Bowl Projections 2017: Predictions for CFP and New Year's Six Bowls

With just two weeks remaining in college football's regular season, the playoff race remains murky. 

At least eight teams are solidly in the playoff picture, with a few others holding out hope if some surprising upsets occur down the stretch. 

The eventual winners of the SEC and ACC should be considered locks to advance to the playoffs, but the other two slots are more difficult to figure out. 

We'll get some insight into how the committee is thinking when it releases its latest rankings on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. For this set of projections, however, we'll try to skip ahead two weeks and take a stab at how the playoff and the other New Year's Six bowls will eventually play out at season's end. 

Projected College Football Playoff

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State

Rose Bowl: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Oklahoma

Alabama and Clemson remain the favorites in their conferences and will almost certainly remain at No. 1 and No. 2 if they win out. Oklahoma also controls its own destiny and should slide into No. 3 if it runs the table. 

No. 4, however, will be a hotly debated slot, regardless of what happens over the next two weeks. 

Ohio State sat at No. 9 in last week's rankings, but the Buckeyes may be in the best position to take the fourth seed.

If Ohio State runs the table, four teams ahead of them are guaranteed to suffer at least one more loss. Here's a rundown of that scenario and the four games that would clear space for Ohio State's rise:

• No. 9 Ohio State beats No. 5 Wisconsin in Big Ten championship game
• No. 1 Alabama plays No. 6 Auburn on Saturday
• No. 2 Clemson plays No. 3 Miami in ACC championship game
• Alabama/Auburn winner plays No. 7 Georgia in SEC championship game

In this scenario, the Buckeyes will be the next highest-ranked conference champion, which likely earns them a spot in the playoff. 

It's worth mentioning, however, that it's possible the committee could prefer a one-loss non-conference-champion over the two-loss Buckeyes. Alabama and Miami are both possibilities to get into the playoff even if they come up short in pursuit of a conference title. 

Other New Year's Six Bowls Projections

Rich Schultz/Associated Press

Peach Bowl: Auburn vs. UCF

Orange Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Miami

Fiesta Bowl: Georgia vs. USC

Cotton Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Penn State

Due to the logjam at the top of the rankings, we will be treated to some exciting matchups in the remaining New Year's Six bowls.

Each of the conference championship game losers will likely end up in these slots, along with the Pac-12 champion and a few other at-large teams.

One of the most exciting matchups could feature UCF, which remains undefeated. 

The Knights' schedule hasn't earned them consideration for a playoff berth, but they will have an opportunity to face off against one of the elite teams if they run the table. The highest-ranked Group of Five school is guaranteed a spot in the New Year's Six Bowls, and UCF is in the driver's seat for that honor.