Bowl Predictions 2015: Updated Playoff Projections Heading into Week 10
Survive and advance was the theme of Week 9 for the College Football Playoff contenders.
While most of the title contenders were at home on their bye week, those that took the field gave their fans a scare on Halloween.
Clemson, Notre Dame and Stanford were among the playoff hopefuls that found themselves in tight contests, a few of which came down to the wire.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Below is an updated projection for the College Football Playoff matchups and other New Year's Six bowl games, followed by a breakdown of a few of the notable teams that were in action on Saturday.
| Dec. 31 | Cotton Bowl/CFP Semifinal | Ohio State vs. Baylor | Ohio State |
| Dec. 31 | Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinal | Clemson vs. LSU | Clemson |
| Dec. 31 | Peach Bowl | Notre Dame vs. Florida | Notre Dame |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl | Stanford vs. Michigan State | Michigan State |
| Jan. 1 | Fiesta Bowl | Houston vs. Utah | Houston |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl | Alabama vs. TCU | Alabama |
Notable teams
Clemson Tigers
N.C. State kept it interesting thanks to Jacoby Brissett and a few big special teams plays. But in the end, Deshaun Watson and the Tigers' front seven were too much for the Wolfpack.
"Don't know who's noticing but D. Watson of Clemson is putting on a clinic throwing the ball. #heismanfuture
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) October 31, 2015"
The closer-than-expected game shouldn't be taken as an indictment of Clemson, as plenty of championship-caliber teams have been caught looking ahead with worse performances than this in years past.
Dabo Swinney and his squad now begin preparation for Florida State, the biggest hurdle remaining between Clemson and the College Football playoff.
Florida State has owned Clemson in recent years, winning three straight, including a 51-14 blowout the last time the teams met in Clemson in 2013.
That one blip against the eventual national champions aside, Clemson has historically defended its home turf in this rivalry. Dating back to 2003, the Tigers are 5-1 at home against Florida State.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Having knocked off USC and Temple in consecutive games, Notre Dame now appears to be among the strongest one-loss teams in the nation.
Each of the four teams in the playoff picture in this projection are currently undefeated, but the Irish are just on the outside waiting for someone to slip up.
Notre Dame is hurt slightly by its lack of a conference championship game, which the committee made clear was an important criterion last year when it left Baylor and TCU out of the playoffs.
However, it's worth noting that Notre Dame does wrap up its regular season at Stanford on November 28. So while Brian Kelly's squad is hurt by the lack of conference affiliation, they do have the ability to close out the season with a statement victory on the road.
Houston Cougars
A win over Vanderbilt certainly isn't going to put Houston in the playoff hunt, but it is the Cougars' second victory over a Power Five conference opponent.
With two Power Five victories, the Cougars have a strong enough resume to deserve serious consideration to represent the Group of Five schools in one of the New Year's Six bowl games.
"Most points a very good Vandy defense has given up all year, but keep discounting Houston.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 1, 2015"
The real test for Houston awaits in two weeks, when the Cougars host Memphis on November 14.
The winner of that game becomes the overwhelming favorite to earn a New Year's Six bowl berth but will still have a tough matchup in the AAC championship game, likely against Temple.
Stanford Cardinal
A close call against Washington State might hurt Stanford in the polls initially, but in terms of the playoff picture, it's unlikely to be a significant factor.
The Cardinal still control their own destiny in the Pac-12 race and hold a two-game lead in the North division.
Stanford will have multiple opportunities to erase the memory of this game, as it closes out the regular season against Notre Dame, followed by a likely Pac-12 title game showdown with Utah, UCLA or USC.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
