College Football Playoff Championship 2015: Schedule, Dates and Projections

One more week of college football, and fans should finally have their answer as to which teams are worthy of making the inaugural College Football Playoff.

The playoff committee turned heads as we gear up for Week 15 and the conference championships by bumping up TCU to No. 3 in the latest rankings, ahead of new No. 4 Florida State. Alabama and Oregon held down the first and second spots, respectively.

With TCU in third and the undefeated Seminoles in fourth, there is a nice buffer zone between the Horned Frogs and the disappointment of being on the outside looking in when all is said and done. 

Assuming Jameis Winston and the 'Noles do their job and beat Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game in Week 15, it's hard to see No. 5 Ohio State or No. 6 Baylor moving into the Top Four.

That would require an epic collapse from TCU against a cupcake like Iowa State, one that makes the Seminoles look better by comparison and allows the Bears or the Buckeyes to take the fourth and final spot. 

Ohio State has a better shot than Baylor at making the playoff, as sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones does have the athleticism and arm strength to keep the offense humming along against a feisty Wisconsin Badgers squad in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Here is the schedule for the College Football Playoff, followed by projections for which teams will be squaring off in this new format's final four.

Semifinals Date: Jan. 1

Championship Date: Jan. 12 

Semifinals Locations: Rose Bowl—Pasadena, California; and Sugar Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Superdome)—New Orleans, Louisiana

Championship Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Semifinals Times (ET): 5 p.m. (Rose Bowl), 8:30 p.m. (Sugar Bowl)

Semifinal Matchup Projections

Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Florida State

Alabama should hold things down against Missouri in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday and take the No. 1 seed. The Seminoles will beat the Yellow Jackets, but expect another unconvincing performance.

Florida State is a slippery squad, but Alabama has the defensive chops and star talent on offense to take this potential blockbuster. 

Winston's play to end the season has been disappointing to say the least, especially in the first half, as ESPN.com's David Hale points out:

If Winston isn't up to par, Florida State can turn to its run game to generate offense. Karlos Williams has scored 10 rushing touchdowns this season, while Dalvin Cook is a big-play threat out of the backfield, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

However, an overreliance on explosive plays might not work so well against a Crimson Tide defense that will bend on occasion but is unwilling to break.

"There's some things you can't control," said safety Nick Perry after 'Bama's 55-44 win over Auburn in the 2014 Iron Bowl, per AL.com's Michael Casagrande. "If they get it down there, you just have to bend but don't break, and just can't let them in the end zone, and I think that saved the game for us."

Casagrande also noted that the Crimson Tide have allowed just three rushing touchdowns this season, likely making points hard to come by for Florida State in this one.

Blake Sims lacks consistency at times, but he's much less error-prone than Winston, although the latter does pass the ball more often in games. Prior to throwing three interceptions against Auburn, Sims had thrown just one pick in the previous six games.

He's also secure in the knowledge that Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon are battle-tested against tough SEC run defenses and should be able to make some sort of headway against Florida State.

Oh, and nobody in college football appears capable of guarding wideout Amari Cooper. As ESPN Stats & Info points out, Sims practically couldn't fail when targeting Cooper in the Iron Bowl:

Should these two titans play each other in the CFP, expect the Crimson Tide to make good on an early lead and win the contest.

Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 TCU

This potential offensive firestorm would be a dream come true for college football fans allergic to defensive chess matches.

Both teams boast hyper-efficient, dual-threat quarterbacks commanding explosive, innovative offenses. Oregon's Marcus Mariota is a Heisman Trophy front-runner, while the Horned Frogs' Trevone Boykin runs a team that puts up 46.1 points per game, the third-best mark in the nation.

Player	G	CMP/ATT	YDS	PCT	TD	INT	RSH YDS	RSH TD	RAT
Mariota	12	229/334	3470	68.6	36	2	636	11	190.2
Boykin	11	249/420	3254	59.3	26	6	598	8	141.9

Mariota's production is pretty much unassailable, but Grantland's Matt Hinton was able to find one area where even Mariota looks like a mere gridiron mortal:

"

There’s no use pretending that Mariota has some glaring, persistent Achilles’ heel, but on the exceedingly rare occasions he has made mistakes this season, it’s been the result of pressure: Despite his elusiveness, Michigan State, Washington State, Arizona, Washington, Utah, and Oregon State all sacked him at least three times. 

"

TCU just so happens to be one of the better pass-rushing teams in the nation.

The Horned Frogs have notched 33 sacks this season. They've also managed to force 34 turnovers this year, which makes a crucial sack-fumble of Mariota a definite possibility in this contest.

That being said, don't expect the Ducks quarterback to give them too much else to work with considering his low interception total.

Oregon could also stymie the Horned Frogs' pass rush with clever runs and draws from freshman running back Royce Freeman, who is averaging 5.7 yards per carry this season. He has the speed to break plays open, but he also has the size to punish defenses inside.

"He's big, very big," Oregon State senior linebacker Michael Doctor said, via Gary Horowitz of the Statesman Journal. "You're gonna have to bring your big boy pads to take it to him. He plays like an older guy."

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

The Horned Frogs offense is full of its own sensational skill players. Wideouts Josh Doctson and Deante' Gray are fantastic big-play threats, combining for 1,307 yards and 15 touchdowns this year.

Running back Aaron Green has little trouble slaloming through opposing defenses with an anomalous 7.7 yards per carry. They should have little to no trouble keeping up with the Ducks in a potential matchup.

TCU is well-prepared for the late-season pressure cooker after going 4-1 against teams ranked in the Top 25 this season. Finishing up the year against lowly Iowa State also bodes well for its prospects heading forward.

Oregon can't afford to ease up, as the Ducks must defeat Arizona in the Pac-12 Championship Game to hold on to their presumed playoff spot. 

The Wildcats should bring the best out of the Ducks, who have been one of the hottest teams in the nation down the home stretch.

The Horned Frogs will keep things very close, but Oregon's quick-strike nature will allow it to score a late go-ahead touchdown and pip the Big 12 representatives.