Bowl Projections 2017: Postseason Predictions, College Football Playoff Outlook
As unpopular as this may sound to some college football fanbases, the first College Football Playoff rankings played out according to plan in the eyes of many.
Georgia, with a quality win over Notre Dame in hand, topped Alabama with Notre Dame and Clemson in line behind the pair of SEC powerhouses. The entire top 25 can be found here.
While it's fun to speculate about potential matchups in December and January now, there's still a whole lot of meaningful football to be played.
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It's unlikely the top four remains the same when the final ranking is released, but for now these are the four best teams in the country.
Here's a look at the current playoff outlook as well as how the New Year's Six games will shape up plus a look at the rest of the bowl games.
College Football Playoff Outlook
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Clemson
By virtue of their win over No. 3 Notre Dame on September 9, the Georgia Bulldogs took the top spot in the first release of the playoff rankings.
With the Rose and Sugar Bowls being the two semifinal options, the Bulldogs will most likely land in New Orleans if they remain atop the standings and down Alabama in what appears to be a colossal showdown in the SEC Championship.
Despite the loss to Syracuse on October 13, the Clemson Tigers have one of the best resumes of the playoff contenders, which helped them land at No. 4 on Tuesday night.
The health of quarterback Kelly Bryant was an issue for the Tigers after he suffered a concussion against Syracuse, but he bounced back with 207 passing yards against Georgia Tech last weekend. Dabo Swinney's team has a pair of ranked victories over Virginia Tech and Auburn, and it could have a third on Saturday against NC State.
If Clemson runs the table, it will have a spot in the playoff waiting for it. If that occurs, the Tigers will have four wins over teams in the AP Top 25, the final one would come in the ACC Championship against a potentially undefeated Miami (FL) or in a rematch against Virginia Tech.
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
The Rose Bowl is all about tradition, and it would have plenty of it this season if Alabama and Notre Dame remain in the top four.
Normally reserved for Big Ten and Pac-12 teams, the Rose Bowl will most likely host teams from other conferences, or an independent in the case of Notre Dame.
Both the Crimson Tide and Fighting Irish are standing in the way of teams like Oklahoma, Ohio State and Penn State, and their presence in the top four, especially Notre Dame's, would alter how the New Year's Six bowls play out.
While a matchup between two titans of the college game would be wonderful, especially for the television executives and the playoff committee, there's a good chance it might not happen.
Alabama has a tough November and Georgia awaiting it in the SEC Championship. One has to assume if Alabama runs the table, it will take over the No. 1 spot and Georgia will tumble a few spots.
From the Notre Dame perspective, it has to win out to secure a spot in the playoff, but that won't be easy with road trips to Miami (FL) and Stanford on the schedule.
Remaning New Year's Six Bowl Projections
Goodyear Cotton Bowl (December 29): Penn State vs. TCU
Playstation Fiesta Bowl (December 30): Washington vs. Oklahoma
CapitalOne Orange Bowl (December 30): Miami (FL) vs. Ohio State
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (January 1): UCF vs. Wisconsin
Remaining Bowl Projections
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (December 16): Marshall vs. Idaho
AutoNation Cure Bowl (December 16): Georgia State vs. Louisiana Monroe
Las Vegas Bowl (December 16): UCLA vs. Wyoming
Gildan New Mexico Bowl (December 16): Southern Miss vs. Colorado State
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (December 16): Akron vs. Troy
Boca Raton Bowl (December 19): UConn vs. UAB
Frisco Bowl (December 20): Houston vs. Western Michigan
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (December 21): SMU vs. North Texas
Popeye's Bahamas Bowl (December 22): FIU vs. Northern Illinois
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (December 22): Toledo vs. Boise State
Birmingham Bowl (December 23): Colorado vs. USF
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (December 23): Army vs. Florida Atlantic
Dollar General Bowl (December 23): Ohio vs. Appalachian State
Hawai'i Bowl (December 24): Memphis vs. Fresno State
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl (December 26): Texas Tech vs. Maryland
Quick Lane Bowl (December 26): Minnesota vs. Wake Forest
Cactus Bowl (December 26): Kansas State vs. Oregon
Walk On's Independence Bowl (December 27): Louisville vs. Arkansas
New Era Pinstripe Bowl (December 27): Nebraska vs. Syracuse
Foster Farms Bowl (December 27): Northwestern vs. Washington State
Advocare V100 Texas Bowl (December 27): Texas vs. Florida
Military Bowl (December 28): Navy vs. Arizona State
Camping World Bowl (December 28): West Virginia vs. Virginia
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl (December 28): Iowa vs. Arizona
Valero Alamo Bowl (December 28): Iowa State vs. USC
Belk Bowl (December 29): Georgia Tech vs. Texas A&M
Hyundai Sun Bowl (December 29): Stanford vs. NC State
Music City Bowl (December 29): Boston College vs. Kentucky
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl (December 29): San Diego State vs. Arkansas State
TaxSlayer Bowl (December 30): LSU vs. Virginia Tech
AutoZone Liberty Bowl (December 30): Oklahoma State vs. South Carolina
Outback Bowl (January 1): Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl (January 1): Michigan State vs. Auburn
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