Bowl Projections 2014: Playoff Predictions, Odds and More Before Rivalry Week
It may seem like nothing is more important in the world of college football than the race for the College Football Playoff, but good luck suggesting that to the various fanbases across the country before Week 14.
After all, it’s rivalry week, and the only thing on the minds of Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Mississippi State fans is beating Michigan, Auburn, Oregon State, Florida and Ole Miss, respectively. Bragging rights for the next 364 days are on the line, and college football legacies are defined by performances in these showdowns.
The larger picture will be waiting for the players and coaches in the aftermath, but let’s take a peek at it anyway. Here is a look at the latest playoff projections and odds from StatMilk and Odds Shark before mine.
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The national championship odds listed are courtesy of Odds Shark, as of Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.
StatMilk and Odds Shark Playoff Projections and Odds
| Alabama | 5/2 |
| Oregon | 15/4 |
| Florida State | 11/2 |
| Mississippi State | 8/1 |
| TCU | 8/1 |
| Ohio State | 11/2 |
| Baylor | 8/1 |
| UCLA | 45/1 |
Scott Polacek Playoff Projections
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Baylor
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 3 Oregon
Championship Bowl (in Arlington, Texas): TBD (semifinal winners)
Rivalry Week
Playoff contenders Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Mississippi State are all favorites heading into their final regular-season games, but the cliche of “throw the records out” really does apply when a rivalry game is on tap.
After all, the heavily favored Buckeyes and Ducks beat overmatched Michigan and Oregon State squads by a combined two points last season. Motivations change and intensity increases in these annual showdowns, and the team with the better record or more talent doesn’t always have an easy go of things.
What’s more, the pressure of the playoffs is a very real phenomenon, and the contenders will be the ones pressing in the fourth quarter if Saturday’s games come down to the final minutes. How they respond could be the difference between a playoff spot and just another bowl game.
From a historical standpoint, the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan is typically included in the same category as showdowns between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox and the Duke and North Carolina basketball teams. That intensity will be there in the Horseshoe again Saturday.
Head coach Urban Meyer certainly seemed to understand that during his weekly press conference.
"I want our players to take part ownership of the program. This is not another game. This is The Game," he said.
The clash between Alabama and Auburn will represent a chance for revenge for the Crimson Tide after a 110-yard return of a missed field goal on the final play of last year’s game ended Alabama’s national title hopes and propelled Auburn into the game against Florida State.
Those Seminoles will take on Florida on Saturday, and one X-factor to watch will be how the Gators respond for Will Muschamp. It is their coach’s final regular-season game at the helm, and there could be even more motivation to send him out a winner than there already would be in a contest with the hated Seminoles.
Oregon State may be 5-6, but it has Sean Mannion directing the charge on offense. He is the Pac-12’s all-time leader in career passing yards and has a chance to shock an Oregon defense that has appeared vulnerable at times this season.
Gina Mizell of The Oregonian sang Mannion’s praises recently, and that talent could be an issue for the Ducks:
One game fans of Ohio State, Baylor and TCU will watch very closely is the contest between Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
A once-promising season is all but over for the Rebels after three straight SEC losses, and ruining the title hopes for the Bulldogs is all they have left. If that were to happen, the race for the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff would be wide open.
Embrace the chaos.
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