Updated College Football Playoff and bowl projections

As we head into the 10th week of the season and the start of the final month of the regular season, here is our fourth set of College Football Playoff and bowl projections.

We have — in projected order of College Football Playoff ranking — Georgia, Ohio State, Cincinnati and Michigan State 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; Cincinnati as the unbeaten AAC champ (and the first Group of 5 representative to make the field); and Michigan State as a one-loss at-large team, with the lone loss to Ohio State.

This week’s projected participants in the four other New Year’s Six bowls: Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma (Big 12 champ), Oklahoma State, Oregon (Pac-12 champ), Texas A&M and Wake Forest (ACC champ).

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night.

On to the projections. (Note: * refers to replacement team because projection is league won’t be able to fill the slot.)

College Football Playoff projections

DECEMBER 30

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

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

CURE BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN2, 6 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: FAU vs. Liberty

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: Georgia State 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. Air Force

LendingTree BOWL
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV/time: ABC, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Miami (Ohio) vs. South Alabama

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. USC

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 vs. C-USA or Army
Projection: Nevada vs. Army

DECEMBER 23

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

DECEMBER 24

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

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. ULM

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. Louisville

DECEMBER 28

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

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: SMU vs. Washington State

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

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

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

DECEMBER 29

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

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

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

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

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. Auburn

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

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

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

DECEMBER 31

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

SUN BOWL
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
TV/time: CBS, 12:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Boston College vs. UCLA

ARIZONA BOWL
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
TV/time: TBA, 4:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Northern Illinois vs. Utah State

JANUARY 1

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

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

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. Texas A&M

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, time TBA
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Texas vs. Mississippi State