Bowl Predictions 2014: Matchup Projections for Biggest Bowls

Rivalry week in college football has come to a conclusion, and the insanity once again continued. Another top team fell while several others will hope to take advantage of the opportunity in conference championship games.

The biggest loser over the weekend was Mississippi State. While losses for UCLA and Georgia hurt for two previously Top 10 teams, the Bulldogs will likely miss out on the College Football Playoff after falling in the Egg Bowl.

Meanwhile, both Baylor and TCU are vying for the fourth spot in the playoff. Each program will need to win convincingly to keep Ohio State out of the discussion if the Buckeyes take down Wisconsin.

While not everything is set in the playoff rankings, there is plenty of reason to look ahead. Below is a look at the biggest bowls on tap for the best programs in the country.

Bowl Game	Date	Matchup	Projected Teams
Sugar Bowl	Jan. 1	Semifinal	Alabama vs. TCU
Rose Bowl	Jan. 1	Semifinal	Oregon vs. Florida State
Cotton Bowl	Jan. 1	At-Large vs. At-Large	Arizona vs. Wisconsin
Orange Bowl	Dec. 31	ACC vs. SEC/Big Ten/Notre Dame	Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State
Fiesta Bowl	Dec. 31	At-Large vs. At-Large	Ohio State vs. Boise State
Peach Bowl	Dec. 31	At-Large vs. At-Large	Baylor vs. Michigan State

Breakdown of Predictions

Mayhem at the end of college football seasons is nothing new. Having a College Football Playoff spot on the line in multiple conference championship games is a completely different story.

That's the situation heading into this weekend for Alabama, Oregon and Florida State. All three hope to make the playoff, but they need to get past difficult conference foes to simply make the cut.

Along with the SEC, the Pac-12 and the ACC title games, several other matchups might decide who gets in. Gabe DeArmond of Rivals.com points out a few of the teams that might change the entire landscape:

Nick Saban is hoping to make the first playoff with a game against a two-loss Missouri team. Out of the three conference championships, Alabama has the best chance to win after nearly running the table against the much more difficult SEC West.

Florida State faces a Georgia Tech team that runs the ball with authority after scuffling against nearly every team this season. GT head coach Paul Johnson has been a model of consistency and might have one his best teams in recent memory, as Joe Schad of ESPN notes:

On the West Coast, Oregon will have to take down Arizona in order to make the playoff. That's obviously easier said than done since the Wildcats have defeated them in both of their last two meetings and are the only team to beat the Ducks this season.

Oregon may have struggled against Arizona recently, but it has been one of the best programs in the country recently. Joey Galloway points out it may be more solid than even Alabama, per ESPN College Football:

Two other programs vying for the final spot are TCU and Baylor. While the Bears hold a head-to-head win over the Horned Frogs, the 14-point loss against West Virginia will likely hinder them when the committee ultimately selects a Big 12 team.

Cork Gaines of Business Insider and George Schroeder of USA Today offer differing opinions of the two teams:

"

How exactly do TCU and Baylor have "the same resume"? I dont recall TCU losing to WVU by 2 TDs.

— Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) December 1, 2014"

Regardless of which team deserves to get in, both might make an appearance if chaos ensues during the conference championships. There's also still an outside shot for Ohio State but only if Cardale Jones can step up after J.T. Barrett's season-ending injury.

While things appear to be relatively predictable at this point, nothing is for certain in college football. The playoff committee will have tough decisions to make this week, but things might be even more difficult if insanity continues Friday and Saturday.

Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.