doesn’t have a men’s golf team. Perhaps the club team can fill in? Bring in the women’s teams to play this matchup? Oh well. Next.
Pick: Texas A&M by default
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane
Ole Miss is ranked 10th, the highest of any golf team with a football team in the CFP. Tulane doesn’t have a golf team. An upset here would be worse than Appalachian State beating Michigan in the Big House.
Pick: Ole Miss by default
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison
Hey, two men’s golf teams! And while this might not be a close matchup on the gridiron, it’s probably closer than you’d think in golf. After the fall, Oregon is ranked 93rd with James Madison 112th. Although the Dukes don’t have Neal Shipley’s hair walking through that door, they had three top-five finishes this fall, but finished seventh and 10th to close. Meanwhile, Oregon finished 12th (of 12) and 10th (of 14) in its first two events before a third-place finish at the The Preserve Golf Club Collegiate.
However, anything can happen in match play. Almost as if this were March Madness, we’re going upset in the 5-12 matchup.
Pick: James Madison wins, 3-2
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
These teams have not played the same tournament in the fall, but this is going to be an upset. In six stroke-play events, Indiana has finished better than ninth only once (and better than 10th only twice). The Sooners are one of the best teams in college golf after the fall. Down goes the No. 1 seed, and it’s not close.
Pick: OU wins, 4½-½
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. 12 James Madison
Well, James Madison, you may have gotten past Oregon in a great upset in the first round, but perhaps the sleeper team of the entire bracket is waiting in Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are 16th after the fall, but look at the individual rankings and you’ll see three players who have been standouts in Adam Bresnu, Connor Graham and Tim Widermeyer, all ranked in the top 22 and perhaps the best top three of any quarterfinal team. The Lubbock wins blow away the glass slipper.
Pick: Texas Tech 4-1
No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
Texas A&M, ranked 31st after the fall, and Georgia at 33rd, is about as even a matchup as you can ask for in a bracket like this. The Aggies bookended their fall with wins, while Georgia won its third of five events. They both played the Ben Hogan, though finishing 13th (A&M) and 15th (Georgia) out of 15 teams doesn’t tell us much.
But looking at the individual rankings, A&M has the higher-ranked golfers after the fall, which tends to show a bit more consistency individually. That matters in match play, and down goes the No. 2 seed.
Pick: Texas A&M wins, 3½-1½.
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
Good news for Ole Miss is that its coach (the reigning Golfweek Coach of the Year) isn’t skipping town for a conference rival before the playoff. And good news for Ole Miss: it has the defending individual national champion, Michael La Sasso. Ole Miss’s worst finish this fall in four stroke-play events is fifth. Three of the Buckeyes’ four finishes are worse than that. Rebels are moving on.
Pick: Ole Miss wins, 4-1
Semifinals
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
What a semifinal matchup. The teams are 1-1 against each other this year, with OU beating Texas Tech by 18 shots at the Carmel Cup and Tech by seven at the Ben Hogan. At the top of the lineup, it’s star power galore with OU’s Summy and Cowan against Tech’s Graham, Bresnu and Wiedemeyer. This matchup comes down to which team’s depth performs better.
OU’s depth is ranked better than the Red Raiders, but stars show up in the postseason when it matters. These teams could play match play 100 times and each win 50 times, that’s how good (and fun!) this could be if it happens in May at NCAAs. However, after the fall, the Red Raiders have three of the top five players, and that is the difference in this matchup.
Pick: Texas Tech wins, 3-2
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
Is SEC bias real in picking three of four semifinalists from one conference? Not so. No offense to this matchup, but in the golf world, it pales in comparison to the aforementioned battle between the Sooners and Red Raiders.
Aggies’ coach Brian Kortan will absolutely have his team ready to battle Ole Miss, but Sam Bennett isn’t coming through the tunnel to save the Aggies. Cameorn Tankersley, Tom Fischer and the Rebels are moving on.
Pick: Ole Miss wins, 3½-1½
Championship
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
It all comes down to this. As mentioned, Texas Tech’s top three of Bresnu, Graham and Wiedemeyer have been incredible in the fall. For the Rebels, Tankersley has led the way, but Ole Miss’ depth is strong, with four players ranked in the top 100. Texas Tech’s 4 and 5 bags this fall are ranked No. 605 and No. 777. Ole Miss’s No. 4 bag, aka the defending NCAA individual champ, is No. 100. Its No. 5 is No. 255.
As mentioned above, the stars show up in the postseason. Texas Tech’s Big 3 are going to be ready for the national championship moment, but depth in college golf matters, and that’s why Ole Miss is going to win the College (Golf) Football Playoff.
Pick: Ole Miss wins, 3-2
