Bowl Predictions 2017: College Football Playoff Predictions for Top Teams

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, meaning our annual turkey dinners will also be accompanied by some NFL action. But after Thanksgiving, most of the country's attention turns toward college football and how the playoff and bowl pictures play out.

With no major upsets happening in Week 12, the College Football Playoff picture hasn't changed much. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be informed with an updated playoff picture, right?

Here's a look at the bowl projections for the New Year's Six, including projections for the CFP and some quick analysis regarding two teams to keep an eye on as bowl season approaches. 

Projected College Football Playoff

1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Clemson Tigers
3. Oklahoma Sooners
4. Wisconsin Badgers

Bowl Projections

• College Football Playoff semifinal/Rose Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma
• College Football Playoff semifinal/Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Wisconsin 
• Orange Bowl: Miami vs. Georgia
• Cotton Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Penn State
• Fiesta Bowl: USC vs. TCU
• Cotton Bowl: Penn State vs. Notre Dame

Team on the Rise: UCF Knights

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Wait, UCF? The school Blake Bortles went to?

While that is true, that's not the reason why UCF is a powerhouse in college football. One of only four undefeated teams left in the country, the Knights pushed themselves into bowl conversation with another impressive victory Saturday, 45-19 over Temple.

Led by sophomore quarterback and dark-horse Heisman candidate McKenzie Milton, UCF has the most high-powered offense in the nation, sitting atop of college football by averaging 48.2 points per game.

Milton has been exceptional in his second season as a starter after earning the job under center in his freshman season. The former Hawaii Prep quarterback has had some eye-opening performances this season, and Saturday was no different.

Milton threw for 208 yards and four touchdowns, not to mention his rushing score. On the season, he has thrown for 2,928 yards, 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions. To put his numbers in perspective, only Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield (199.3) has a higher passer rating than Milton (186.1) does this season.

If UCF goes undefeated, they still probably won't get anywhere near the CFP picture unless the teams ahead of them fall apart down the stretch. But they could still make a New Year's Six bowl game. They deserve more respect for the way they have played this season.

Most Likely to Fall: Wisconsin Badgers

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As refreshing as it would be to see the Wisconsin Badgers in the CFP, they still have some rough games ahead of them before we all start to get excited about a possible Sugar Bowl invitation.

Wisconsin is getting set to play Minnesota in Week 13, a game the Badgers should win, but it then has to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road in what is essentially a winner-take-all fixture.

With a win over the Buckeyes, the Badgers should get a spot in the CFP semifinals. But a loss to Ohio State would surely knock them out of the picture while pushing OSU back into the conversation. The most interesting scenario would be if Wisconsin fell to Minnesota and then went on to beat Ohio State, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

It might not be fair to pick on and badger (pun intended) Wisconsin, but this is the world we live in. The team looked impressive against the hot-and-cold Michigan on Saturday in a 24-10 win. But what other wins do they have that will make the CFP decision-makers fall in love with them? 

The margin of error for Wisconsin is razor-thin. One slip-up, and the Badgers can kiss their CFP dreams goodbye. One thing that is for certain, however, is we all can't wait to see how the dominoes fall. 

All stats courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.