Bowl Predictions 2018: Projecting College Football Playoff Field After Week 7
Week 7 produced the most chaotic set of results of the college football season, but it also gave us the most clarity we have had regarding the College Football Playoff picture.
While there are questions surrounding many programs, one thing is for sure: Alabama is in a class of its own.
Beneath the Crimson Tide sits a trio of playoff contenders that can all win out and secure a spot in the four-team playoff.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The playoff hopefuls who lost ground Saturday can do one thing, and that's root for even more chaos in the coming weeks so they can get back into the conversation.
Bowl Projections
College Football Playoff
Cotton Bowl (December 29): No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Clemson
Orange Bowl (December 29): No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
New Year's Six
Peach Bowl (December 29): UCF vs. Florida
Fiesta Bowl (January 1): Oklahoma vs. Washington
Rose Bowl (January 1): Michigan vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl (January 1): Texas vs. LSU
Other Bowls
New Mexico Bowl (December 15): San Diego State vs. Florida Atlantic
Cure Bowl (December 15): Army vs. Arkansas State
Las Vegas Bowl (December 15): Fresno State vs. Utah
Camellia Bowl (December 15): Toledo vs. Georgia Southern
New Orleans Bowl (December 15): UTSA vs. Western Michigan
Boca Raton Bowl (December 18): Temple vs. Marshall
Frisco Bowl (December 19): Houston vs. BYU
Gasparilla Bowl (December 20): Memphis vs. UAB
Bahamas Bowl (December 21): Ohio vs. Florida International
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (December 21): Boise State vs. Northern Illinois
Birmingham Bowl (December 22): South Florida vs. Vanderbilt
Armed Forces Bowl (December 22): Navy vs. Baylor
Dollar General Bowl (December 22): Buffalo vs. Appalachian State
Hawaii Bowl (December 22): Hawai'i vs. Middle Tennessee State
First Responder Bowl (December 26): Indiana vs. Pittsburgh
Quick Lane Bowl (December 26): Virginia vs. Illinois
Cheez-It Bowl (December 26): Texas Tech vs. USC
Independence Bowl (December 27): Florida State vs. South Carolina
Pinstripe Bowl (December 27): Maryland vs. Boston College
Texas Bowl (December 27): TCU vs. Missouri
Music City Bowl (December 28): Syracuse vs. Tennessee
Camping World Bowl (December 28): Miami vs. Iowa State
Holiday Bowl (December 28): Stanford vs. Iowa
Alamo Bowl (December 28): West Virginia vs. California
Belk Bowl (December 29): Virginia Tech vs. Mississippi State
Arizona Bowl (December 29): Utah State vs. Troy
Military Bowl (December 31): Duke vs. Cincinnati
Sun Bowl (December 31): Colorado vs. NC State
Redbox Bowl (December 31): Northwestern vs. Washington State
Liberty Bowl (December 31): Oklahoma State vs. Auburn
Gator Bowl (December 31): Michigan State vs. Texas A&M
Outback Bowl (January 1): Kentucky vs. Penn State
Citrus Bowl (January 1): Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Top 4 Teams in Great Shape
Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Clemson are the clear favorites to qualify for the College Football Playoff for now.
Until another round of chaos shakes up the rankings again, these are the four best teams in the country.
Alabama continued to roll toward the SEC Championship with a home win over Missouri in Week 7.
The next two games are critical for the Crimson Tide, as they face a Tennessee team coming off the high of beating Auburn on the road and travel down to LSU for the game that will decide the SEC West title.
If Nick Saban's team clears both hurdles, it should be able to knock off the weakened Mississippi State and Auburn to get to Atlanta to face whichever team survives the crowded SEC East.
Ohio State wasn't as dominant as expected against Minnesota at home, but a win is a win. And it's much better than the alternative result that other top teams suffered.
Playing Michigan at home is a big break for the Buckeyes, who would face Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship if form holds.
Notre Dame pulled off an escape act at home versus Pittsburgh to stay undefeated, and the only way the Fighting Irish can feel safe about their playoff prospects is to continue winning against an easy set of opponents.
Clemson's major test comes in Week 8, as it takes on NC State in a battle of unbeaten teams in the ACC Atlantic Division.
A win over their toughest remaining opponent should put Dabo Swinney's team in good standing ahead of the ACC Championship.
Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson are all projected to face significantly weaker opponents in their respective conference championships, which makes the next few gameweeks even more important to build up their respective resumes.
How Close Will UCF Get to Top 4?
It's time to start unraveling your playoff conspiracy theories as to why the UCF Knights won't get into the final four once again this season.
Because of all the carnage from Week 7, the Knights could end up as high as No. 6 when the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll are released Sunday afternoon.
In theory, that would mean the Knights need to win out and hope two teams ahead of them lose somewhere between now and December.
Even if they don't receive respect in the polls, the Knights are the top Group of Five team, which would get them into a New Year's Six bowl game.
If UCF ends the regular season with zero defeats, it would have wins over a pair of ranked teams, as fellow unbeaten teams South Florida and Cincinnati await on the back end of its schedule.
If everything plays out in the Knights' favor, they would have a case to sneak into the No. 4 seed, but we will find out Sunday afternoon just how seriously everyone is taking them.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
