The CFB Playoffs As College Baseball

By Jake McKeever

As college football winds down and fresh snow starts to fall, it usually signals the end of one season. But for baseball fans, it means something else entirely. College baseball is right around the corner.

With schedules released and rosters finalized, I started wondering what the College Football Playoff would look like if these matchups were decided on the diamond instead of the gridiron. Using projected 2026 baseball rosters and judging each matchup as a three game weekend series, here is how things might play out.

Oklahoma vs Alabama

Our first hypothetical isn’t one at all! Let’s start with one of the more intriguing early SEC matchups on the calendar, as Oklahoma hosts Alabama in the first week of April.

For Oklahoma, the question is simple. Can they absorb the losses and still look like a Skip Johnson club by the end of the weekend? Easton Carmichael and the Witherspoon brothers were not just starters. They were identity pieces. That matters. Still, this is not a rebuild job. The Sooners quietly bring back a lineup that was better than it was given credit for, and there is real confidence internally about how this group fits together.

The engine sits up the middle. Kyle Branch and Jaxon Willits are the kind of players that win you series in this league, even if they never make a preseason list. Both are tough, competitive, and instinct driven, and both play the game with an edge that mirrors their head coach. They are not loud. They are not flashy. But they force you to beat Oklahoma the hard way, and that tends to show up late on Sundays.

The outfield looks to be a major strength for the Sooners, and depth is what stands out. Jason Walk and Trey Gambill are two dynamic returners who will likely find themselves in the lineup every day. Walk is a speedster who reminds me a ton of Kyler Murray. Drew Dickerson was a guy who came on late for the Sooners as a freshman and will look to take the next step in his role.

Alabama comes in believing this is the most complete roster Rob Vaughn has had in Tuscaloosa, and that belief is justified. It starts with Justin Lebron, who is simply different. He impacts the game every inning and changes how opponents have to pitch and defend. There are very few true franchise level players in college baseball, and Lebron is one of them. This is a Top-Ten-pick type profile and the best position player Alabama has had in decades.

The rotation is steadier than it gets credit for. Zane Adams is better than his stat line from a year ago, and the competitiveness still jumps off the page. Tyler Fay gives them a second look that plays in this league and allows Vaughn to manage weekends aggressively. This is not a staff that has to be perfect, but it is one that can keep Alabama in every game.

The real separator for this team may be the bullpen. Last year, Alabama leaned too hard on Carson Ozmer, and everyone in the league knew it. That cannot happen again. On paper it should not. Kaden Humphrey looks like a real answer at the back end, with the ability to throw strikes and absorb volume, and Ashton Growther gives them another trustworthy look. If those pieces hold, the Tide becomes much harder to close out.

There is also more lineup depth than in recent years. Bryce Fowler and Jason Torres are winning players, even when they are not filling the box score. Brady Neal stabilizes the group, and Sam Christiansen is a bat that continues to trend in the right direction. The freshman class is pushing as well, and Andrew Purdy is a real option at DH sooner rather than later.

This Alabama team still has that blue collar edge the program has always leaned on, but now it is paired with legitimate top-end talent and depth. That is a dangerous combination. Oklahoma will make this a fight, and Norman is never an easy place to play, but on paper, Alabama looks like the more complete club right now. If the bullpen answers are real, the Tide has a chance to come out of this weekend looking like a true SEC contender rather than just a tough out.

Verdict: Alabama in 3

A close call, two teams in the SEC I think can do damage and possibly host in the SEC in 2026. For Alabama, its just hard to pick against Tyler Fay and Zane Adams. And, just a little too much unknown with that OU staff at this time. I have no reservations about the job that Skip does with his staff, but I am curious about their Sunday starter.

Texas A&M vs. Miami

Another matchup that would jump off the page is Miami and Texas A&M, and it is about as contrast-driven as college baseball gets.

Texas A&M is built like a national title contender on paper. Heavy talent. High end portal additions. Real draft capital. That may sound aggressive for a team that finished near the bottom of the SEC and missed the postseason, but context matters. We can mention the injuries of 2025, but lets turn the page!  When you have three likely Top-Thirty picks, you are never far away, and the Aggies absolutely fit that description.

The offense will have to carry them, and there is little doubt it can. Gavin Grahovac is the centerpiece and one of the most complete hitters in the country. Junior OF Caden Sorrell and Maryland transfer Chris Hacopian give Texas A&M real impact from both sides of the plate and force opponents to pitch them aggressivly. When I saw the Aggies against TCU this fall, Freshman Boston Kellner and Nico Partida both stood out and neither looked overmatched.

It would not be a surprise to see one or both of them in the Opening Day lineup, and that depth matters over a long SEC season. The Aggies have some puzzle pieces that need to find spots. Much like the roster from two years ago, this lineup has so many guys that can play in a variety of spots.

The pitching staff is where the questions begin. Much like last year, there is real uncertainty around innings. Weekend guys Ryan Prager, Justin Lamkin and Myles Patton are gone, and that is a massive chunk of production leaving the program. The upside is there for guys on the roster, though. Weston Moss and Shane Sdao give the Aggies two arms they trust. Sdao was a key piece of the 2023 club before his injury in the Supers, and if he looks like himself again, he profiles as a Friday night option.

Moss, you may recall, was the innings-eater on weekends, acting almost as a 4^th starter at times. Gavin Lyons has the experience to slide into a weekend role after serving as the midweek guy this past season. MJ Bollinger and Ethan Darden are two transfers with experience that provide the Aggies with some depth behind that group. This staff does not need to be elite, but it does need to be functional for Texas A&M to reach its ceiling.

Miami could not be more different. For as flashy as Miami football is, the baseball team is one of grinders. It is built on toughness development and competitive at bats. J.D. Arteaga has always recruited grinders, and the 2025 team was a direct reflection of that. Miami peaked late, got hot when it mattered, and finished one win short of Omaha. The Hurricanes will look to carry on this lunch-pail blue collar attitude into 2026.

The offense is deeper and more proven than it gets credit for. Daniel Cuvet is the engine and one of the best hitters in the country. He hit .372 despite a slow start, and by the postseason, opposing staffs were doing everything they could to avoid him. You may recall in the Regional that he was intentionally walked before a three-run homer from Dorian Gonzalez Jr. When pitchers challenged him, he made them pay.

Behind him, Juco Bandit Max Galvin looks to continue his tear against ACC pitching. You may recall he hit hit .313 with 8 homers. Alex Sosa was a massive portal win after leaving NC State, where he proved he could handle a big role. This is a balanced lineup that can hurt you in multiple ways and does not give away at bats.

The pitching staff faces its own transition. Miami lost significant arms, including ace Griffin Hugus, who was rumored to be coming back despite the signing, and there will be some early shuffling. Arteaga’s background on the pitching side shows here. AJ Ciscar took a step forward in 2025 and led the team in wins, and left hander Rob Evans impressed throughout the fall and looks ready to handle a Saturday role. The ceiling may not be loud, but the floor is competitive, and that plays in a weekend series.

This series comes down to identity. Texas A&M has the higher end talent and more margin for explosion. Miami is tougher, more consistent, and less likely to beat itself. If the Aggies get quality innings from the front of the rotation, they can overwhelm you. If they do not, Miami is built to drag you into deep counts, late innings, and uncomfortable baseball. That tension is what makes this a high-end matchup, one that will tell us a lot about both teams early.

Verdict: Give me Olsen Magic to win in 3.

Two similar teams with fire power galore, wish we had this one in 2026.

Ole Miss vs. Tulane

Ole Miss at Tulane is a series that should be pure baseball theater. Two of the most iconic uniforms in the sport sharing the same field? That is pure cinema before a pitch is even thrown.

For Ole Miss, 2025 was a banner year. A red-hot start, followed by an impressive SEC record, culminated in a finals appearance in the SEC tournament and a home game in the regionals. The Rebels fell just short against Murray State, a team that would go on to an improbable College World Series appearance. Losing starters Luke Hill, Mitchell Sanford, and Isaac Humphrey stings. Luckily, Ole Miss retains key pieces in Austin Fawley, Will Furniss, and Judd Utermark, all of whom were rumored for the draft but opted to return to Oxford. Utermark, the cleanup hitter and primary power threat, will anchor the middle of the lineup again. Mr. Everywhere Will Furniss is arguably Ole Miss’s most clutch hitter. He always seems to find himself in big spots, and usually delivers.

Hayden Federico looks poised to take a major step in the outfield this season. He was one of the most enjoyable players to watch in 2025, and I am curious to see how he handles a full season as a primary contributor in 2026. Replacing the drafted contributors falls on a trio of high-end portal additions: Dom Decker, Tristan Bissesta, and Daniel Pacella. Decker in particular should be familiar. You may recall he was a thorn in Ole Miss’s side during the regionals and made no secret he circled Oxford when the Racers schedule came out last fall.

On the mound, the outlook is a mixed bag. Returning is Dr. Hunter Elliot for a fifth year, and he provides a reliable Friday starter. But behind him, the Rebels have a lot of rotation spots to fill. Cade Townsend, last year’s midweek starter, could push into a weekend role, but beyond him, it is anyone’s guess whether Ole Miss leans on freshmen or high-upside transfer arms. Depth will be tested early, and the 2026 rotation may define how far this team can go.

Tulane, meanwhile, is quietly becoming one of the toughest mid-major programs in the country under Jay Uhlman. Back-to-back postseason appearances, followed by an AAC tournament runner-up, show a program that knows how to prepare for June. On paper, Tulane is the underdog, but this is a team built to grind in three-game series.

The Green Wave lost some contributors to the draft last season, but their transfer class over the summer arguably made them deeper and more talented. 64Analytics ranks their class among the top fifteen nationally, with five of eleven commitments inside the top 250 transfers. The lineup is balanced and dangerous, blending returning bats like Jason Wachs, Matthias Haas, Kaikea Harrison, Hugh Pinkney, James Agabedis, and Tanner Chun with impact transfers Trent Liolios and Brett Rowell. Add Nolan Nawrocki, who has started at both Clemson and South Carolina, and this is a group capable of competing with anyone over three games.

Verdict: Upset in Oxford. The Green Wave outslugs The Rebels in a dogfight. It is hard to pick against Jay and the boys in the postseason.

Oregon vs. James Madison

The final matchup of Oregon-JMU feels like one we would see in a regular season midweek game instead of the postseason.

The home Oregon Ducks will look to replace a ton of mainstays in their lineup off a loaded, but disappointing, 2025 campaign. Much like the Auzten Ducks, the Diamond Ducks have a raised standard these days. Under the leadership of Head Coach Mark Wasikowski, Oregon has the identity of a team of a power-first juggernaut capable of winning a shootout.

Leading the charge is junior Maddox Molony. He was one of the most productive bats for the Ducks last season, hitting fifteen home runs and showing the ability to punish mistakes in the strike zone. He has the profile of a preseason All-American candidate and is widely expected to carry much of the middle-of-the-order responsibility.

Alongside him, Senior Dominic Hellman is an imposing figure in the lineup. Listed at 6’6" and 250 pounds, he looks more like a linebacker than a designated hitter. Hellman’s power presence gives Oregon a rare combination of home-run potential and intimidation factor, forcing opposing pitchers to navigate multiple threats in the heart of the order. Drew Smith and other returning contributors will also be counted on to step into expanded roles, providing depth and versatility in the outfield.

The pitching staff, however, is less certain. Oregon must replace Friday night ace Grayson Grinsell, weekend arm Jason Reitz, and bullpen mainstay Seth Mattox. That leaves significant innings to be claimed and roles to be defined.

Cal Scolari, a transfer from San Diego, is the top name to watch for the Friday role. Scolari has a lively fastball that touches the upper 90s and the type of arm that could anchor the rotation if he continues to develop. Cade Townsend, previously a midweek starter, may push for a weekend slot, but beyond him the Ducks’ rotation is wide open.

The bullpen will need to be tested early, and how the young arms handle pressure situations could set the tone for the early season.

I struggled to find fall notes on JMU, so I apologize if this part is brief.  James Madison, by contrast, is in rebuilding mode. The Dukes went 17-38 in Sun Belt play last season, but context is important: this is a loaded conference.

Programs like Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss, Troy, and Louisiana consistently field Omaha-level rosters, and JMU is trying to find its footing against established programs. The Dukes’ approach is focused on long-term development rather than immediate results. They brought in a mix of transfers and freshmen to bolster both depth and talent, and they hope to see those additions produce early contributions.

For a program with such a high turnover off the 2025 team, let's look at two key returners. Kyle Langley, who started 52 games last season, provides leadership and consistency at the plate, while Max Kuhle gives the Dukes a stabilizing presence on the mound. Kuhle flashed potential in 2025, throwing a complete-game gem against Georgia Southern, and he could be a key factor in keeping games close against more talented teams. Beyond that, the staff will rely heavily on development, with freshmen and new transfers expected to step into meaningful innings as the season progresses.

Verdict: Oregon Sweeps. Oregon’s firepower is just too much for the Dukes.

Tune in next time as we preview the Quarterfinals!

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