My four projected College Football Playoff picks – Clemson, Georgia, Alabama and Utah – remain unbeaten and unchallenged, so the top of my bowl projections haven’t changed.
There was some movement in my New Year’s 6 bowl projections, though. Notre Dame would earn a bid to the Orange Bowl where the Irish would get a regular season rematch against Virginia. The Irish and Cavaliers meet on Sept. 28.
Also, Auburn moves into my New Year’s 6 bowls, playing in the Cotton Bowl against Memphis, my projected highest-ranked Group of 5 champion.
In the non-New Year’s 6 bowls, I have two newcomers in this week’s projections and both are two of college football’s newest FBS programs: Conference USA’s Charlotte to the Bahamas Bowl and Sun Belt’s Coastal Carolina to the Cure Bowl.
On to this week’s projections:
College Football Playoff
Championship – Jan. 13 (CFP semifinal winners)
Projection: Clemson vs. Georgia
Semifinals
Peach Bowl – Dec. 28 (CFP semifinal)
Projection: Clemson (CFP No. 1) vs. Alabama (CFP No. 4)
Fiesta Bowl – Dec. 28 (CFP semifinal)
Projection: Georgia (CFP No. 2) vs. Utah (CFP No. 3)
New Year’s 6 bowls
Rose Bowl – Jan. 1 (Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
Projection: Ohio State vs. Washington State
Sugar Bowl – Jan. 1 (Big 12 vs. SEC)
Projection: Oklahoma vs. LSU
Orange Bowl – Jan. 1 (ACC vs. SEC/Big Ten/Notre Dame)
Projection: Virginia vs. Notre Dame
Cotton Bowl – Dec. 28 (at-large vs. Group of 5*)
Projection: Auburn vs. Memphis*
Other Bowls
Citrus Bowl – (Big Ten vs. SEC)
Projection: Wisconsin vs. Texas A&M
Outback Bowl – (Big Ten vs. SEC)
Projection: Penn State vs. Florida
Gator Bowl – (Big Ten/ACC vs. SEC)
Projection: Nebraska vs. South Carolina
Holiday Bowl – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
Projection: Michigan vs. Cal
Liberty Bowl – (Big 12 vs. SEC)
Projection: Kansas State vs. Boston College**
Redbox Bowl – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
Projection: Iowa vs. Washington
Sun Bowl – (ACC vs. Pac-12)
Projection: Duke vs. Arizona State
Military Bowl – (ACC vs. American)
Projection: Syracuse vs. Navy
Arizona Bowl – (Mountain West vs. Sun Belt)
Projection: Wyoming vs. UL-Monroe
Belk Bowl – (ACC vs. SEC)
Projection: Miami vs. Mississippi State
Alamo Bowl – (Big 12 vs. Pac-12)
Projection: Texas vs. Oregon
Camping World Bowl – (ACC vs. Big 12)
Projection: Wake Forest vs. Oklahoma State
Music City Bowl – (ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC)
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Texas Tech
Texas Bowl – (Big 12 vs. SEC)
Projection: TCU vs. Kentucky
Pinstripe Bowl – (ACC vs. Big Ten)
Projection: North Carolina vs. Michigan State
Independence Bowl – (ACC vs. SEC)
Projection: NC State vs. North Texas**
Cheez-It Bowl – (Big 12 vs. Pac-12)
Projection: Iowa State vs. Arizona
Quick Lane Bowl – (ACC vs. Big Ten)
Projection: Pitt vs. Northwestern
First Responder Bowl – (Big 12 vs. C-USA)
Projection: Baylor vs. Marshall
Hawaii Bowl – (AAC vs. BYU)
Projection: SMU vs. BYU
Dollar General Bowl – (MAC vs. Sun Belt)
Projection: Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia State
Armed Forces Bowl – (Big Ten vs. Mountain West)
Projection: Maryland vs. Air Force
Birmingham Bowl – (American vs. SEC)
Projection: UCF vs. Minnesota**
Idaho Potato Bowl – (MAC vs. Mountain West)
Projection: Toledo vs. San Diego State
Bahamas Bowl – (C-USA vs. MAC)
Projection: Charlotte vs. Northern Illinois
Gasparilla Bowl – (American vs. C-USA)
Projection: Cincinnati vs. Southern Miss
Frisco Bowl – (American vs. Open)
Projection: Tulane vs. Army
Boca Raton Bowl – (American vs. MAC)
Projection: Houston vs. Ohio
New Orleans Bowl – (C-USA vs. Sun Belt)
Projection: Louisiana Tech vs. Appalachian State
Camellia Bowl – (MAC vs. Sun Belt)
Projection: Western Michigan vs. Louisiana
Las Vegas Bowl – (Mountain West vs. Pac-12)
Projection: Boise State vs. USC
Cure Bowl – (American vs. Sun Belt)
Projection: Temple vs. Coastal Carolina
New Mexico Bowl – (C-USA vs. Mountain West)
Projection: UAB vs. Hawaii
*-The highest-rated champion from the Group of Five conferences (American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt) will be selected to play in the Cotton Bowl.
**-Replaces team from league that can’t fill bowl.