Bowl Predictions 2021: College Football Playoff Predictions for Top Teams
The College Football Playoff picture is the clearest it has been all season.
The Oregon Ducks and Michigan State Spartans fell out of contention with blowout losses Saturday.
With one week left in the regular season, there are seven programs that can make a case to be in the national semifinals.
By December 5, there could be as few as four teams that deserve to make the College Football Playoff.
There are a handful of major games for the CFB Playoff picture between now and the bracket reveal. Two of them take place Saturday. The Ohio State Buckeyes visit the Michigan Wolverines in an elimination game out of the Big Ten, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys will try to keep their slim hopes alive in Bedlam against the Oklahoma Sooners.
A week later, the SEC Championship Game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide will determine how many teams get in from that conference.
If Georgia continues its dominant run, the Big Ten champion and an undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats team will be guaranteed of playoff spots, but the final position would be up for debate with Oregon out of the way.
Bowl Predictions
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College Football Playoff
Orange Bowl (December 31):Â No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
Cotton Bowl (December 31):Â No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Cincinnati
New Year's Six
Peach Bowl (December 30):Â Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss
Fiesta Bowl (January 1):Â Oklahoma vs. Michigan State
Rose Bowl (January 1):Â Oregon vs. Michigan
Sugar Bowl (January 1):Â Oklahoma State vs. Alabama
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
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Welcome to the playoff discussion, Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish checked in at No. 8 in Tuesday's CFB Playoff rankings, but they have a clear path to at least No. 5 over the next two weeks.
The Week 12 losses suffered by Oregon and Michigan State should move up the Irish to No. 6. The loser of Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan game will leave the top of the rankings and put Notre Dame at No. 5.
The next domino that has to fall is Alabama losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, which is a real possibility considering the latter's dominance this season. Alabama struggled to put away the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, while Georgia cruised to yet another victory over FCS program Charleston Southern.
Notre Dame outscored its past three opponents 117-9 and should produce another blowout in Week 13 versus the Stanford Cardinal.
Brian Kelly's team will finish the season at 11-1, with its only loss coming at home to Cincinnati, which is expected to be in the playoff.
A one-loss Notre Dame with a defeat to Cincinnati should move ahead of a two-loss Alabama if Georgia wins the SEC Championship Game.
An unexpected loss from the Ohio State-Michigan winner or Cincinnati would only help Notre Dame's playoff case, but as of now, the Irish could get in with just an Alabama loss.
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Cincinnati
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Ohio State and Cincinnati looked like top-three programs Saturday.
The Buckeyes did everything they wanted to against Michigan State's wretched passing defense, and Cincinnati blew out SMU on home soil.
The pair of Ohio schools made it clear which programs are the second- and third-best behind Georgia, and the final CFB Playoff rankings should show that.
Both teams still have hurdles to clear in the next two weeks, but if they play like they did Saturday, no opponent will stop them.
Ohio State visits Michigan on Saturday. The Buckeyes have never lost to the Wolverines since Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach in 2015.
Cincinnati's toughest remaining test comes in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game against the Houston Cougars, who have won 10 straight games.
If the dominant versions of the Buckeyes and Bearcats from Saturday show up in the next two weeks, we should see an all-Ohio semifinal.
Ohio State and Cincinnati will likely move up to Nos. 2 and No. 3, respectively, with an Alabama loss to Georgia.
If that occurs, Notre Dame should remain ahead of the Oklahoma State Cowboys to take the No. 4 seed.
