Bowl Predictions 2018: Updated Playoff CFP Projections Heading into Week 10

Week 9 was another bumpy ride for teams in the Top 25 with the upsets continuing to mount. Eleven teams in the Associated Press Top 25 lost on Saturday, adding to the chaos of the 2018 college football season. 

Due to the constant parade of upsets, bowl projections have been changing dramatically from week to week, and there's no end in sight. Week 10 features four games between ranked opponents, ensuring another handful of ranked teams go down again. 

Based on the current standings, here's a glance at how the College Football Playoff and the rest of the New Year's Six bowl games could look if the season ended today.

College Football Playoff Projections

Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Michigan

Orange Bowl: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

Despite a significant shakeup to the Top 25, the top of the polls remained relatively unchanged. Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame are all undefeated and safely in the playoff if they are able to run the table. 

The No. 4 seed remains a hotly contested position for now, but there should be some clarity after Week 10. 

The battle for No. 4 appears to be between Michigan and LSU. Since Michigan is the front-runner in the Big Ten, and suffered its only loss at the hands of undefeated Notre Dame, the Wolverines occupy the No. 4 slot for now. However, LSU is right on Michigan's heels and hosts Alabama on Saturday night. 

Should LSU pull off the upset over the Crimson Tide, it would be impossible to leave them out of the Top Four any longer.

Other New Year's Six Bowl Projections

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Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Washington State

Fiesta Bowl: Georgia vs. UCF

Peach Bowl: Kentucky vs. Penn State

Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma vs. LSU

One of the most significant losses by a ranked team in Week 9 was Washington's defeat at California. The Huskies had previously been front-runners in the Pac-12 and a likely participant in the Rose Bowl. Now with two conference losses, Washington has a steep hill to climb just to win the Pac-12 North. 

The Huskies loss opens the door for Washington State, which sits alone atop the Pac-12 North and boasts the best record in the conference at 7-1. Should the Cougars run the table, they would be in position to either earn a trip to the playoff or advance to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 2002 season. 

Kentucky's last-second victory over Missouri kept its New Year's Six dreams alive. The Wildcats haven't been selected to a current New Year's Six bowl since appearing in the Peach Bowl in 1993. 

Kentucky hosts Georgia on Saturday afternoon in a game that will likely decide the SEC East. Both teams currently sit at 5-1 in the conference and don't appear to have another substantial test on the schedule after Saturday. The winner of that game will have a shot at a playoff berth and, at worst, will likely land in one of the other major bowls. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention but could potentially remain in the mix for selection to a New Year's Six bowl if they run the table.