College Football Playoff 2015-16: Postseason Bowl Schedule, CFP Prediction
The 2015-16 college football bowl season is in full swing. There's a pair of games on tap for Christmas Eve (Popeyes Bahamas Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl) and more after the holiday.
Here's a look at the complete remaining bowl schedule that culminates with the national championship on January 11.
| Thursday, December 24 | ||
| Popeyes Bahamas Bowl | Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan | Noon ET |
| Hawai'i Bowl | San Diego State vs. Cincinnati | 8 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, December 26 | ||
| St. Petersburg Bowl | Connecticut vs. Marshall | 11 a.m. ET |
| Hyundai Sun Bowl | Miami (FL) vs. Washington State | 2 p.m. ET |
| Zaxby's Heart of Texas Bowl | Washington vs. Southern Mississippi | 2:20 p.m. ET |
| New Era Pinstripe Bowl | Indiana vs. Duke | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| Camping World Independence Bowl | Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech | 5:45 p.m. ET |
| Fosters Farm Bowl | UCLA vs. Nebraska | 9:15 p.m. ET |
| Monday, December 28 | ||
| Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman | Pittsburgh vs. No. 21 Navy | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Central Michigan vs. Minnesota | 4 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, December 29 | ||
| Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | California vs. Air Force | 2 p.m. ET |
| Russell Athletic Bowl | No. 10 North Carolina vs. No. 17 Baylor | 5:30 p.m. ET |
| Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl | Nevada vs. Colorado State | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Advocare V100 Texas Bowl | No. 20 LSU vs. Texas Tech | 9 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, December 30 | ||
| Birmingham Bowl | Auburn vs. Memphis | Noon |
| Belk Bowl | NC State vs. Mississippi State | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl | Texas A&M vs. Louisville | 7 p.m. ET |
| Holiday Bowl | No. 25 USC vs. Wisconsin | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, December 31 | ||
| Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl | No. 18 Houston vs. No. 9 Florida State | Noon ET |
| Capital One Orange Bowl - College Football Semifinal 1 | No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Clemson | 4 p.m. ET |
| Goodyear Cotton Bowl - College Football Playoff Semifinal 2 | No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Alabama | 8 p.m. ET |
| Friday, January 1 | ||
| Outback Bowl | No. 13 Northwestern vs. No. 23 Tennessee | Noon ET |
| Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl | No. 14 Michigan vs. No. 19 Florida | 1 p.m. ET |
| Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl | No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Ohio State | 1 p.m. ET |
| Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual | No. 6 Stanford vs. No. 5 Iowa | 5 p.m. ET |
| Allstate Sugar Bowl | No. 16 Oklahoma State vs. No. 12 Ole Miss | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, January 2 | ||
| Taxslayer Bowl | Penn State vs. Georgia | Noon ET |
| Autozone Liberty Bowl | Kansas State vs. Arkansas | 3:20 p.m. ET |
| Valero Alamo Bowl | No. 15 Oregon vs. No. 11 TCU | 6:45 p.m. ET |
| Motel 6 Cactus Bowl | West Virginia vs. Arizona State | 10:15 p.m. ET |
| Monday, January 11 | ||
| College Football Playoff National Championship | No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 1 Clemson | 8:30 p.m. ET |
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Alabama Will Pound Its Way to National Championship
The question every team will have to answer when it faces the Alabama Crimson Tide is: Can we stop the run? The answer in the national semifinal game against the Michigan State Spartans, and again in the national championship presumably against the Clemson Tigers, will be no.
Alabama's excellent rushing attack goes beyond Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. Sure, the 6'3" 242-pound stud is a load to bring down, and he's shown amazing durability and stamina, but Bama dominates before Henry even touches the ball.
Seniors Ryan Kelly and Dominick Jackson anchor what is likely the best offensive line in the country. As good as the Spartans defense is, it has yet to face a unit as dominant as Bama's Big Uglies.
The Spartans are seventh in the nation against the run, which is no fluke. That said, Bama doesn't just bring the 26th-ranked rushing offense; Nick Saban's team is also stout defensively.
The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 1 against the run. The gap between them and the second-place Boston College Eagles is almost nine yards per game. The combination of a grinding run game and fierce defense slows the game down while it wears out Alabama opponents.
It's a formula the Spartans won't be able to resolve.
Clemson should knock off the Oklahoma Sooners behind superior quarterback play from Deshaun Watson. He and Baker Mayfield should put on a show in their semifinal matchup, but Watson finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting for a reason.
He'll be one of the favorites to win the award in 2016, and his performance against Oklahoma will further water the seed he planted throughout the regular season and ACC Championship Game. A virtuoso performance is on the way from Watson in what should be an entertaining game against the Sooners.
The prediction for a final score is: Clemson 44, Oklahoma 38.
As good as Watson is, the Crimson Tide should have an even easier time against the Tigers than they will with the Spartans. Clemson's penchant for turning the ball over is a complete no-no against Alabama. Believe it or not, Clemson is minus-2 on the season in turnover margin. It's strange the team is still 13-0 with that type of ball security.
Alabama's defense will find a way to force turnovers against Clemson, and it will make the Tigers pay with long and short drives spearheaded by the dominant ground game. Saban's team has done what a few recent Tide squads could not: It has found its identity as a true smashmouth group that wins with physicality over style.
Bama will win the national championship in a romp over Clemson. Expect a final score in the neighborhood of 34-13.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
