Week 13 CFB Playoff & Bowl Projections
Week 13 CFB Playoff and bowl projections based on how the season is predicted to end. Let's start with what I predict the final CFB Playoff rankings to be through the highest-rated Group of Five team (Power Five teams need to be in the top 12 for at-large NY6 bowl consideration):
1) LSU (13-0)
2) Ohio State (12-1)
3) Clemson (13-0)
4) Utah (12-1)
5) Georgia (11-2)
6) Oklahoma (12-1)
7) Minnesota (11-2)
8) Michigan (10-2)
9) Florida (10-2)
10) Penn State (10-2)
11) Auburn (9-3)
12) Alabama (10-2)
13) Baylor (11-2)
14) Notre Dame (10-2)
15) Wisconsin (9-3)
16) Oregon (10-3)
17) Memphis (12-1)
These final rankings would result in the following playoff/Big Ten bowl pairings:
Peach Bowl National Semifinal
Utah (12-1) vs. LSU (13-0)
Fiesta Bowl National Semifinal
Clemson (13-0) vs. Ohio State (12-1)
*Rose Bowl
Oregon (10-3) vs. Minnesota (11-2)
**Sugar Bowl
Oklahoma (12-1) vs. Georgia (11-2)
***Orange Bowl
Virginia (9-4) vs. Florida (10-2)
****Cotton Bowl
Memphis (12-1) vs. Michigan (10-2)
Citrus Bowl
Wisconsin (9-3) vs. Alabama (10-2)
Outback Bowl
Auburn (9-3) vs. Penn State (10-2)
Holiday Bowl
USC (8-4) vs. Iowa (8-4)
Taxslayer Bowl
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Indiana (8-4)
Pinstripe Bowl
Florida State (6-6) vs. Nebraska (6-6)
Redbox Bowl
California (6-6) vs. Illinois (7-5)
Quick Lane Bowl
North Carolina (6-6) vs. Michigan State (6-6)
*=Rose Bowl selects highest-ranked Big Ten and Pac-12 teams available, which aren't in the playoff.
**=Sugar Bowl selects highest-ranked Big 12 and SEC teams available, which aren't in the playoff.
***=Orange Bowl selects highest-rated ACC team not in the playoff, versus the highest-ranked team from the SEC/Big Ten or Notre Dame.
****=Cotton Bowl selects highest-ranked team available vs. the highest-ranked Group of Five team.
Many of the Big Ten's bowl current bowl agreements restrict a team from playing in the game more than once in a five-year window whenever possible, and that was accounted for in how we slotted these teams.
