Bowl Predictions 2020: Full Projections for CFP Final and More Top Games

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes need to avoid the same fate as Friday's conference championship game favorites to secure positions in the College Football Playoff.

On Friday, all three underdogs won in the Conference USA, the Pac-12 and MAC title showdowns. The Pac-12 loss by the USC Trojans threw a new wrench in the New Year's Six picture.

The Clemson Tigers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish enter Saturday's meeting needing a win to feel safe about a playoff position. Notre Dame won the first game between the teams Nov. 7, but Clemson has looked strong since that loss.

If Alabama and Ohio State take care of business in the SEC and Big Ten, the primary playoff decision from the selection committee will come down to the ACC result.

A Clemson win could keep the same top four from Tuesday's CFB Playoff rankings in the playoff. A Notre Dame victory would open the door for the Texas A&M Aggies to make their first playoff appearance.

Bowl Predictions for Top Games

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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

New Year's 6

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

Peach Bowl (January 1): Cincinnati vs. Georgia

Fiesta Bowl (January 2): Oregon vs. Indiana

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

CFB Playoff Semifinals

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Assembling the collection of playoff teams seems like a fairly easy task for the selection committee.

After the Florida Gators' loss to the LSU Tigers in Week 15, six teams can make legitimate cases to land in the final four based off Tuesday's rankings.

Alabama and Ohio State are in with victories in the SEC and Big Ten Championship Games. The Crimson Tide should be the No. 1 overall seed if they win, while the Buckeyes should move up from No. 4 to No. 3, with either Clemson or Notre Dame guaranteed to lose.

If Clemson wins by a close margin, the committee could be persuaded to keep Notre Dame, whose only resume blemish would be a loss to the Tigers, at No. 4.

In that situation, four of the most recognizable programs in college football would do battle on New Year's Day in the playoff semifinals at the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl.

Things could get messier for the committee if Notre Dame eliminates Clemson from playoff contention. There should not be a playoff path for Dabo Swinney's side if it falls twice to the Fighting Irish.

There are two options to complete the field if Clemson loses, and the most logical one would be to move up Texas A&M from No. 5.

In that situation, the committee may rearrange the rankings to place the Aggies at No. 3 to avoid a rematch between them and Alabama. Nick Saban's side won their regular-season clash with Texas A&M handily. That would set up Alabama-Ohio State and Clemson-Texas A&M semifinal matchups.

The committee could also make a bold move and have the the potential Big 12 champion Iowa State Cyclones leapfrog Texas A&M if it believes the Aggies would lose again to Alabama.

However, that situation would likely be avoided if Clemson defeats Notre Dame and the top four from Tuesday's rankings remain the same but in a different order.

CFB Final: Alabama vs. Clemson

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There may still be some fatigue among the national audience from watching Alabama and Clemson play almost every year in the playoff, but there is a chance we see the Crimson Tide and Tigers line up across from each other again in the CFP National Championship.

If that occurs, it would be the fourth title matchup between the SEC and ACC powers since the playoff format was instituted for the 2014-15 season. They also met once in a semifinal.

Given the state of the rankings, it does not appear that Clemson and Alabama will meet each other in the Sugar Bowl or Rose Bowl.

If Clemson wins the ACC, it should jump from No. 3 to No. 2 and force Notre Dame to drop a few spots and potentially slide into a Sugar Bowl meeting with the Crimson Tide.

Another Alabama-Clemson title match would pit the two best players in the country against each other. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and either Mac Jones or DeVonta Smith from Alabama should win the Heisman Trophy.

The Crimson Tide seem to be a shoo-in for the National Championship since they have been the most dominant program in the country this season. They have two Heisman favorites, and an argument could be made for Najee Harris to be in that conversation as well.

Clemson played its best football in the two games after the Notre Dame loss and is the only program that can match Alabama's experience at the playoff level.

Although it may seem boring to see the same championship matchup again, Alabama vs. Clemson would have fresh storylines, new faces and could deliver the best title game possible.