College Football Playoff 2017-18: Full Bowl Schedule, Championship Predictions

After a wild and unpredictable regular season, bowl schedule is in full swing, and it won't be long before the top four teams in college football battle it out for supremacy.

Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama are the final teams standing in the national title race, and two of those teams will meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game following the semifinal Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl clashes.

Here is a rundown of when and how to watch every bowl game leading up to the CFP semis, as well as predictions for how all three College Football Playoff bowls will shake out.

2017 Bowl Schedule (All Times ET)

Thursday, Dec. 21

Gasparilla Bowl (8 p.m., ESPN): Temple vs. FIU

Friday, Dec. 22

Bahamas Bowl (12:30 p.m., ESPN): UAB vs. Ohio

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (4 p.m., ESPN): Central Michigan vs. Wyoming

Saturday, Dec. 23

Birmingham Bowl (12 p.m., ESPN): USF vs. Texas Tech

Armed Forces Bowl (3:30 p.m., ESPN): San Diego State vs. Army

Dollar General Bowl (7 p.m., ESPN): Appalachian State vs. Toledo

Sunday, Dec. 24

Hawaii Bowl (8:30 p.m., ESPN): Fresno State vs. Houston

Tuesday, Dec. 26

Heart of Dallas Bowl (1:30 p.m., ESPN): Utah vs. West Virginia

Quick Lane Bowl (5:15 p.m., ESPN): Duke vs. NIU

Cactus Bowl (9 p.m., ESPN): Kansas State vs. UCLA

Wednesday, Dec. 27

Independence Bowl (1:30 p.m., ESPN): Florida State vs. Southern Miss

New Era Pinstripe Bowl (5:15 p.m., ESPN): Boston College vs. Iowa

Foster Farms Bowl (8:30 p.m., Fox): Arizona vs. Purdue

Texas Bowl (9 p.m., ESPN): Texas vs. Missouri

Thursday, Dec. 28

Military Bowl (1:30 p.m., ESPN): Virginia vs. Navy

Camping World Bowl (5:15 p.m., ESPN): Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech

Alamo Bowl (9 p.m., ESPN): Stanford vs. TCU

Holiday Bowl (9 p.m., FS1): Michigan State vs. Washington State

Friday, Dec. 29

Belk Bowl (1 p.m., ESPN): Texas A&M vs. Wake Forest

Sun Bowl (3 p.m., CBS): Arizona State vs. NC State

Music City Bowl (4:30 p.m., ESPN): Kentucky vs. Northwestern

Arizona Bowl (5:30 p.m., CBSSN): New Mexico State vs. Utah State

Cotton Bowl Classic (8:30 p.m., ESPN): Ohio State vs. USC

Saturday, Dec. 30

TaxSlayer Bowl (12 p.m., ESPN): Mississippi State vs. Louisville

Liberty Bowl (12:30 p.m., ABC): Iowa State vs. Memphis

Fiesta Bowl (4 p.m., ESPN): Penn State vs. Washington

Orange Bowl (8 p.m., ESPN): Wisconsin vs. Miami

Monday, Jan. 1

Outback Bowl (12 p.m., ESPN2): Michigan vs. South Carolina

Peach Bowl (12:30 p.m., ESPN): Auburn vs. UCF

Citrus Bowl (1 p.m., ABC): Notre Dame vs. LSU          

Rose Bowl (5 p.m., ESPN): Oklahoma vs. Georgia

Sugar Bowl (8:45 p.m., ESPN): Clemson vs. Alabama

Monday, Jan. 8

College Football Playoff National Championship (8 p.m., ESPN)

Rose Bowl Prediction

The Rose Bowl will present a true clash of styles when No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia meet with a spot in the national title game on the line.

The Sooners rank fourth in the nation in scoring this season with 44.9 points per game behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield, while the Bulldogs have the nation's No. 4 defense with 13.2 points allowed per contest.

Georgia has allowed 20 or more points in a game just twice this season, and opponents have scored 13 or fewer in five of its past six games.

Conversely, Oklahoma hasn't scored fewer than 29 points in a game this season, including at least 38 in seven straight.

Although Georgia's defense is great, it didn't encounter many top-flight offenses or quarterbacks playing in the SEC.

The perception is that there isn't much defense played in the Big 12, but Oklahoma has faced some strong defensive teams this season, including TCU, Iowa State and non-conference Ohio State, all of which ranked in the top 30 in points allowed.

Mayfield has largely shown himself to be matchup-proof in recent years, meaning Georgia's best defense may be controlling the ball and the clock on offense.

The Bulldogs have the personnel to do so, as Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and D'Andre Swift have combined for well over 2,500 rushing yards this season.

The biggest issue for Georgia is avoiding falling behind because it will be difficult to be successful in a shootout pitting freshman quarterback Jake Fromm against Mayfield.

Due to the roll Mayfield has been on all season long, look for Oklahoma to outclass Georgia offensively and punch its ticket to the title game.

Prediction: Oklahoma 38, Georgia 27

Sugar Bowl Prediction

In a rematch of the past two CFP National Championship Games, No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Alabama will meet in the Sugar Bowl with a title-game berth hanging in the balance.

Alabama is largely unchanged on the offensive side of the ball compared to last season, and although it experienced a great deal of turnover on defense, it still ranks first in the nation with just 11.5 points allowed per game.

Clemson has leaned on its offense in recent years, but following quarterback Deshaun Watson and others leaving for the NFL, it has become a defense-first team. The Tigers are second in the country defensively with 12.8 points allowed per game, meaning the Sugar Bowl has all the makings of a defensive struggle.

The Crimson Tide and Tigers also have similarities on offense, as they lean heavily on dual-threat quarterbacks.

Jalen Hurts has thrown for 1,940 yards, 15 touchdowns and just one interception this season, while rushing for 768 yards and eight scores for Bama.

Kelly Bryant was under a great deal of pressure to replace Watson, and while his passing numbers are nowhere near as eye-popping, he has enjoyed a strong year. He has registered 2,678 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions through the air, along with 646 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

The biggest difference-maker may be how the running backs fare for each team since the Sugar Bowl promises to be a grind-it-out game.

Alabama is led by Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough, while Clemson will primarily lean on Travis Etienne and Tavien Feaster.

Much like last season, the Tide have been careful with Scarbrough in terms of limiting his touches. That resulted in nearly 300 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his two CFP game appearances last season.

Scarbrough is a workhorse who can wear down opposing defenses over the course of a game, and if Alabama head coach Nick Saban decides to lean on him after keeping him fresh all season long, the Tide have a great chance to get revenge for last season's title-game loss.

Prediction: Alabama 24, Clemson 20

CFP National Championship Prediction

Provided Oklahoma and Alabama take care of business in their respective semifinals, it will set the stage for a National Championship Game pitting an elite offense and a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback against the top defense in the nation.

A similar matchup occurred last season, and it resulted in Clemson winning a high-scoring affair, which suggests the Crimson Tide can be scored on.

For as great as Alabama is defensively, it hasn't been challenged by a great offense all season long, especially one with a top-notch quarterback.

Oklahoma has an efficient, quick-hitting offense that is also capable of making chunk plays due to Mayfield's remarkable accuracy down the field.

Based on how Alabama is constructed, it can't afford to get in a shootout with Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide often took the ball out of Hurts' hands from a throwing perspective and instead asked him to do much of his damage with his legs.

If the Sooners can find a way to get on top early and have some success stopping the run defensively, Alabama doesn't have a potent enough passing game to catch up.

Watson was able to pick apart Alabama's vaunted defense en route to a national title win last season, and Mayfield will do the same this season to fittingly cap an incredible collegiate career that he began as a walk-on.

Prediction: Oklahoma 31, Alabama 21