Drafting the perfect team to win this year's College Football Playoff

Published Jun. 23, 2015 8:45 a.m. ET

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On Monday, FOX Sports college football writers Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman revealed the first 25 picks in a draft of their ideal team to win the 2015 national championship. Now comes Round 2.

Remember, this is not a fantasy football draft, but rather the two putting together an actual team to compete against each other for a fictitious spot in this year's College Football Playoff.

Again, here are the rules:

* Each writer picks a starting 22, a second quarterback and a kicker and punter for a total of 50 picks, divided into a first and second round.

* Each writer had to select at least one player at every position but could decide for himself whether to run a 4-3 or 3-4 defense, two running backs or three receivers, etc.

* Each writer had to select at least one true freshman.

* The draft order goes in a snake. Stewart got the first pick, so Bruce got the No. 2 and 3 picks, followed by Stewart going No. 4 and 5, and so on. Stewart went 24th and 25th, so Round 2 picks up with Bruce at No. 26.

(Here is Round 1 again if you missed it).

***

26) Bruce: My pick here is Michigan State C Jack Allen. He's the first Spartans center to earn first-team All-American honors in 53 years.

27) Bruce: Next up is Ohio State S Vonn Bell. I became a big believer of his in the Big Ten title game. He's a big reason they were able to shut down Badgers star Melvin Gordon and also Oregon's offense in the national title game.

28) Stewart: Great pick. He's the one safety I was really high on. I need to round out my linebacking corps, and I'm going to do it with Georgia OLB Jordan Jenkins. He's quick, explosive, can get to the quarterback (24 hurries last year) but also run-stop. I like him, Jack and Lee together.

29) Stewart: For my other corner, I like Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III. He did have some rough spots last year that hurt his rep a little, but in general, he's arguably right there with Fuller and Ramsey as the most talented cover guys in the country.

30) Bruce: I'll take Washington S Budda Baker. He had 80 tackles as a true freshman last year. I love the versatility. He can do everything. He can be one of my return guys. And he's only a sophomore.

31) Bruce: Next up is LSU G Vadal Alexander. He's played a lot and faced a lot of good defensive linemen. I really like him.

32) Stewart: It's finally time to take my first receiver, and that is Pittsburgh WR Tyler Boyd. I had Duke Williams slightly ahead of him, but he may be the most talented receiver. With Pitt, defenses have to load up against RB James Conner, and that creates one-on-one opportunities for Boyd.

33) Stewart: I'll take Stanford G Joshua Garnett. With Andrus Peat gone, Garnett is going be one of the Cardinal O-line's leaders. Given offensive coordinator/O-line coach Mike Bloomgren's reputation, you can count on these Stanford guys getting better and better through their careers.

34) Bruce: I am missing a linebacker. My next pick is Alabama ILB Reggie Ragland, a big (6-2, 252) physical guy to put in the middle of the defense.

35) Bruce: I'm going to take Ohio State G Pat Elflein. Coaches had him first team All-Big Ten last year. Your guy Ezekiel Elliott ran all over people behind him -- he's solid, he's tough. Good enough for me.

36) Stewart: I need a safety, and I'm going with Virginia S Quin Blanding, a five-star recruit two years ago and second team All-ACC as a true freshman. He's playing on a bad team, so that's hard to do. Assuming he continues to develop, he should be one of the top safeties in the country.

37) Stewart: I made fun of you for taking a kicker early, but I'm taking a punter, Alabama P J.K. Scott. He's one of those rare guys, like LSU's Brad Wing a few years ago, who can really change the course of a game. He's got a big leg. His 48.0-yard average last year led the country. And he can pin you inside the 10, even inside the 5, as I saw him do in person against Mississippi State.

(Bruce: He was my next pick!)

38) Bruce: This may be a stretch, but we have to take a freshman. I'm taking Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk. He was there in the spring, and he's probably their most polished receiver already -- he's good with the ball in his hands. I think he'll have a very good freshman year.

39) Bruce: My next pick is Ole Miss TE Evan Engram. He's definitely a stretch-the-field tight end. Last year he burned Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State for plays of 50 yards or longer.

40) Stewart: I'm starting to look like an Alabama homer, taking my fourth Tide player to fulfill the freshman requirement. It's Alabama WR Calvin Ridley, best in the country this past recruiting season. 'Bama needs a new No. 1 guy to step up, and that someone might be a freshman.

41) Stewart: Next I'm going with Duke S Jeremy Cash. He's a two-time All-ACC pick. Cash had a phenomenal 2014 season -- 111 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and four forced fumbles. He'll contend for All-America honors this season.

42) Bruce: I'm finally going to get my nose tackle, and it's Baylor DT Andrew Billings. A lot of Big 12 coaches think he's the best defensive lineman in the league.

(Stewart: I think that's a steal at 42.)

43) Bruce: For my second quarterback, as much as I love Clemson's Deshaun Watson, BYU QB Taysom Hill is the Cougars' fastest player and toughest player. If I need help in short yardage situations or on a two-point conversion, Connor Cook is coming out and Taysom Hill is going in.

44) Stewart: I still need another guard. I'll take North Carolina G Landon Turner. He's 6-4, 325 pounds, an All-ACC caliber performer and a highly regarded run blocker.

45) Stewart: And now, my aforementioned Plan B after Bruce took Roberto Aguayo so high -- Utah K Andy Philips. The former national champion skier has been sensational in two seasons, going 12-of-15 from 40 yards or longer last season. I feel confident about my kicker.

46) Bruce: Phillips is no Aguayo. I'm finally going to take my two running backs. First up is Georgia RB Nick Chubb. When he filled in for Todd Gurley over the last seven games in 2014, he averaged 169 yards per game. He also has good hands. Just a great player.

47) Bruce: And then I'm taking Florida State RB Dalvin Cook. He was often their best player on offense last year as a freshman -- even with Jameis Winston -- and should be a 1,500-yard back there this year.

48) Stewart: I can tell we're getting close to the end. Give me USC C Max Tuerk. A fourth-year starter who's played four different positions over his career, Tuerk is now entrenched as the Trojans' center.

49) Stewart: You can tell that tight end is not going to be a featured part of my offense since I've waited this long. I'm taking Virginia Tech TE Bucky Hodges.  He burst on the scene last year with a touchdown at Ohio State, and his 45 catches for 526 yards set a school record for a freshman tight end.

50) Bruce: Utah coach Kyle Whittingham's special teams guys must be happy, because I'm taking Utah P Tom Hackett. The Ray Guy Award winner led the country with the most punts inside the 10 (19) and finished third in the country in average yards per kick (46.7).

Now for a few post-draft notes.

* Which players just missed the cut?

Bruce: "I thought really hard about USC receiver JuJu Smith. Auburn's Jeremy Johnson might have been my third QB. I almost took LB Kendell Beckwith from LSU and DT Chris Jones from Mississippi State."

Stewart: "Both Tennessee DE Derek Barnett and Alabama RB Derrick Henry were in the top 15 on my board. USC's Cody Kessler and Oregon's Vernon Adams were my next quarterbacks. Baylor's Corey Coleman would have been my second receiver if I didn't have to take a freshman."

* The breakdown by conference: SEC (15), Big Ten (10), ACC and Pac-12 (9), Big 12 (4), Notre Dame (2) and BYU (1).

* Ohio State had the most players selected with seven, followed by Alabama with five. Baylor, Michigan State and USC all tied with three.

* Notable teams with no one picked: Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Miami and Michigan.

Here are the full rosters for Bruce and Stewart. Now you get to decide: Who had the better draft? You can vote in the poll above and make your case in the comments below.

2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF DREAM TEAMS

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