Bowl Projections 2020: Latest Predictions for CFP Final and Most Dangerous Teams

For most of the 2020 college football season, we have had a good idea of which four teams will participate in the College Football Playoff. 

However, as we saw on Saturday with the Florida Gators' loss to the LSU Tigers, there is always room for something unexpected to happen. 

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes appear to be the safest playoff selections, while the winner of the ACC Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish should be in there as well. 

If Notre Dame hands Clemson its second loss, though, or an upset occurs in the SEC or Big Ten, there are a few dangerous teams lurking beneath the top four that could wreak havoc in the playoff. 

The Texas A&M Aggies have been at No. 5 for a few weeks and could be a tough No. 4 seed to beat if they get into the playoff. 

The USC Trojans are playing the best football of any team on the west coast, and if results go in their favor, they may make a late playoff push and be a difficult opponent for one of the top two seeds. 

Bowl Projections

Al Goldis/Associated Press

College Football Playoff

Sugar Bowl (January 1): No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame

Rose Bowl (January 1): No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State

National Championship (January 11): No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Ohio State

New Year's Six

Cotton Bowl (December 30): Iowa State vs. Georgia

Peach Bowl (January 1): Cincinnati vs. Florida

Fiesta Bowl (January 2): USC vs. Indiana

Orange Bowl (January 2): North Carolina vs. Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Texas A&M has been waiting patiently at No. 5 for one of the top four teams to slip up. 

The Aggies are on a six-game winning streak that should become seven on Saturday with a victory over the struggling Tennessee Volunteers. 

During that run, Jimbo Fisher's team held three of its six opponents under 20 points. It limited the South Carolina Gamecocks and Auburn Tigers to single digits. 

Kellen Mond may not be as dynamic as Mac Jones, Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence or Ian Book, but he has been a steady, experienced hand in the pocket all season. 

Running back Isaiah Spiller, who is 103 yards from 1,000, provides a good complement to the quarterback in the Texas A&M offense. 

Defensively, the Aggies rank in the top 10 of rushing yards allowed per game at 100.8, and they may be able to contain at least one facet of a potential playoff foe's offense. 

Texas A&M's playoff resume could come into question because it fell 52-24 to Alabama on October 3, but it has shown improvements on both sides of the ball since that loss. 

For the Aggies to make a push up to No. 4, they need Clemson to lose to Notre Dame. That could set up a second matchup with Alabama, or the committee could arrange the rankings so that two first-time matchups occur this season. 

If Clemson beats Notre Dame by a close margin and both ACC teams get in, the Aggies' consolation prize could be an Orange Bowl matchup with the North Carolina Tar Heels, who claimed the No. 3 spot in the ACC on Saturday via a controlling performance against the Miami Hurricanes. 

USC

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

USC is the ultimate wild-card in the playoff picture right now. 

The Trojans ran through their five-game Pac-12 schedule unscathed and could finish as one of the few undefeated power-five conference champions. 

USC's playoff viability may be determined on Tuesday during the latest College Football Playoff rankings release. A week ago, USC moved up five positions to No. 15, and it may be in line for another sizable leap after its win over the UCLA Bruins and losses by Florida and Miami. 

It would still take a lot for Clay Helton's team to reach the final four, but there is a possible scenario in which Clemson, Texas A&M, the Cincinnati Bearcats and Iowa State Cyclones all lose in Week 16. 

If that occurs, the selection committee would be left to choose from undefeated USC, the two-loss Oklahoma Sooners, a one-loss Indiana Hoosiers team without a conference title and possibly the undefeated Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. 

The selection committee has shown its preference to power five teams through its existence and USC could be the perfect opponent for the No. 1 seed. 

Kedon Slovis leads an offense that produced a season high 43 points on Saturday and has talent that could be matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London and Tyler Vaughns would be hard for any secondary to cover and the Trojons have a decent running game through Vavae Malepeai. 

To convince the committee of their playoff status, the Trojans need to win convincingly in the Pac-12 Championship Game over the Oregon Ducks on Friday night. Then they have to hope results fall in their favor. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.