Bowl Predictions 2016: Early Postseason Projections for Top Playoff Contenders
The 2016 college football season winds into Week 5, and for the second straight week, the Top Five teams in the nation remain unchanged, as Alabama, Ohio State, Louisville, Michigan and Clemson headline the polls.
Yet there's been plenty of moving and shaking among the AP Top 25 poll so far, and there will surely be more movement over the next 10 weeks.
But it isn't too early to look ahead to January 2017 and project where the top teams in the nation will be playing in the postseason:
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Bowl Predictions for AP Top 10
| 1 | Alabama | Peach Bowl (playoffs) |
| 2 | Ohio State | Fiesta Bowl (playoffs) |
| 3 | Louisville | Fiesta Bowl (playoffs) |
| 4 | Michigan | Rose Bowl |
| 5 | Clemson | Orange Bowl |
| 6 | Houston | Cotton Bowl |
| 7 | Stanford | Rose Bowl |
| 8 | Wisconsin | Holiday Bowl |
| 9 | Texas A&M | Sugar Bowl |
| 10 | Washington | Peach Bowl (playoffs) |
Other Contenders To Watch
No. 13 Baylor
For a team that was mired in controversy during the offseason, Baylor hasn't let it affect its play during the regular season.
The Bears are 4-0 and are coming off a Week 4, 35-24 win over an Oklahoma State team that began the season ranked No. 21.
In a weakened Big 12 Conference that has just two other teams in the Top 25 in TCU and Texas (both teams are 3-1), Baylor controls its own destiny.
Come Weeks 9 and 10, Baylor meets Texas and TCU, respectively, who are the toughest remaining opponents that could keep the Bears from not only winning the Big 12, but making it into the Top 10.
Granted, Oklahoma is lurking on Nov. 12, but Baylor's offense is looking hard to beat so far this season.
Seth Russell has thrown for 1,148 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first four games. He's headlined an offense that ranks eighth in the country with 548.8 yards per game and hasn't scored less than 35 points in any of its four matchups.
No. 15 Nebraska
Don't look now, but Nebraska could be back in the Top 10 for the first time since 2011.
That being said, I don't see the Cornhuskers beating Ohio State on Nov. 5, so they will have at least one loss this season.
After a surprising 3-0 start, which was headlined by a win over Oregon, Nebraska worked its way up into the rankings after beginning the season out of the Top 25.
What will be most crucial for its postseason hopes is an Oct. 29 game against Wisconsin, who is facing two tough tests in Weeks 5 and 7 against Michigan and Ohio State, respectively.
Whoever comes out on top of that game could be the third Big Ten representative within the Top 10 if Michigan State continues to falter.
In order for the Cornhuskers to continue their unlikely run, quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. will have to continue his stellar season as the dual-threat quarterback who is the engine that makes the Nebraska offense run.
Entering Week 5, Armstrong has passed for 931 yards and rushed for an additional 281, which is just two yards less than starting running back Devine Ozigbo.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
