College Football Playoff and bowl projections prior to Week 6

Peach Bowl Dec. 30:  Notre Dame vs Clemson

The ACC conference is terrible this year. Wake Forrest is the highest-ranked team right now and the league could be fortunate to have a top-20 program by the end of the season.

There’s a ton of parity, especially with Clemson taking a step back but the Tigers got an important win at Boston College and I’m not ready to count them out yet.

Sugar Bowl Jan. 1: Ole Miss vs Texas

How exciting could this possible matchup be? It’s also possible that Arkansas comes here, although some fans may not like it, the rivalry would draw a huge crowd and would be an electric atmosphere.

But this projection tips my hand about how I feel this weekend’s game between Ole Miss and Arkansas could go, so I’ve got the Rebels here along with Texas as the No. 2 team in the Big 12.

Rose Bowl Jan 1: Oregon vs Penn State

Oregon is still in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth, but it’s going to need some help, especially from the Big 12 and possibly the Big Ten.

The SEC looks like a strong bet to get two teams into the field because no one can really debate that Georgia and Bama are the two best teams right now.

I gave Iowa the edge in the playoff and am giving them the edge in the game Saturday. The Nittany Lions still land in a good spot though.

Fiesta Bowl Jan. 1: Ohio State vs Cincinnati

This would certainly be an interesting matchup. The Bearcats are hoping to play their way into the College Football Playoff and the win over Notre Dame helps, but it might not be enough.

Chaos in the Big Ten would help and just in general. The Bearcats should root for Texas this weekend, as well as every team in the Pac-12 not named Oregon.

If the Big 12, Pac-12, and Big Ten champions all have two losses, which could be a stretch, the Bearcats might actually go. Otherwise, it will be back to the New Year’s Six.