Bowl Projections 2019: CFP Predictions After Latest Playoff Rankings

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season were released earlier this week, and there was one clear surprise—Clemson, the undefeated reigning national champions, are on the outside looking in.

The Tigers were ranked No. 5 in the CFP rankings behind Ohio State, LSU, Alabama and Penn State, all of which are also undefeated. In order for Clemson to climb into the top four and return to the College Football Playoff, it's going to need to win out and do so in impressive fashion.

There could be some big shakeups coming in the CFP rankings in the weeks to come. LSU and Alabama face off on Saturday, while Ohio State and Penn State will go head-to-head on Nov. 23. Those games will likely have a big impact on which of those teams get into this year's playoff.

Heading into Week 11 of the college football season, here's a look at the current bowl projections for the College Football Playoff and the rest of the New Year's Six games.

Bowl Projections

College Football Playoff

Peach Bowl (Dec. 28): Alabama vs. Clemson

Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 28): Ohio State vs. LSU

New Year's Six

Cotton Bowl (Dec. 28): Cincinnati vs. Baylor

Orange Bowl (Dec. 30): Wake Forest vs. Florida

Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1): Oklahoma vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1): Oregon vs. Penn State

While Alabama is currently in the College Football Playoff—and it will certainly stay there with a win over LSU—it's far from a lock that the Crimson Tide will make it there this season.

If Alabama loses at home to LSU on Saturday, its CFP chances could take a big hit. The Crimson Tide were No. 3 in the first rankings, likely because their schedule hasn't been too difficult so far this year. None of their first eight games have been against a team that is currently ranked.

Alabama plays Auburn in its regular-season finale on Nov. 30, but if that ends up being its only impressive victory of the season, the CFP selection committee will have an interesting conversation about whether the Crimson Tide should get in.

Meanwhile, LSU may not need a win on Saturday to reach the College Football Playoff. If the Tigers win, they should easily be in, as they also have quality victories over Florida and Auburn. Those wins may be enough to give LSU a convincing argument to still reach the CFP as the No. 3 or No. 4 seed even if it loses to Alabama.

Ohio State has cruised to an 8-0 start, which included a dominant win over Wisconsin in its last game. That's likely why the Buckeyes were atop the first edition of the CFP rankings.

As long as Ohio State keeps winning like this, it shouldn't have a problem staying there. However, the Buckeyes still have a huge game against Penn State on Nov. 23, followed by a tough road matchup at Michigan in their regular-season finale on Nov. 30.

Penn State could also make things interesting if it beats Ohio State. There's a potential scenario in that case in which the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes could both make the CFP. It should be exciting to see how things unfold in the Big Ten and how that will impact the playoff landscape.

If Alabama or Penn State loses its key games and slides out of the top four, that should give Clemson an opportunity to move its way up. The Tigers likely won't lose again this season, and they'll notch a solid win over Wake Forest in the process. That could be enough to give them a more convincing argument for future CFP rankings.

Another team to keep an eye on is Georgia, which was at No. 6 in the first CFP rankings. The Bulldogs may have a bad home loss to South Carolina, but they also own wins over Notre Dame and Florida. If they win out, including defeating either Alabama or LSU in the SEC Championship Game, there could be an argument for them to make the College Football Playoff.