Week 12 College Football Playoff projections
Week 11 of the 2014 college football season has come and gone, and the first-ever College Football Playoff continues to take shape.
The 12-person selection committee dropped Florida State from the No. 2 spot, elevating Oregon to that slot, but there shouldn't be any reason for the Seminoles to worry if they continue to win. Meanwhile, TCU has jumped Alabama, although the Crimson Tide will likely make a move into the top four with a win this week against Mississippi State.
I offered my projections for all 39 bowl games last week. Today, let's take a look at how I think the 'New Year's Six' bowl games will look by the end of the season.
Wednesday, December 31
12:30 p.m. Peach Bowl
4 p.m. Fiesta Bowl
8 p.m. Orange Bowl
Thursday, January 1
12:30 p.m. Cotton Bowl
5 p.m. Rose Bowl
8:30 p.m. Sugar Bowl
The College Football Playoff, which debuts this season, will feature the top four teams as selected by the 12-person selection committee. The Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl will host the first semifinals, which will pair No. 1 versus No. 4 and No. 2 versus No. 3, respectively. The winners of those games will meet in the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, on January 12, 2015.
Will Baylor's head-to-head win over TCU eventually allow the Bears to pass the Horned Frogs? Can Ohio State get into the mix with some help? Is Arizona State the scariest team in the country? Below is how I think the major bowl games could look at the end of the year:
Note: One team from the so-called Group of Five (American Athletic, MAC, Mountain West, Conference USA and Sun Belt) will get chosen for either the Cotton, Fiesta or Peach Bowl.
The College Football Playoff
Semifinal—Rose (Pasadena): No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 4 TCU
Semifinal—Sugar (New Orleans): No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Florida State
National Championship—(Arlington): The winners of the two semifinals meet
The CFP Selection Committee bowl games
Dec. 31 Peach (Atlanta): Georgia (At-Large) vs. Marshall (At-Large)
Dec. 31 Orange (Miami): Clemson (ACC) vs. Mississippi State (Big Ten/SEC/Notre Dame)
Dec. 31 Fiesta (Glendale): Arizona State (At-Large) vs. Ohio State (At-Large)
Jan. 1 Cotton (Arlington): Baylor (At-Large) vs. Ole Miss (At-Large)
Dave Miller, the college football editor for the National Football Post, is on Twitter @Miller_Dave.
