Bowl Projections 2017: CFP Predictions Ahead of Saturday's Key Games

The Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn has a chance to be one of the most exciting games of the season. But does it truly matter to the Crimson Tide?

Anyone who has a familiarity with Alabama head coach Nick Saban knows that every time his team takes the field, it's important to come out on top.

However, undefeated Alabama is on its way to the College Football Playoff whether it wins or loses against its archrival.

The only likely exception to that is if the Crimson Tide were to endure a blowout loss of 28 points or more, or suffer a number of debilitating injuries to key players. But the top-ranked Crimson Tide will be in the CFP barring either of those scenarios.

While the Auburn Tigers are an excellent team under head coach Gus Malzahn that has already beaten the previously unbeaten Georgia Bulldogs, the best it can hope for is a tight victory. The Tigers are playing at home, so that should be an advantage, but the Crimson Tide are simply too talented, deep and experienced to let the game get away.

We see Alabama holding on to its top spot in the CFP rankings after beating Auburn in the regular-season finale and Georgia in the SEC title game.

We see the Crimson Tide being joined by Clemson, Wisconsin and Oklahoma in the semifinal games of the College Football Playoffs.

The Miami Hurricanes were second in the most recent CFP rankings, but they suffered their first defeat of the season Friday at the hands of the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pitt kept the Miami offense in check throughout, and the Hurricanes were not able to break out their turnover chain as they suffered a 24-14 loss.

Miami still has a shot at earning a spot in the CFP, but it will have to beat Clemson next week and hope the breaks go its way.

Miami head coach Mark Richt said his team still has a chance for a solid finish despite the loss to Pittsburgh. 

"I still think there's an awful lot to play for," Richt said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "We have no idea what's going to happen in the big picture, how many teams lost a game on a Friday and came back and got in the top four? How many teams lost one game and won a conference championship and got right back in it? Who knows? So we don't know."

However, if they lose to Clemson, they are unlikely to get a chance to play in the other elite bowl games. Getting a shot at the Orange, Fiesta, Cotton or Peach Bowls is unlikely if the Hurricanes enter the bowl season with two consecutive losses.

Rainier Ehrhardt/Associated Press

Projected College Football Playoff Participants

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

CFP Matchups

• College Football Playoff semifinal/Rose Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma
• College Football Playoff semifinal/Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Wisconsin 

In addition to the playoffs, here's our look at how the other key bowl games will play out.

Top Bowl Projections

• Orange Bowl: TCU vs. Miami
• Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. USC
• Cotton Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Penn State
• Peach Bowl: UCF vs. Georgia

Morry Gash/Associated Press

If Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma are going to take the top four spots in the CFP rankings, this is how we see that developing

While Alabama doesn't need to do it in order to take a top-four spot, we expect the Crimson Tide to beat Auburn and Georgia. Miami will almost certainly be fired up and ready to play in the ACC title game after losing to Pitt, but we expect Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers to handle everything the Hurricanes have to offer and win the game.

Oklahoma should be able to handle West Virginia without much trouble in the regular-season finale. Beating TCU in the Big 12 title game will be much tougher, but Baker Mayfield is the best quarterback in the nation and the Sooners will find a way to get by the Horned Frogs.

Wisconsin has a relatively easy regular-season finale Saturday against Minnesota, but the Badgers will have anything but an easy game against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

The undefeated Badgers will likely be underdogs against the twice-defeated Buckeyes, largely because Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has had a brilliant year by throwing for 2,698 yards with 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

However, both of Ohio State's losses were blowouts. The Buckeyes got beaten 31-16 at home by Oklahoma in Week 2, and Iowa took them to the woodshed by a 55-24 score.

The Badgers have done it with Jonathan Taylor running the ball and a powerful defense, and Wisconsin rarely makes mistakes. That's why the Badgers should earn the Big Ten title, finish the season with an undefeated record and earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs.