Bowl Projections 2019: CFP Predictions Ahead of Saturday's Week 14 Matchups

Ohio State's shift up to No. 1 in Tuesday's College Football Playoff rankings made it the front-runner to finish there December 8. 

The Buckeyes continue a challenging three-game stretch Saturday versus Michigan. They beat Penn State last week and will face the Minnesota-Wisconsin winner in the Big Ten Championship Game. 

LSU is the only playoff contender with a comparable resume, and it may be able to earn back the top position by beating Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. 

If the top three teams win out, Clemson will likely slide into the No. 3 seed because it does not boast a collection of Top 25 victories. 

Georgia enters Week 14 at No. 4, but if it loses to LSU, then Alabama, Utah and Oklahoma will be involved in a heated debate for the last playoff spot. 

Bowl Projections

College Football Playoff 

Peach Bowl (December 28): No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Utah

Fiesta Bowl (December 28): No. 2 LSU vs. No. 3 Clemson

Ohio State was expected to compete for the No. 1 seed, but not until it racked up a few more Top 25 wins to have a more comparable resume to LSU. 

With that thought process thrown away, the Buckeyes have to be considered the favorite for the top playoff seed, which would keep them away from Clemson in the national semifinal round. 

Ryan Day's team possesses a trio of ranked victories over Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State, as well as a Week 2 triumph over a Cincinnati team fighting for the Group of Five New Year's Six position. 

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If you add in potential wins over No. 13 Michigan and either No. 8 Minnesota or a second victory over No. 12 Wisconsin, the Buckeyes' resume carries six quality victories. 

Additionally, the Big Ten East champion dispensed of every opponent to date by double digits, which is something LSU can't claim. 

What Ed Orgeron's team does have on its resume is four Top 10 wins and a handful of commanding victories over lesser opposition. 

However, the Tigers downed Texas, Florida, Auburn and Alabama by a combined 29 points and showed some defensive holes by allowing 57 points in the last two weeks to Ole Miss and Arkansas. 

But they still have a chance to gain ground with No. 4 Georgia on the docket in the SEC Championship Game. 

A convincing triumph over the Bulldogs may be enough to persuade the committee to place the Tigers back at No. 1. 

If the Buckeyes and Tigers continue to play at their dominant pace, the decision for the No. 1 seed will come down to slim margins, but it should lean in favor of Ohio State after Tuesday's decision to put it on top. 

All Clemson has to do is beat a declining South Carolina team and three-loss ACC Coastal champion Virginia to earn a chance to defend its crown. 

Dabo Swinney's side has six straight 45-point performances and four consecutive 50-plus point outings. 

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

The one thing holding it back from the No. 1 or No. 2 seeds is its strength of schedule, as it bested a single ranked foe, and that was Texas A&M in Week 2. 

To their credit, the Tigers have proved throughout ACC play that they are the superior program in the conference. 

If Ohio State, LSU and Clemson lock into the first three spots, that leaves Utah, Alabama and Oklahoma fighting for the No. 4 spot with Georgia down to two losses. 

Utah is the only one of the three that has matched the consistent dominance of the top three, as it held five of its last six opponents to single digits. 

The problem facing Utah is its lack of quality wins and Oregon's loss to Arizona State, which makes its best possible win now over No. 14, instead of No. 6, in the Pac-12 Championship Game. 

Kyle Whittingham's team can claim it has a better loss than Oklahoma. It fell to 8-4 USC, who landed at No. 22 Tuesday, while the Sooners fell to a 7-4 Kansas State squad trending in the wrong direction. 

Alabama possesses the better defeat since it dropped a five-point result to LSU, but it has not been as imposing as the Utes. 

If the Crimson Tide struggle to beat Auburn Saturday, they could lose the eye-test argument while picking up their first win over a Top 15 squad. 

Utah and Oklahoma have the advantage of playing in a conference championship game, and if the Utes control Oregon, they should get in. 

A conference championship combined with a consistent run of dominant play and a Top 15 win to finish the campaign should be enough to boost the Utes over Alabama while fending off Oklahoma. 

New Year's Six 

Cotton Bowl (December 28): Memphis vs. Penn State 

Orange Bowl (December 30): Virginia vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl (January 1): Oregon vs. Minnesota

Sugar Bowl (January 1): Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Other Bowls

Bahamas Bowl (December 20): Charlotte vs. Toledo

Frisco Bowl (December 20): Temple vs. Southern Miss

New Mexico Bowl (December 21): Florida International vs. San Diego State

Cure Bowl (December 21): Tulane vs. Arkansas State

Boca Raton Bowl (December 21): Liberty vs. Western Michigan 

Camellia Bowl (December 21): Central Michigan vs. Georgia State 

Las Vegas Bowl (December 21): Washington State vs. Boise State 

New Orleans Bowl (December 21): Marshall vs. Appalachian State 

Gasparilla Bowl (December 23): SMU vs. Western Kentucky 

Hawaii Bowl (December 24): BYU vs. Hawaii 

Independence Bowl (December 26): Florida State vs. Louisiana Tech 

Quick Lane Bowl (December 26): Ohio vs. North Carolina

Military Bowl (December 27): Miami vs. Navy 

Pinstripe Bowl (December 27): Pittsburgh vs. Illinois 

Texas Bowl (December 27): Iowa State vs. Kentucky 

Holiday Bowl (December 27): Indiana vs. Washington 

Cheez-It Bowl (December 27): Kansas State vs. Wyoming 

Camping World Bowl (December 28): Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State 

First Responder Bowl (December 30): TCU vs. Florida Atlantic 

Music City Bowl (December 30): Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee 

Redbox Bowl (December 30): Michigan State vs. Arizona State 

Belk Bowl (December 31): Louisville vs. Mississippi State 

Sun Bowl (December 31): Wake Forest vs. California 

Liberty Bowl (December 31): Texas vs. Cincinnati 

Arizona Bowl (December 31): Nevada vs. Georgia Southern 

Alamo Bowl (December 31): Baylor vs. USC 

Citrus Bowl (January 1): Iowa vs. Florida 

Outback Bowl (January 1): Wisconsin vs. Auburn 

Birmingham Bowl (January 2): UAB vs. UCF 

Gator Bowl (January 2): Michigan vs. Texas A&M 

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (January 3): Eastern Michigan vs. Utah State 

Armed Forces Bowl (January 4): Buffalo vs. Air Force 

LendingTree Bowl (January 6): Miami (Ohio) vs. Louisiana