College Football Bowl Projections after Week 12

After Week 12, we update our College Football Playoff projections, New Year’s Six Bowl projections, as well as complete bowl projections. 

For the most part, the College Football Playoff race is in the same spot it was last week. There are nine teams still in the mix.

The winner of Michigan and Ohio State will be in, assuming the winner of that game beats Iowa. Georgia or Alabama will also make the College Football Playoff as the representative of the SEC.

Then you have three leagues battling it out for two playoff spots. Florida State is going to have a tough game against Louisville in the ACC title game without Jordan Travis, if he’s unable to play, and Louisville could still finish 12-1.

If the Cardinal do win, my guess is that Texas (Big-12 champ) and Oregon (my projected Pac-12 champ) would be the other teams in the College Football Playoff.

Bowl Projections: College Football Playoff

National title game: Michigan vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Oregon

Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Florida State

Thoughts on College Football Playoff

I know people believe Alabama can beat Georgia, but I still think the Bulldogs are going to win that matchup. Ohio State and Michigan is tough to call. The Buckeyes will certainly have a better chance without Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines.

But we’ll stick with Michigan for now. That could change if there is more NCAA news this week about the alleged sign-stealing investigation. J.J. McCarthy also didn’t look healthy against Maryland. He’ll have to play better and the offense will need some imagination after two vanilla games against Maryland and Penn State.

Still, a win is a win at this time of year. And essentially, we have four quarterfinal games in the next two weeks — Michigan and Ohio State, Florida State and Louisville, Alabama and Georgia, Oregon and Washington. If Alabama knocks off Georgia, it could get interesting with Texas finishing 12-1, but it’s hard to see a team getting left out after winning the SEC and beating Georgia.

That could mean a 12-1 Oregon is left out, IF the Ducks beat Washington in the Pac-12 title game. So there’s a lot of football left to play and a lot that can happen.