Bowl Predictions 2015: Latest CFP Projections Based on Week 10 Rankings

Bowl predictions are a bit easier to gauge at this point in the 2015 NCAA football season. The year's first College Football Playoff rankings are due to release Tuesday, and the Top Four is where postseason projections of any kind ought to begin.

The Associated Press and Amway polls offer a glimpse into what to expect from the CFP committee, though. As has been commonplace all year, Ohio State remains No. 1 in the country, and there isn't much variation between the two polls' first four.

TCU gets the nod in the playoff picture in the Amway poll over Clemson, who is slotted even ahead of LSU in the AP.

Read on for some CFP projections from yours truly based on the Week 10 hierarchy and some conjecture as to what will transpire for the remainder of the regular season.

Orange Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Clemson

Mel Evans/Associated Press

Coach Urban Meyer's Buckeyes have wobbled but not ultimately wavered in reigning supreme all season long. OSU figures not to be tested too severely until its final two games: home versus Michigan State and at Michigan.

It's almost as though this loaded Ohio State team has been waiting around and not quite hitting its stride. A similar phenomenon unfolded last season, as the Bucks peaked at the perfect time en route to a surprise national title.

That's why college football spectators have to believe OSU will flip the switch on again. Running back Ezekiel Elliott has been thriving despite a turbulent quarterback situation, and a defense stacked with NFL-caliber talent is jelling better of late, yielding just 17 points over the last two games.

Clemson would present an intriguing opponent in a hypothetical matchup and seems the best suited to lock up the College Football Playoff's last berth. The ACC is the easiest to navigate among those in contention as opposed to the Pac-12 and SEC.

In the Tigers' last contest, a defense that saw the departure of NFL first-round picks in Vic Beasley and Stephone Anthony finally seemed to show against NC State. Thankfully, sophomore QB Deshaun Watson was there to rise to the occasion, throwing for 383 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-41 victory.

Rivals.com's Mike Farrell applauded Watson for his progress, as he carved up what was a Wolfpack defense that ranked among the best in the country entering Saturday's game:

Explosive as Watson is as a passer and runner, he'd need to be special to evade a Buckeye pass rush led by Joey Bosa, scramble and elude a savvy linebacker corps headlined by Darron Lee and beat the stout OSU secondary.

J.T. Barrett also needs to redeem himself following an impending suspension this week due to an arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Barrett lost his job to Cardale Jones to injury last year, and while his off-field mishap is seen as a negative, yours truly foresees one of two positive possibilities. Either the sophomore captain comes back reinvigorated and further fired up to prove himself or Jones runs with his reprieve after being benched and doesn't look back.

Having a runner like Elliott and a defense with the Buckeyes' personnel to complement give whoever moves forward under center plenty of support to guide OSU to the promised land once again.

Prediction: Ohio State 34, Clemson 21

Cotton Bowl: No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 LSU

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

The best of both worlds from the AP and Amway occur in these projections to a degree because of the Horned Frogs' home-field advantage against Big 12 rival Baylor in the regular-season finale.

Baylor lost star QB Seth Russell for the season in its last win over Iowa State, have yet to play a game without him and thus can't be endorsed as a viable playoff entrant.

In the video below, TCU signal-caller Trevone Boykin and stud LSU running back Leonard Fournette are endorsed as the top two Heisman Trophy contenders, and rightly so. They have been nothing short of phenomenal this year.

After West Virginia lost to the Horned Frogs 40-10 and Boykin accounted for four total touchdowns, Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen had effusive praise for the face of TCU's program.

"Trevone Boykin is the best player in college football," said Holgorsen, per ESPN.com's Jake Trotter. "I'm glad we never have to see him again."

Boykin leans heavily on Horned Frogs receiver Josh Doctson, though, and LSU has a supremely athletic secondary that could bracket coverage to his side of the field and at least somewhat limit him.

Once Fournette gets going downhill, there's no stopping him. This would especially be the case against a TCU defense that yields 172.5 yards per contest on the ground.

ESPN Stats & Info referenced the latest new ground Fournette broke:

The biggest challenge Fournette faces this year will come this Saturday against Alabama. No matter who's been placed before him, the sensational sophomore has gone off. It also helps that Tigers QB Brandon Harris is continuing to make strides and has yet to throw an interception in 2015.

There's no denying Boykin is a big-time talent and can extend plays to help Doctson spring free. It's just unlikely the Horned Frogs would have enough beef up front to stop Fournette and also account for Harris, who is only getting better the more live reps he gets in game action.

If Ohio State and LSU were to meet in the national title game, it'd be a fascinating duel between Meyer and Tigers coach Les Miles, two of college football's most aggressive and savvy gridiron strategists. And the ball-carrier battle between Fournette and Elliott would be quite special as well.

Prediction: LSU 38, TCU 28

Note: Stats courtesy of NCAA.com unless otherwise indicated.