Early predictions for College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six bowls

Fiesta Bowl

If Oklahoma State football had won on Saturday, the College Football Playoff committee would have had an interesting decision on its hands: Cincinnati or Oklahoma State?

The Cowboys would have had a slew of very good wins and won a major conference. But we’ll never know because Mike Gundy’s team choked away a Big 12 championship with four turnovers and a terrible offensive performance. Twice in the second half, Oklahoma State had the ball inside the five yard-line of Baylor and got three points.

Now, the Cowboys will take on fifth-ranked Notre Dame who missed the playoff by one game. The loss to Cincy doomed the Irish but they likely would have made it had Georgia beaten Alabama.

I guess even when Notre Dame needs a favor from the SEC, it still can’t get one.

This will also be the first game for new head coach Marcus Freeman. Many expected Luke Fickell or maybe Matt Campbell to get a shot.

Instead, it’s Freeman who has coached an outstanding defense this season. The Cowboys have a stellar defense too, but Spencer Sanders will make too many mistakes and the Irish will finish off the season 12-1.