2016 College Football Playoff Predictions: National Championship Game Offensive MVP Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers

2016 College Football Playoff Predictions: National Championship Game Offensive MVP Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers: Sticking with the tradition established during the BCS era, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game hands MVP honors to both an offensive player and a defensive player. Last year, Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott literally ran away with offensive honors, carrying the ball 36 times for 246 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Oregon.

Naturally, a player from the winning team is far more likely to take home offensive MVP honors, and looking back through the BCS years, quarterbacks and running backs have dominated the award. Considering Alabama boasts a Heisman-winning running back and Clemson had a Heisman finalist under center, the trend could certainly continue this season. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the top candidates for offensive MVP honors in the 2015 College Football Playoff title matchup between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers.

2016 College Football Playoff Predictions: National Championship Game Offensive MVP Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers

The Favorites

Considering he won the Heisman Trophy as the focal point of Alabama’s offense, it only makes sense that RB Derrick Henry would have the inside track to MVP honors in the title game. If the Crimson Tide have their way, Henry will carry 25-plus time as they control the clock and wear down Clemson. If the game is played on Alabama’s terms, Henry is almost certain to finish with a big line and earn MVP honors.

Clemson’s offense revolves around dual-threat QB Deshaun Watson, and if the Tigers are going to win the game, it will likely be because Watson makes several big plays with both his arm and his legs. He showed down the stretch of the season that he can put up 400-plus yards of offense by himself, and if he fuels a Clemson win with a similar effort Monday, he will be a no-brainer pick for MVP.

The Dark Horses

While Alabama’s offense leans heavily on the running game, QB Jake Coker showed in the semifinals against Michigan State that he can make a defense pay if it decides to sell out completely to stop the run. Against the Spartans, he completed 25of his 30 passes for 286 yards and two scores, and if Clemson decides to take their chances with Coker, he could make them pay why snagging MVP honors in the process.

The unsung hero of the Clemson offense has been RB Wayne Gallman, and while it is easy to lose track of him with QB Deshaun Watson making so many plays, Gallman enters the title game with 1,482 yards and 12 scores. He has topped 100 yards in nine of his last 11 games, and he ran for 187 yards against North Carolina in the ACC title game and 150 yards against Oklahoma in the semifinals. If he breaks a couple of big touchdown runs, Gallman could quickly become the MVP of the game.

Sleeper Special

The Crimson Tide have been searching all year for a receiver to replace Amari Cooper, and although it took a while, Calvin Ridley has emerged as the team’s No. 1 target in the passing attack. He caught six passes for 90 yards in the Iron Bowl against Auburn, eight passes for 102 yards against Florida in the SEC title game and eight passes for 138 yards and two scores against Michigan State in the semifinals. He is now over 1,000 yards for the year, and if Ridley is on the receiving end of a couple of big scoring plays again in the title game, he could end up being the surprise MVP of a team known for running the ball.

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