College Football Playoff, New Year's Six bowl game projections: Week 9

I come this week to apologize. Since we started this exercise, I’ve had Penn State occupying a College Football Playoff spot. I did this because I’d predicted all offseason that the Nittany Lions would finally level up and prove capable of competing with Ohio State and Michigan at the top of the Big Ten.

Saturday in Columbus disabused me of that notion. While Penn State’s defense is there, Penn State’s offense is nowhere near ready to compete with the titans of the Big Ten. I whiffed on that one, and I’ll adjust the projections accordingly.

Also, you’re probably going to wonder why North Carolina is sitting in an Orange Bowl slot after losing to Virginia. While that loss doesn’t give me much confidence in the Tar Heels going forward, I had to put an ACC team in the Orange Bowl because that’s what the Orange Bowl’s contract states. I’m projecting Florida State to win the ACC and make the CFP, so I can’t use the Seminoles. North Carolina still has the league’s second-best record, so the Tar Heels get that spot for now.

College Football Playoff

Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Oklahoma
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Florida State

New Years Six Games

Orange Bowl: North Carolina vs. Alabama
Peach Bowl: Washington vs. Penn State
Fiesta Bowl: Air Force vs. Oregon
Cotton Bowl: Texas  vs. Ohio State