Updated College Football Playoff and bowl projections

As we head into the final weekend of the regular season, here are our latest College Football Playoff and bowl projections.

We have — in projected order of final College Football Playoff ranking — Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Cincinnati as the four teams in the Playoff field.

The rationale: Georgia as the unbeaten SEC champ; Ohio State as the one-loss Big Ten champ; Oklahoma State as the once-beaten Big 12 champ; and Cincinnati as the unbeaten AAC champ (and the first Group of 5 representative to make the field). An unbeaten Cincinnati should be given the edge when compared with a twice-beaten Power 5 non-champion, and it also would edge out a two-loss ACC champ.

This week’s projected participants in the four other New Year’s Six bowls: Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon (Pac-12 champ) and Pitt (ACC champ).

The penultimate set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released next Tuesday night.

On to the projections.

College Football Playoff

DECEMBER 30

ORANGE BOWL
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
TV/time: ESPN, time TBA
Matchup: CFP semifinal
Projection: Georgia vs. Cincinnati

COTTON BOWL
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TV/time: ESPN, time TBA
Matchup: CFP semifinal
Projection: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma State

JANUARY 10

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV/time: ESPN, 8 p.m.
Matchup: CFP semifinal winners

The rest of the bowls

DECEMBER 17

BAHAMAS BOWL
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
TV/time: ESPN, noon
Conference matchup: Conference USA vs. MAC
Projection: FAU vs. Miami (Ohio)

CURE BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN2, 6 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: Old Dominion vs. Ball State

DECEMBER 18

BOCA RATON BOWL
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
TV/time: ESPN, 11 am
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: Liberty vs. Western Kentucky

NEW MEXICO BOWL
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque
TV/time: ESPN, 2:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Conference USA vs. Mountain West
Projection: UTEP vs. Utah State

LendingTree BOWL
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV/time: ABC, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Kent State vs. Troy

INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.
TV/time: ESPN, 5:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: BYU vs. C-USA
Projection: BYU vs. UTSA

L.A. BOWL
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
TV/time: ABC, 7:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Mountain West vs. Pac-12
Projection: San Diego State vs. UCLA

NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Superdome, New Orleans
TV/time: ESPN, 9:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: C-USA vs. Sun Belt
Projection: UAB vs. Louisiana

DECEMBER 20

MYRTLE BEACH BOWL
Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC or MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Western Michigan vs. Appalachian State

DECEMBER 21

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
TV/time: ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Eastern Michigan at Boise State

FRISCO BOWL
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
TV/time: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: Coastal Carolina vs. Fresno State

DECEMBER 22

ARMED FORCES BOWL
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
TV/time: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 or Big 12 or Pac-12 or C-USA or Army
Projection: Army vs. Wyoming

DECEMBER 23

GASPARILLA BOWL
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/time: ESPN, 7 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC or ACC or SEC or open
Projection: Louisville vs. Memphis

DECEMBER 24

HAWAII BOWL
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu
TV/time: ESPN, 8 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: SMU vs. Air Force

DECEMBER 25

CAMELLIA BOWL
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. C-USA or Sun Belt
Projection: Toledo vs. Georgia State

DECEMBER 27

QUICK LANE BOWL
Ford Field, Detroit
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. MAC
Projection: Marshall vs. Central Michigan

MILITARY BOWL
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC
Projection: East Carolina vs. Virginia

DECEMBER 28

BIRMINGHAM BOWL
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala.
TV/time: ESPN, noon
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC or SEC
Projection: Houston vs. Missouri

FIRST RESPONDER BOWL
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas
TV/time: ESPN, 3:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC or ACC or Big 12 or Pac-12
Projection: Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech

LIBERTY BOWL
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis
TV/time: ESPN, 6:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: West Virginia vs. Mississippi State

HOLIDAY BOWL
Petco Park, San Diego
TV/time: Fox, 8 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Wake Forest vs. Oregon State

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL
Chase Field, Phoenix
TV/time: ESPN, 10:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Big 12
Projection: Minnesota vs. Iowa State

DECEMBER 29

FENWAY BOWL
Fenway Park, Boston
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC
Projection: UCF vs. Boston College

PINSTRIPE BOWL
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Big Ten
Projection: Miami vs. Maryland

CHEEZ-IT BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN, 5:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Big 12
Projection: Clemson vs. Kansas State

ALAMO BOWL
Alamodome, San Antonio
TV/time: ESPN, 9:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection: Baylor vs. Utah

DECEMBER 30

DUKE’S MAYO BOWL
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
TV/time: ESPN, 11:30 a.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: NC State vs. South Carolina

MUSIC CITY BOWL
Nissan Stadium, Nashville
TV/time: ESPN, 3 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Purdue vs. Tennessee

PEACH BOWL
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV/time: ESPN, 7 p.m.
Conference matchup: New Year’s Six at-large teams
Projection: Ole Miss vs. Pitt

LAS VEGAS BOWL
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
TV/time: ESPN, 10:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State

DECEMBER 31

GATOR BOWL
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Florida State vs. Auburn

SUN BOWL
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
TV/time: CBS, 12:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection:  North Carolina vs. Washington State

ARIZONA BOWL
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
TV/time: TBA, 2 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Northern Illinois vs. Nevada

JANUARY 1

OUTBACK BOWL
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/time: ESPN2, Noon
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Penn State vs. Kentucky

CITRUS BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN2, 1 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Iowa vs. Texas A&M

FIESTA BOWL
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
TV/time: ESPN, 1 p.m.
Conference matchup: New Year’s Six at-large teams
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Michigan State

ROSE BOWL
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
TV/time: ESPN, 5 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Michigan vs. Oregon

SUGAR BOWL
Superdome, New Orleans
TV/time: ESPN, 8:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Oklahoma vs. Alabama

JANUARY 4

TEXAS BOWL
NRG Stadium, Houston
TV/time: ESPN, 9 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Texas Tech vs. Arkansas