CFP Bowl Projections: Predicting Playoff, New Year's Six Games

With just two more rankings to be released by the College Football Playoff committee, the sport is inching ever closer to finding out who will be playing in some of its biggest bowl games, including the national semifinals. 

Before the bowl games are set, there are still some conference championship games that need to play out, which include some teams slated in the Top Four. 

Here are my predictions as to who will be playing in the playoff as well as the New Year's Six bowl games. 

Bowl Game	Team	Team
Cotton Bowl*	Clemson	Michigan State
Orange Bowl*	Alabama	Oklahoma
Rose Bowl	Iowa	Stanford
Fiesta Bowl	Ohio State	Notre Dame
Sugar Bowl	Oklahoma State	Ole Miss
Peach Bowl	Florida State	Houston

Oklahoma has all but clinched its spot in the Top Four, having won the Big 12 after defeating Oklahoma State. But they are the only ones who don't have a conference championship game that could derail their playoff hopes. 

No. 1 Clemson will face No. 14 North Carolina, who has won 11 straight games, in the ACC Championship Game, while No. 2 Alabama has No. 10 Florida. The Gators mustered only two points against Florida State and will have a difficult time against the Crimson Tide. 

Finally, the Big Ten Championship Game pits No. 4 Iowa against No. 5 Michigan State, and the winner of that game will round out the Top Four. Since Michigan State has played the tougher schedule and has more big-game experience, I'm taking the Spartans. 

In the other four bowl games, Iowa's loss to Michigan State should put them in the Rose Bowl. They would meet the winner of USC and Stanford. Somehow after a tumultuous season, the Trojans are on the cusp of winning the Pac-12, but Stanford is dynamic with Christian McCaffery. 

After Florida's loss to Florida State and a possible loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, the Gators might not be viewed as the SEC's second-best team for the Sugar Bowl. 

This would leave the door open for Ole Miss, who took down No. 21 Mississippi State in convincing fashion to slot in place to take on Oklahoma State. 

With the Fiesta and Peach Bowl for at-large teams, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida State and Houston seem like the top choices. 

The next few weeks will help paint a better picture of which school will be playing where, but one thing is for certain: College football is not done gripping and thrilling the nation. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com