College Bowl Picks 2016-17: Predictions for Biggest Matchups After Poll Release
The long-awaited College Football Playoff matchups were announced Sunday, and it would be a shock if undefeated Alabama is not playing for the national championship Jan. 9.
Its opponent will go through a much tougher battle. While the Crimson Tide will play the Washington Huskies in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, Clemson and Ohio State meet in the Fiesta Bowl later that night.
The game between the Tigers and the Buckeyes could become a classic because these teams appear so even, and the winner will almost certainly meet the undefeated Crimson Tide.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
These two CFP matchups are the highlights of the bowl season prior to the national title game, but several of the other bowl games could turn out to be classics that live on in the memory and the annals of college football for years to come.
Start off with traditional powerhouses Michigan and Florida State meeting in the Orange Bowl in Miami on Dec. 30.
| Orange Bowl | Dec. 30 | Michigan vs. Florida State | Michigan |
| Peach Bowl | Dec. 31 | Alabama vs.Washington | Alabama |
| Fiesta Bowl | Dec. 31 | Ohio State vs.Clemson | Ohio State |
| Cotton Bowl | Jan. 2 | Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin | Wisconsin |
| Rose Bowl | Jan. 2 | USC vs. Penn State | USC |
| Sugar Bowl | Jan. 2 | Oklahoma vs. Auburn | Oklahoma |
Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines were literally inches from a spot in the playoffs as they nearly stopped Ohio State in double overtime in their final game of the regular season. A fourth-down play came down to a measurement and a replay that went in Ohio State's favor, leading to the Buckeyes' game-winning touchdown.
The Wolverines thrived under the leadership of quarterback Wilton Speight, and he has completed 62.5 percent of his passes and has a 17-to-6 TD-to-interception ratio.
The quarterback tried to put a positive spin on the matchup with Florida State. “We put ourselves in this position to leave it up to other people. Four points away from sitting here in front of you guys undefeated," Speight told the assembled media Sunday afternoon (h/t Angelique S. Chengelis of the Detroit News). "It’s tough, but at the same time we’ve got a lot to prove and we can really make a statement in Miami.”
The Seminoles got off to a slow start that included a shocking 63-20 loss to Louisville. Give Florida State credit, because the team bounced back steadily from that point forward.
If the Seminoles can beat Michigan, they will record their fifth straight season of 10 wins or more. Junior running back Dalvin Cook is a game-changing player who has run for 1,620 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Rose Bowl features Big Ten champion Penn State and Pac-10 powerhouse USC. After the Nittany Lions defeated Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, there were more than a few observers who thought that James Franklin's team deserved to be a CFP participant.
To his credit, Franklin did not stomp his feet and throw a fit after the matchups were announced on the selection show. In an interview afterward, he said his team was looking forward to meeting the Trojans, a team that has been on fire with nine straight wins since starting the season with a 1-3 mark.
Penn State has shown the tendency to come from behind in the second half, and that was never more the case than it was in the Big Ten title game. The Nittany Lions were down 28-7 in the second quarter before roaring back to earn a 38-31 triumph.
The Nittany Lions also came into prominence when they defeated Ohio State 24-21 and handed the Buckeyes their only loss of the season. Penn State features quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley, and both are capable of taking over games. McSorley has a 25-to-5 TD-to-interception ratio, while Barkley has run for 1,302 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Undefeated and relatively unheralded Western Michigan from the Mid-American Conference will take on Big Ten runner-up Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.
Western Michigan should have a huge chip on its collective shoulder because the Broncos were never given any significant consideration for the playoffs. Nevertheless, P.J. Fleck's team has shown the ability to score from anywhere on the field and features an NFL-caliber receiver in Corey Davis, who caught 91 passes for 1,427 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Wisconsin had a magnificent season that few saw coming. Its only losses were to Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, and all three were by seven points.
The Badgers have a tendency to play old-school, power football, and that game plan has been quite successful behind the running of Corey Clement. The 5'11", 227-pound running back ran for 1,304 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
Linebacker T.J. Watt may not be as dominant as brother J.J. is at the NFL level, but he has the speed and quickness to wreak havoc when he gets his hands on the quarterback or ball-carrier.
High-powered Oklahoma will meet Auburn in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 in New Orleans.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is one of the top offensive threats in the nation, and he has had a remarkable season with 3,669 passing yards and a 38-to-8 TD-to-interception ratio for the Sooners this season.
While Oklahoma has had issues on defense all season, it improved in that area during the final weeks of the regular season. It was at its best in the second half of the regular-season finale against archrival Oklahoma State. It held the Cowboys to just three points and secured the victory.
Auburn does not have the firepower to match Oklahoma, but the Tigers have a hard-hitting and nasty defense that can slow down Mayfield's production. If running back Kamryn Pettway (1,123 yards, 6.1 yards per carry) can get the job done consistently and help keep the Sooners' offense off the field, the Tigers should have an excellent chance to win this game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
