College Football Playoff 2016: Updated Rankings and Bowl Predictions

The 2016 College Football Playoff picture is a bit more clear following Friday's Pac-12 Championship Game between the Washington Huskies and Colorado Buffaloes, but there are still plenty of variables at play with a jam-packed Saturday slate ready to get underway.

Not only is there a Big Ten title matchup between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Wisconsin Badgers that could throw a wrench into the Top Four, but an ACC championship tilt between the Clemson Tigers and Virginia Tech Hokies has the potential to wreak further havoc on the playoff picture if Deshaun Watson and Co. slip up.  

But before the action gets going, it's time to review the most recent CFP rankings, which feature the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 1 and the Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 2: 

And based on how things look in advance of kickoffs Saturday, here's an overview of the latest bowl game projections: 

Date	Bowl Game	Matchup
Dec. 17	New Mexico Bowl	New Mexico vs. UTSA
Dec. 17	Las Vegas Bowl	Boise State vs. Mississippi State
Dec. 17	Camellia Bowl	Arkansas State vs. Miami (OH)
Dec. 17	Cure Bowl	Central Florida vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Dec. 17	New Orleans Bowl	Appalachian State vs. Middle Tennessee
Dec. 19	Miami Beach Bowl	Ohio vs. Tulsa
Dec. 20	Boca Raton Bowl	Memphis vs. Louisiana Tech
Dec. 21	Poinsettia Bowl	BYU vs. Wyoming
Dec. 22	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Colorado State vs. Central Michigan
Dec. 23	Bahamas Bowl	Old Dominion vs. Eastern Michigan
Dec. 23	Armed Forces Bowl	Navy vs. North Texas
Dec. 23	Dollar General Bowl	Toledo vs. Troy
Dec. 24	Hawaii Bowl	Hawaii vs. Southern Mississippi
Dec. 26	St. Petersburg Bowl	Houston vs. South Alabama
Dec. 26	Quick Lane Bowl	Maryland vs. Boston College
Dec. 26	Independence Bowl	North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt
Dec. 27	Heart of Dallas Bowl	Western Kentucky vs. Army
Dec. 27	Military Bowl	Wake Forest vs. Temple
Dec. 27	Holiday Bowl	Iowa vs. Washington State
Dec. 27	Cactus Bowl	Baylor vs. San Diego State
Dec. 28	Pinstripe Bowl	Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern
Dec. 28	Russell Athletic Bowl	Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
Dec. 28	Foster Farms Bowl	Utah vs. Indiana
Dec. 28	Texas Bowl	TCU vs. Texas A&M
Dec. 29	Birmingham Bowl	South Carolina vs. South Florida
Dec. 29	Belk Bowl	Arkansas vs. North Carolina
Dec. 29	Alamo Bowl	West Virginia vs. Colorado
Dec. 30	Arizona Bowl	Idaho vs. Air Force
Dec. 30	Liberty Bowl	Georgia vs. Kansas State
Dec. 30	Sun Bowl	Stanford vs. Georgia Tech
Dec. 30	Music City Bowl	Minnesota vs. Tennessee
Dec. 30	Orange Bowl	Florida State vs. Michigan
Dec. 31	TaxSlayer Bowl	Kentucky vs. Louisville
Dec. 31	Citrus Bowl	LSU vs. Miami
Dec. 31	Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal)	Alabama vs. Ohio State
Dec. 31	Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal)	Clemson vs. Washington
Jan. 2	Outback Bowl	Nebraska vs. Florida
Jan. 2	Cotton Bowl	Western Michigan vs. Penn State
Jan. 2	Rose Bowl	USC vs. Wisconsin
Jan. 2	Sugar Bowl	Oklahoma vs. Auburn

Bowl Game Factors at Play

There are a few big storylines to keep an eye on Saturday that will affect how the bowl picture shakes out. 

For starters, there's the Big Ten title game between Penn State and Wisconsin—which could have major implications following Washington's 41-10 romp over Colorado. 

A Penn State victory would put the Nittany Lions in a nice spot based on their resume, which would feature victories over the Badgers and Ohio State Buckeyes during a run that could see head coach James Franklin's squad rattle off nine straight wins following a 2-2 start. 

Then there are the Badgers, who would have a conference title plus a season-opening win over the LSU Tigers in tow should they emerge victorious on Saturday night. However, Wisconsin does own losses against the Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines—who are the most interesting team remaining in the CFP conversation even though they're idle. 

Should Clemson lose, the Wolverines will be in an advantageous spot to clinch a CFP berth despite losses at Iowa and Ohio State based on the way the committee has discussed their standing publicly. 

"I think the separation there for four to seven is not a wide margin of separation, but specifically between Washington and Michigan, it's razor thin," CFP committee chair Kirby Hocutt said, per Sporting News' Bill Bender. 

Omitting the Big Ten champion could set a dangerous precedent, but considering the Wolverines thrashed Penn State by 39 points, staved off Wisconsin by a touchdown and is in higher standing in the eyes of the committee, it's not unreasonable to envision a scenario in which they sneak in. 

And while questions may linger regarding Ohio State's viability since Penn State beat the Buckeyes head-to-head, the selection committee seemed to tip its hand earlier in the week when the updated rankings were revealed. 

"Nothing has changed since last week," Hocutt said of Ohio State and Penn State, per Cleveland.com's Ari Wasserman. "I am saying that they are not close in the eyes of the selection committee." 

Beyond playoff scenarios, there's also concern that a Navy win over Temple in the American Athletic Conference title game could throw things for a loop. 

According to ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy, "if Navy wins the American and is in contention for the Group of 5 bid in a New Year's Six bowl, the College Football Playoff selection committee could delay announcing the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion team until Dec. 10 when Navy plays Army, six days after its final rankings are revealed."

As a result, panic is enveloping the bowl world before the Midshipmen meet the Owls. 

"I don't want to be un-American, but nearly everyone in the bowl industry, quite frankly, is rooting against Navy," a bowl official told McMurphy. 

So with uncertainty one of the few certainties on championship Saturday, it's time to sit back and watch the madness unfold.