College Football Playoff Standings 2014: Week 4 Rankings & Bowl-Game Projections
Bowl projections may technically still be in their infancy, but we're already close to being one-third of the way through the college football season, and the postseason is ever so slowly taking form.
Projections are based on an equal split between Week 3 results, what problems or questions those results answer and strength of schedule for the remaining season. Keep in mind, too, that bowl slots don't always reflect conference standings; rather, they're the order in which bowls make their picks.
Here's how the two major Top 25 polls looked after Week 3. The following slides contain bowl projections heading into Week 4. Below are links to the latest Associated Press and USA Today top 25 polls.
New Orleans Bowl
1 of 39
Dec. 20, New Orleans
Predicted Matchup: Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt, No. 1) vs. Colorado State (Mountain West, No. 6)
Louisiana-Lafayette is 1-2 after an expected loss to Ole Miss. Still, let's not throw the Ragin' Cajuns out of the conversation yet. Mark Hudspeth is one of the best head coaches outside the power-five conferences. He'll get this team headed in the right direction during Sun Belt play.
Colorado State gets to the postseason as well, thanks to a nice balance in its offense. And expect a lot of points in this matchup. Rams running back Dee Hart, an Alabama transfer, could have a big game, but ULL makes enough stops to win a shootout.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Projected Winner: Louisiana-Lafayette
New Mexico Bowl
2 of 39
Dec. 20, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Predicted Matchup: Nevada (Mountain West, No. 4) vs. Louisiana Tech (Conference USA)
Skip Holtz appears to have his Bulldogs on the right track, and the addition of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is actually proving to be a good hire. Tech gets back to a bowl to face Nevada, which gave Arizona everything it could handle in a one-touchdown loss in Week 3.
Ultimately, the Wolf Pack have enough offense with quarterback Cody Fajardo, but Louisiana Tech doesn't go away quietly. This is one of the better early bowl-game matchups.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Nevada
Las Vegas Bowl
3 of 39
Dec. 20, Las Vegas
Predicted Matchup: Boise State (Mountain West, No. 1) vs. Utah (Pac-12, No. 6)
A closer-than-it-should-have-been win over UConn could be concerning—or it could be a one-game anomaly and nothing to worry about. The Broncos are still the Mountain West favorite either way.
And this could be Utah's best team in a few years. Quarterback Travis Wilson has been dealing it with six touchdowns in just two games—albeit against poor competition/defenses. It'll be interesting to see how the Utes play in the Pac-12, but at this point, you have to believe they have a chance against Michigan.
This seems like a matchup full of big-play potential with a little bit of trickery sprinkled in. That tends to favor the Broncos.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Boise State
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Idaho Potato Bowl
4 of 39
Dec. 20, Boise, Idaho
Predicted Matchup: Wyoming (Mountain West, No. 3) vs. Bowling Green (Mid-American, No. 3)
Bowling Green didn't get off to a good start to the season, losing its first game to Western Kentucky. Then, the Falcons lost quarterback Matt Johnson for the year to a hip injury. Still, first-year coach Dino Babers inherits enough offensive playmakers to get to a bowl game. A shootout win over Indiana showed as much.
Wyoming is already looking good under first-year coach Craig Bohl. The Cowboys didn't stand much of a chance against Oregon, and a shootout is probably not the situation they want to be in. Bowling Green simply has too much firepower for Wyoming to hang on for long.
Matchup Type: Blowout
Predicted winner: Bowling Green
Camellia Bowl
5 of 39
Dec. 20, Montgomery, Alabama
Predicted Matchup: Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt, No. 3) vs. Central Michigan (MAC, No. 5)
No change here. Central Michigan got housed by Syracuse in Week 3, but it could still enter MAC play with three wins if it beats Kansas in Week 4.
Louisiana-Monroe is already off to a 2-1 start, despite having some subpar offensive numbers. (It can thank LSU for that.) Still, the defense has had at least one turnover in each game this season. That could be an interesting matchup against CMU, which has also been on the plus side of the turnover margin.
Matchup Type: Sloppy nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Louisiana-Monroe
Miami Beach Bowl
6 of 39
Dec. 22, Miami
Predicted Matchup: Cincinnati (American Athletic Conference) vs. BYU
BYU seems destined for this bowl since it is not eligible for the so-called group-of-five slot among the contract bowls, according to Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com. Basically, the Cougars would need to be an at-large selection.
And now we've seen Cincinnati play—finally. Notre Dame transfer Gunner Kiel looked confident with six touchdown passes in his debut against Toledo. This could be one of the better quarterback battles of the postseason. Ultimately, Taysom Hill's running ability is the difference-maker, and BYU's defense can make enough stops. The Cougars just have to avoid mistakes.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: BYU
Boca Raton Bowl
7 of 39
Dec. 23, Boca Raton, Florida
Predicted Matchup: FAU (Conference USA) vs. Ball State (MAC)
Some bowl projections change from week to week. Not this one. FAU finally got on the winning track against Tulsa in Week 3, and Ball State lost, surprisingly, to Indiana State. For now, we're going to call that a hangover loss after coming up short against Iowa.
This shapes up to be a low-scoring affair, which the Cardinals have been hit and miss on over the past year or so. Ball State's defense, 27th in points allowed, is the difference, however.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Ball State
Poinsettia Bowl
8 of 39
Dec. 23, San Diego
Predicted Matchup: Utah State (Mountain West) vs. Navy
No change here from Week 3. This would easily be one of the more enticing "other" bowls between so-called non-power schools. Utah State got slapped by Tennessee, but it has rebounded with two straight wins. It should still be one of the better teams in the Mountain West.
Interestingly enough, Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton isn't the difference here. Navy's triple-option offense can be difficult to stop, but Utah State has a good defensive line and linebackers group.
With time to prepare, the Aggies can stop the Midshipmen.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Utah State
Bahamas Bowl
9 of 39
Dec. 24, Nassau, Bahamas
Predicted Matchup: Toledo (MAC) vs. Middle Tennessee (Conference USA)
There could be long-term concerns about Toledo with starting quarterback Phillip Ely out for the year with a torn ACL. Still, I have the Rockets getting enough wins to get to the postseason.
Middle Tennessee is 2-1 and has plenty of offense to be one of the more exciting teams in the country. This could be bad, bad news for Toledo should the two teams meet up.
Matchup Type: Blowout
Predicted Winner: Middle Tennessee
Hawaii Bowl
10 of 39
Dec. 24, Honolulu, Hawaii
Predicted Matchup: San Diego State (Mountain West) vs. Marshall (Conference USA)
This bowl matchup remains the same. Marshall is still untested and could remain untested for a majority, if not all, of the season. San Diego State lost a close one to North Carolina and showed it could hang with a school from a power conference. (Up next is Oregon State.)
Neither offense should have trouble scoring, but the Aztecs won't have an answer for Thundering Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato, the difference-maker in the game.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Marshall
Heart of Dallas Bowl
11 of 39
Dec. 26, Dallas
Predicted Matchup: Rutgers (B1G, Nos. 8-9) vs. UT-San Antonio (Conference USA)
Indiana used to occupy this Big Ten slot, but after a loss to Bowling Green, bowl eligibility became a bigger uphill climb. Rutgers hung with Penn State, despite awful quarterback play from Gary Nova (five interceptions). That'll catch up to the Scarlet Knights later, but they may only need three wins coming out of Week 4 to go bowling.
UTSA may be one of the better 1-2 teams in the country. The Roadrunners are talented enough to breeze through the Conference USA West division.
The UTSA defense can slow down many teams, and Rutgers is just too inconsistent on offense.
Matchup Type: Blowout
Predicted Winner: UTSA
Quick Lane Bowl
12 of 39
Dec. 26, Detroit
Predicted Matchup: Minnesota (Big Ten, Nos. 8-9) vs. Pitt (ACC, Nos. 7-9)
There's still no change here, despite the fact that Minnesota had a poor showing against TCU in Week 3. Ultimately, you're still talking about two middle-of-the-road Big Ten and ACC teams, respectively—at least until proved otherwise.
Still, this game could feature some big-play offense. Gophers tight end Maxx Williams is the difference-maker.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Minnesota
Bitcoin Bowl
13 of 39
Dec. 26, St. Petersburg, Florida
Predicted Matchup: Central Florida (American Athletic Conference) vs. Boston College (ACC, No. 10)
Central Florida is 0-2, but of the winless teams out there, I have confidence the Knights can rebound. Losses to Penn State and Missouri aren't exactly "bad" defeats.
Boston College has a ton of momentum after upsetting USC at home. The option attack with quarterback Tyler Murphy has already proven to be problematic for defenses.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Boston College
Military Bowl
14 of 39
Dec. 27, Annapolis, Maryland
Predicted Matchup: Virginia (ACC, Nos. 7-9) vs. Temple (American Athletic Conference)
Virginia has been one of the more pleasant surprises in college football. At 2-1, it has a win over Louisville and a close loss to UCLA. The defense looks for real.
That ends up being the difference. This has low-scoring, slug-it-out written all over it. Virginia has proven to be better with that game plan.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Virginia
Sun Bowl
15 of 39
Dec. 27, El Paso, Texas
Predicted Matchup: Louisville (ACC, Nos. 3-6) vs. UCLA (Pac-12, No. 5)
Despite the loss to Virginia, Louisville can still end up as a bowl team. There's no change here.
There is a change on the Pac-12 side, however. Even though UCLA is 3-0, it's difficult to like the direction the Bruins are headed. The Week 1 win over Virginia looks better now, and winning in Week 3 with a backup quarterback is impressive, but the long-term question is whether the Bruins' hold-your-breath style is sustainable.
Both teams have issues on offense that may be solved by season's end. If UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley is able to stay healthy as he returns from an elbow injury, he'll be the difference-maker.
Matchup Type: Low-scoring
Predicted Winner: UCLA
Independence Bowl
16 of 39
Dec. 27, Shreveport, Louisiana
Predicted Matchup: North Carolina State (ACC, Nos. 7-9) vs. Arkansas (SEC, Nos. 9-10)
This isn't to say Arkansas is going to the Sugar Bowl or anything, but the Razorbacks may have something going with their run game, which just scored another touchdown on Texas Tech.
The Razorbacks' conference schedule is unfairly difficult, but it could do enough in the nonconference slate (a tricky game against Northern Illinois is coming up this weekend) to lessen the burden of SEC play.
That run game looks like it's no fun to defend, and North Carolina State's rush defense is subpar.
Matchup Type: Blowout
Predicted Winner: Arkansas
Pinstripe Bowl
17 of 39
Dec. 27, Bronx, New York
Predicted Matchup: Miami (ACC, Nos. 3-6) vs. Maryland (Big Ten, Nos. 5-7)
Going north to New York wasn't exactly Miami's preseason expectation, but it does match the Hurricanes up with former ACC foe Maryland.
Even with the return of quarterback Ryan Williams from an ACL injury, freshman Brad Kaaya is a bright spot for the Hurricanes. However, in a shootout with the Terps, Miami's offense can't quite keep up.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Maryland
Holiday Bowl
18 of 39
Dec. 27, San Diego
Predicted Matchup: Arizona State (Pac-12, No. 3) vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten, Nos. 2-4)
Arizona State is 3-0 but hasn't been tested too much. That changes in a big way against UCLA in Week 4. With quarterback Taylor Kelly reportedly out with a foot injury, can the Sun Devils keep up the pace on offense?
Wisconsin brings a completely different style of play, and running back Melvin Gordon could be impossible to slow down. But high-scoring games play to Arizona State's strengths.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Arizona State
Liberty Bowl
19 of 39
Dec. 29, Memphis, Tennessee
Predicted Matchup: Ole Miss (SEC, Nos. 3-8) vs. West Virginia (Big 12, No. 5)
No change here. A home game against Oklahoma is a huge test for the Mountaineers, who look like a much-improved team from a year ago. Speaking with Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, head coach Dana Holgorsen said "...without a doubt Oklahoma is a bigger test than Alabama [defensively]."
Ole Miss continues to climb up the polls, and that defensive line is nightmare-inducing, but can quarterback Bo Wallace play more consistently? The Rebels are good enough up front to be the difference-makers in this game.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Ole Miss
Russell Athletic Bowl
20 of 39
Dec. 29, Orlando, Florida
Predicted Matchup: Kansas State (Big 12, No. 3) vs. Clemson (ACC, No. 2)
Both teams were off in Week 3, but they have big matchups in Week 4. Kansas State hosts Auburn, and Clemson travels to Florida State. Both are huge games that could change seasons for the better.
K-State is capable of hanging with just about any team, and receiver Tyler Lockett will do damage to any defense, but the Tigers have just enough big-play ability to pull out the win.
Matchup Type: Never in doubt
Predicted Winner: Clemson
Texas Bowl
21 of 39
Dec. 29, Houston
Predicted Matchup: LSU (SEC, Nos. 3-8) vs. Oklahoma State (Big 12, No. 4)
Oklahoma State had no problem with UTSA in Week 3—which is a better win than you might think. Similarly, LSU had no problem with Louisiana-Monroe. The next game against Mississippi State will be an interesting test for the Tigers, and vice versa.
This is an interesting clash of styles with two somewhat-inexperienced offenses. This comes down to whichever team makes fewer mistakes.
Matchup Type: Come from behind
Predicted Winner: LSU
Music City Bowl
22 of 39
Dec. 30, Nashville, Tennessee
Predicted Matchup: Mississippi State (SEC, Nos. 3-8) vs. North Carolina (ACC, Nos. 3-6)
North Carolina was off in Week 3 but gets a dangerous game at East Carolina. A win against the Pirates would actually be a statement of sorts. So, too, would a win over LSU for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs haven't defeated the Tigers since 1999.
Both offenses have the firepower to score points, but the Bulldogs have an edge on defense. They'd make enough stops to win the game.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Mississippi State
Belk Bowl
23 of 39
Dec. 30, Charlotte, North Carolina
Predicted Matchup: Florida (SEC, Nos. 3-8) vs. Virginia Tech (ACC, Nos. 3-6)
What a difference a week makes. Virginia Tech goes from beating Ohio State on the road to losing to East Carolina at home. The Hokies defense is still legit and got down 21-0 because of incredible wide receiver play. It's the offense that could be problematic going forward if it can't iron out mistakes.
Similarly, there are still questions about Florida after needing overtime to beat Kentucky. The Gators and Hokies have a lot of similarities in that they play great defense but are still trying to find themselves on offense.
Matchup Type: Low-scoring
Predicted Winner: Florida
San Francisco Bowl
24 of 39
Dec. 30, Santa Clara, California
Predicted Matchup: Washington (Pac-12, No. 4) vs. Michigan (Big Ten, Nos. 5-7)
It could be that Illinois has a long way to go before being good again, but Washington was finally impressive in a Week 3 rout. Michigan still has the talent to go bowling, but the Wolverines also look like they're a couple of steps away from being a legitimate Big Ten contender.
Huskies linebacker Shaq Thompson is a force, so good luck to quarterback Devin Gardner (or Shane Morris, should he step in).
Matchup Type: Blowout
Predicted Winner: Washington
Peach Bowl
25 of 39
Dec. 31, Atlanta
Predicted Matchup: Alabama (at-large) vs. East Carolina (group of five)
As Virginia Tech found out, East Carolina is no cupcake. The Pirates very well could win the rest of their games this season.
They also provide an interesting matchup for Alabama, which is still building up its cornerback spot and has struggled against athletic quarterbacks. East Carolina is motivated, and this one could actually end up being close.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Alabama
Fiesta Bowl
26 of 39
Dec. 31, Glendale, Arizona
Predicted Matchup: Michigan State (at-large) vs. Stanford (at-large)
Despite the Oregon loss, Michigan State still looks like the class of the Big Ten even if it doesn't make it as one of the four playoff teams. If there's one thing the USC loss to Boston College proved, it's that depth really was a concern.
That and USC was completely unprepared for Boston College's zone read, as Ian Boyd of SB Nation writes. (Good luck on Oct. 11 against Arizona.)
Stanford rebounded well against Army and could continue to grow together as a team as the season progresses. The Cardinal match up well with Michigan State, but the Spartans have a better-clicking offense in this Rose Bowl rematch.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Michigan State
Orange Bowl
27 of 39
Dec. 31, Miami
Predicted Matchup: Duke (ACC) vs. Notre Dame (ACC/Independent)
If this projection came to fruition, it could be one of the best non-playoff games of the postseason.
Duke is proving it still has plenty of offensive gas in the tank. The Blue Devils should be one of the favorites to reach the ACC title game.
And Notre Dame appears to have taken a big step forward this year with the return of quarterback Everett Golson, who looks like a completely new player. Golson's scrambling ability and improved passing skills are the difference in this shootout.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Notre Dame
Cotton Bowl
28 of 39
Jan. 1, Arlington, Texas
Predicted Matchup: Baylor (at-large) vs. Georgia (at-large)
Georgia's loss to South Carolina showed first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has a ways to go in terms of coaching up his players. Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley is great, but there's only so much he can do.
Baylor has what looks to be one of the more athletic defensive lines in the country. Forget the video-game offense for a moment (if you can), a matchup here could come down to whether the Bears can contain Gurley as much as possible.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Baylor
Capital One Bowl
29 of 39
Jan. 1, Orlando, Florida
Predicted Matchup: Texas A&M (SEC, No. 2) vs. Ohio State (Big Ten, Nos. 2-4)
No change here. Texas A&M can and probably will score on everybody. The Aggies defense is young and insanely talented—it could be really good down the road—but it comes back to haunt A&M in a couple of games. Similarly, Ohio State has a weakness: protecting the quarterback.
The Buckeyes still have a good season, but O-line issues come up more than once, and A&M's speed is too much for Ohio State to protect quarterback J.T. Barrett as freshman defensive end Myles Garrett records multiple sacks.
Matchup Type: Never in doubt
Predicted Winner: Texas A&M
Outback Bowl
30 of 39
Jan. 1, Tampa, Florida
Predicted Matchup: Penn State (Big Ten, Nos. 2-4) vs. South Carolina (SEC, Nos. 3-8)
Penn State is 3-0, but just barely. It appears more and more likely that quarterback Christian Hackenberg is going to will the Nittany Lions to six wins.
If Hackenberg keeps up the passing, South Carolina could have a hard time keeping his numbers down. But, this Gamecock team showed a lot of resilience against Georgia and has a better resume at 2-1. This one could be fun, but South Carolina has an edge in the running game, which would be key late in the matchup.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: South Carolina
Armed Forces Bowl
31 of 39
Jan. 2, Fort Worth, Texas
Predicted Matchup: Houston (American Athletic Conference) vs. Army (Army/Big 12, No. 7)
Houston's strange, yet fascinating loss to BYU puts Tony Levine's squad at 1-2, but the American Athletic Conference schedule is appealing enough that this team can get to a bowl game easily. While everyone will talk about the Cougars offense, the defense actually forced—in the literal sense of the word—two turnovers against BYU.
And the 35-0 loss to Stanford was expected for Army. A schedule with Wake Forest and Yale should help the Black Knights go bowling. In the end, though, the Cougars have too much to throw at Army for it to keep up.
Matchup Type: Blowout
Predicted Winner: Houston
TaxSlayer Bowl
32 of 39
Jan. 2, Jacksonville, Florida
Predicted Matchup: Missouri (SEC, Nos. 3-8) vs. Nebraska* (Big Ten, Nos. 5-7)
As Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee wrote, Missouri could capitalize on yet another wide-open SEC East race. Nevermind the big-name losses such as receiver Dorial Green-Beckham; the Tigers are 3-0 with a fairly impressive win over Central Florida.
Nebraska, 3-0, gets a nonconference test against Miami. Behind the workhorse performance of running back Ameer Abdullah, the Huskers keep it close, but they lack the big plays to keep up with the Tigers.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Missouri
(*Nebraska was originally unintentionally omitted from bowl projections.)
Alamo Bowl
33 of 39
Jan. 2, San Antonio
Predicted Matchup: Texas (Big 12, No. 2) vs. USC (Pac-12, No. 2)
USC simply wasn't prepared for Boston College's zone-read plays. That and the Trojans might already be suffering the effects of depth problems. But this team is still talented enough to win plenty of games.
Texas is off to a rough start at 1-2, but there are encouraging signs, and it feels like the Longhorns will play better as the year goes on and the schedule softens up a bit.
The physical matchup in the trenches favors Texas' defensive line, but the Horns simply can't muster enough offense to get the job done.
Matchup Type: Never in doubt
Predicted Winner: USC
Rose Bowl
34 of 39
Jan. 1, Pasadena, California
Predicted Matchup: Oregon (CFP, No. 1) vs. Auburn (CFP, No. 4)
The Ducks manage to make it out of the Pac-12, with help from a win over Michigan State in nonconference play, and into the playoff. According to Daniel Uthman of USA Today, the Ducks would be the top overall pick.
Auburn, which is not in the aforementioned mock playoff field, has a tough schedule and may drop a game before the regular season is over, but the Tigers win the SEC all the same.
This is the type of shootout that fans dream about, and these two teams are evenly matched with great skill players on offense and athletic defenses. This is a coin-flip decision to go with the Ducks with quarterback Marcus Mariota making just one more play.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Oregon
Sugar Bowl
35 of 39
Jan. 1, New Orleans
Predicted Matchup: Florida State (CFP, No. 2) vs. Oklahoma (CFP, No. 3)
No change here. The Seminoles get through their ACC schedule to get into the College Football Playoff as the top seed. Oklahoma manages to go undefeated and gets into the playoff as the No. 3 seed.
Oklahoma's defense is lightning-quick, but the Seminoles offensive line holds tough. There are momentum swings one right after the other, and Florida State gets the final one.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Florida State
Cactus Bowl
36 of 39
Jan. 2, Tempe, Arizona
Predicted Matchup: TCU (Big 12, No. 6) vs. Arizona (Pac-12, No. 7)
How much has TCU's offense improved? Well, 39 points per game would tell you a lot, but David Ubben of Fox Sports Southwest reports that head coach Gary Patterson would rather wait until Big 12 play starts to say for certain. In any case, it doesn't appear to be a liability anymore.
That only complements the Horned Frogs defense. Arizona provides a tough matchup because of all the options and misdirection, but the Frogs are good enough to make key stops.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: TCU
Birmingham Bowl
37 of 39
Jan. 3, Birmingham, Alabama
Predicted Matchup: Tulane (American Athletic Conference) vs. Tennessee (SEC, Nos. 9-10)
No change here from the past couple of weeks. Tennessee head coach Butch Jones has a young but talented team that finally gets the Vols back to a bowl game—don't let the Oklahoma loss discourage that. Without a doubt, Jones has this program headed in the right direction.
Tulane gets back to the postseason but is no match for the Vols' talented roster. It's a respectable season for the Green Wave, but they don't have the horses to keep up with Tennessee and its big-play offensive weapons. The Vols defensive line goes to work as well.
Matchup Type: Blowout
Predicted Winner: Tennessee
GoDaddy Bowl
38 of 39
Jan. 4, Mobile, Alabama
Predicted Matchup: Akron (MAC) vs. Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
Despite a loss to Miami, I still like Arkansas State to make a bowl. Akron held its own against Penn State and are still one of the favorites out of the MAC. These two teams with high expectations should air it out against one another.
Arkansas State is 2-1 in its last three GoDaddy Bowls and gets the edge over the Zips.
Matchup Type: Shootout
Predicted Winner: Arkansas State
College Football Playoff Championship
39 of 39
Jan. 12, Arlington, Texas
Predicted Matchup: Oregon (CFP No. 1) vs. Florida State (CFP No. 2)
Oregon debunks any narrative that may exist about the Ducks not being a physical team. And it does it against one of the most physical teams in the country.
Oregon finds itself in a boxing match with the Seminoles. But, much like the Michigan State win, the Ducks weather the early storm and find a few big plays in the second half. Oregon's defense struggles with a downhill running attack but is able to limit quarterback Jameis Winston in the passing game. And it forces the reigning Heisman winner into a crucial mistake.
Matchup Type: Nail-biter
Predicted Winner: Oregon
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. Stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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