Bowl Games 2016-17: Predictions for Most Exciting Matchups on the Schedule

With the 2016 college football regular season officially closed, a huge slate of bowl games are on tap, and many of them appear to be among the year's most intriguing matchups.

The College Football Playoff is at the forefront, as No. 4 Washington will clash with No. 1 Alabama in the Peach Bowl, and No. 3 Ohio State will meet No. 2 Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl with the winners moving on to play for the national championship.

The CFP doesn't tell the entire story, though, as there are many more exciting bowl battles coming up, including the Rose Bowl tilt involving USC and Penn State.

As bowl season starts to kick into high gear, here are breakdowns and predictions for the most highly anticipated bowls of 2016-17.

Peach Bowl: Washington vs. Alabama

Alabama is a heavy favorite to win the Peach Bowl and to repeat as the national champion, but Washington could prove to be a stiffer test than expected.

The Huskies are undoubtedly the best offensive team 'Bama have faced all season long, and they are led by quarterback Jake Browning, who missed out on a Heisman invite despite a dominant season that has put him on the brink of Pac-12 history, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Browning is helped by a pair of productive receivers in John Ross and Dante Pettis, who have combined for 31 touchdown catches this season, as well as running backs Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman, who have combined for over 2,000 rushing yards.

Washington is going up against the best defense in the nation, though, as Alabama surrendered more than 16 points in a game just twice all season.

It went one month without surrendering a touchdown prior to the SEC Championship Game against Florida, and it is equally good at scoring touchdowns defensively as it is at shutting down opposing offenses, per ESPN's Mike & Mike:

A big reason for that is the play of defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, who is arguably the best defensive player in college football and figures to be among the top players selected in the 2017 NFL draft.

As evidenced by this stat courtesy of Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo, Browning may struggle to find a rhythm in the Peach Bowl due to Allen's presence alone:

Ole Miss had some success against Alabama earlier in the year by spreading the defense out, and that is something Washington is capable of.

Based on how complete Bama is on both sides of the ball, however, including the play of freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts, it is difficult to imagine the Tide falling short of the national championship game.

Prediction: Alabama 31, Washington 17

Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Clemson

While Alabama versus Washington in the Peach Bowl has plenty of cachet, the Fiesta Bowl meeting between Ohio State and Clemson is arguably even more intriguing due to how evenly matched the teams appear to be on paper.

The Buckeyes are two years removed from emerging from the first-ever CFP as national champions, while the Tiger reached the national championship game last season and fell just short in a thriller against the Crimson Tide.

OSU is the better defensive team having not given up more than 27 points in a single game this season, but Clemson's high-octane offense is far more capable of lighting up the scoreboard on a consistent basis.

That starts with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is among the top Heisman Trophy candidates with 3,914 passing yards and 43 total touchdowns.

He is dangerous in all situations, but especially tough to handle in downs and distances that usually favor the defense, according to ESPN's Marty Smith:

Although Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett enjoyed a solid season that saw him account for 33 touchdowns, he struggled as a passer down the stretch and made most of his positive plays with his legs.

As pointed out by ESPN's Booger McFarland, Ohio State has a big gap to make up under center in order to give Clemson a run:

It is important to note, though, that the Buckeyes have enjoyed a great deal of success against Heisman finalists this season, per Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors:

Ohio State's best bet to win may be running the football with regularity and keeping Watson off the field. It has the personnel needed to do so, as running backs Mike Weber and Curtis Samuel have combined for nearly 1,800 yards rushing.

Clemson has a great ground game in its own right, however, with Wayne Gallman, and its receiving corps is stacked with studs such as Mike Williams, Deon Cain, Artavis Scott and tight end Jordan Leggett.

The Buckeyes have head coach Urban Meyer and a championship pedigree, but Clemson simply has too many weapons for OSU to handle.

Prediction: Clemson 38, Ohio State 34

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State

While pride will be on the line rather than a championship when USC and Penn State meet in the Rose Bowl, it can be argued that the Trojans and Nittany Lions are both playing at a CFP-worthy level currently.

The Trojans started the season just 1-3 and seemed in store for an awful season, but they are 8-0 since, including handing Washington its only loss of the season.

Penn State is 9-0 since starting off 2-2, and that run includes being the only team to beat Ohio State, as well as defeating Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Freshman quarterback Sam Darnold's play and maturation over the course of the season is arguably the biggest reason for USC's success, along with a defense that has given up 27 or less points in eight consecutive games.

The driving force on that defense is cornerback Adoree' Jackson, who was snubbed as a Heisman Trophy finalist despite putting up numbers comparable to Charles Woodson's Heisman-winning season, per USC athletics' official Twitter account:

While Jackson and the USC defense has proved difficult to move the ball on as of late, Penn State may have the answer.

The Nittany Lions were led by the excellent play of running back Saquon Barkley for most of the year, but quarterback Trace McSorley has emerged in a big way over the past couple of weeks.

Between the regular-season-closing win over Michigan State and the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin, McSorley averaged 380 yards and four touchdowns per contest.

As seen in this video, McSorley played like a man possessed in the second half against the Badgers:

McSorley is only a sophomore, and he is trending toward becoming a potential Heisman candidate next season. Another dominant game in the Rose Bowl could go a long way toward establishing him as the favorite and Penn State as a college football power once again.

Prediction: Penn State 27, USC 24

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