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ESPN Predicts College Football Playoff, Bowl Projections for 2015

By Patrick Schmidt

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ESPN released their bowl projections for the upcoming 2015 season because it’s never too early to look forward to bowl season. 

Spring football is over. The NFL Draft is over. Time to fast forward eight months ahead on the calendar and project who could be playing in the College Football Playoff and the rest of the bowl games this season.

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Mark Schlabach and Brett McMurphy looked into their crystal balls and have made their projections for bowl season, because of course it’s not way too early to make predictions that are sure to go wrong.

In total there are 41 bowl games this year and that doesn’t include the second ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Last year, Ohio State defeated Alabama and Oregon defeated Florida State in the first version of college football’s final four before the Buckeyes beat Marcus Mariota and the Ducks in convincing fashion to win the championship.

Will Ohio State make it two in a row this year? Let’s check out ESPN’s projections.

"Arizona Bowl (pending NCAA approval)Mark Schlabach: Old Dominion vs. WyomingBrett McMurphy: Air Force vs. UTEPAustin Bowl (pending NCAA approval)MS: SMU vs. Arkansas StateBM: Temple vs. Texas StateCure BowlMS: East Carolina vs. Appalachian StateBM: East Carolina vs. Appalachian StateR+L Carriers New OrleansMS: Air Force vs. Louisiana-LafayetteBM: Southern Miss vs. Louisiana-LafayetteGildan New Mexico BowlMS: Louisiana Tech vs. New MexicoBM: Louisiana Tech vs. WyomingRoyal Purple Las VegasMS: Washington vs. Utah StateBM: Stanford vs. Boise StateFamous Idaho Potato BowlMS: Bowling Green vs. San Jose StateBM: Central Michigan vs. Fresno StateRaycom Media Camellia BowlMS: Akron vs. South AlabamaBM: Western Michigan vs. Georgia SouthernMiami Beach BowlMS: UCF vs. Middle TennesseeBM: UCF vs. Western KentuckyBoca Raton BowlMS: Memphis vs. Western MichiganBM: Tulane vs. ToledoS.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia BowlMS: San Diego State vs. Ball StateBM: San Diego State vs. North CarolinaPopeyes Bahamas BowlMS: Marshall vs. ToledoBM: Middle Tennessee vs. Bowling GreenHawaii BowlMS: Houston vs. BYUBM: Houston vs. BYUZaxby’s Heart of Dallas BowlMS: Texas Tech vs. RiceBM: Rutgers vs. RiceQuick Lane BowlMS: Duke vs. MarylandBM: Pitt vs. IndianaSt. Petersburg BowlMS: Cincinnati vs. Western KentuckyBM: Cincinnati vs. MarshallMilitary Bowl Presented By Northrop GrummanMS: North Carolina vs. NavyBM: NC State vs. NavyIndependence BowlMS: Miami vs. FloridaBM: Duke vs. FloridaNew Era Pinstripe BowlMS: NC State vs. MinnesotaBM: Miami vs. IowaNational University Holiday BowlMS: UCLA vs. MichiganBM: UCLA vs. Penn StateAutoZone Liberty BowlMS: Kansas State vs. Mississippi StateBM: Kansas State vs. ArkansasRussell Athletic BowlMS: Georgia Tech vs. Oklahoma StateBM: Florida State vs. TexasAdvoCare V100 Texas BowlMS: Texas vs. Texas A&MBM: Oklahoma vs. Texas A&MFranklin American Mortgage Music City BowlMS: Louisville vs. Ole MissBM: Michigan vs. Mississippi StateBelk BowlMS: Virginia Tech vs. MissouriBM: Georgia Tech vs. TennesseeFoster Farms BowlMS: Iowa vs. Arizona StateBM: Minnesota vs. Arizona StateOutback BowlMS: Tennessee vs. WisconsinBM: Missouri vs. NebraskaLockheed Martin Armed Forces BowlMS: Rutgers vs. Colorado StateBM: Maryland vs. New MexicoCactus BowlMS: West Virginia vs. UtahBM: West Virginia vs. WashingtonBirmingham BowlMS: South Carolina vs. TempleBM: South Carolina vs. MemphisGoDaddy BowlMS: Northern Illinois vs. Georgia SouthernBM: Northern Illinois vs. Arkansas StateHyundai Sun BowlMS: Florida State vs. ArizonaBM: Virginia Tech vs. UtahChick-fil-A Peach BowlMS: Clemson vs. AlabamaBM: Clemson vs. GeorgiaVIZIO Fiesta BowlMS: Boise State vs. Notre DameBM: Utah State vs. Notre DameRose Bowl Game Presented By Northwestern MutualMS: Michigan State vs. USCBM: Michigan State vs. OregonAllstate Sugar BowlMS: Georgia vs. BaylorBM: Alabama vs. BaylorBuffalo Wild Wings Citrus BowlMS: Penn State vs. LSUBM: Wisconsin vs. LSUTaxSlayer BowlMS: Arkansas vs. NebraskaBM: Ole Miss vs. LouisvilleValero Alamo BowlMS: Oklahoma vs. StanfordBM: Oklahoma State vs. ArizonaGoodyear Cotton Bowl ClassicMS: TCU vs. OregonBM: TCU vs. USCCapital One Orange BowlMS: Ohio State vs. AuburnBM: Ohio State vs. AuburnCollege Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&TMS: Ohio State vs. TCUBM: Auburn vs. TCU"

Looks like Schlabach and McMurphy are predicting big things this year for Gus Malzahn and his Auburn Tigers as they both have them in the Orange Bowl, so they have Jeremy Johnson and Auburn holding off Alabama and the rest of the SEC to win that league’s championship and playing Ohio State in the playoff semifinal.

They are split on who wins that game with Schlabach picking Ohio State to play TCU for the championship while McMurphy has Auburn playing for their second championship within three years at the school, also against TCU.

Last year, the Horned Frogs were shutout of the playoff after they dropped from No. 3 in the rankings to No. 6 despite a 52-point win in their season finale against Iowa State. This year could be a revenge tour of sorts for Gary Patterson’s team who the projections see them facing either Oregon or USC from the Pac-12 in the playoff.

The ACC is left out of the playoff in these projections with Jameis Winston and 10 other players drafted into the NFL gone from last year’s team, the Florida State Seminoles aren’t the logical choice, but could Deshaun Watson lead the Clemson Tigers to the top four? How about Georgia Tech?

I any event, this is a very, very early projection and there is a lot that can happen in the next eight months to shake these up, but it is something fun to think and talk about in the dead of the offseason.

Next: Which QB can be No. 1 pick in 2016 NFL Draft?

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