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Preseason New Year's Six bowl projections ahead of the 2016 season. These are the teams expected to be among the nation's best this year.
Blessed be the day, college football season is right around the corner. Why not, then, make some preseason College Football Playoff and New Year's Six bowl projections? After all, football is what happens while you're busy making other predictions - I'm pretty sure John Lennon said that.
Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl Projection: Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Since getting absolutely obliterated by West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl, Dabo Swinney and Clemson have grown quite fond of the postseason game. In 2014, after defeating Ohio State, Swinney famously quipped that his team was the first ever from the state of South Carolina to win a BCS bowl game. Then in last year's Orange Bowl, the Tigers eviscerated an overmatched Oklahoma team in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Now lookie lookie, who's on deck: Notre Dame. Soak it in, fans, and be sure to bring your own guts because the best game from 2015 is running it back. The Fighting Irish's quasi-ACC member situation makes for an interesting wrinkle.
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Projection: Michigan vs. Stanford
30 for 30 What if I told you college football's most polarizing head coach made it to the sport's most prestigious bowl in Year 2 with his alma mater?
What if I told you that coach squared off not only against his former team, but a protege who, by all intents, is just as good as his mentor?
What if I told you it was Michigan vs. Stanford in the Rose Bowl?
Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl Projection: Oklahoma vs. LSU
The last time Oklahoma played an unmotivated SEC team in the Sugar Bowl the Sooners waxed what may have been Nick Saban's best Alabama team. After a championship-or-bust mentality went kaput midway through the year, LSU could be tempted to sluff off in this consolation bowl game.
However, there's a separate emotional side to this one. LSU running back Leonard Fournette closes out his illustrious career (there's no way he returns for a senior season) in the city where his legend was formed. A proven stud in bowl games, Buga Nation puts on a show in front of the home crowd.
Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl Projection: Georgia vs. Houston
The game's top young offensive head coach, Tom Herman, takes on the game's top young defensive head coach, Kirby Smart. Houston took FSU to the woodshed last year, and Herman looks to continue college football's version of Sherman's March to the Power 5.
On the other side of things, a healthy Nick Chubb and blossoming Jacob Eason have UGA fans salivating for 2017 and dreaming of championships.
College Football Playoff
Fiesta Bowl (Semifinal No. 1)
Fiesta Bowl Projection: No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Two ships in the night, Jimbo Fisher and Urban Meyer only faced off once while the latter was head coach at the University of Florida (a game handily won by FSU). Now they meet again, only with much greater stakes.
Maybe we're watching a Heisman Trophy winner - J.T. Barrett, Mike Weber, Deondre Francois or Dalvin Cook - push for a national championship. Hard to argue with a semi that features two of the past three national championship programs.
Peach Bowl (Semifinal No. 2)
Peach Bowl Projection: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 TCU
This is what football is all about. Nick Saban and Gary Patterson are, arguably, the sport's two brightest minds. Both have revolutionized their respective programs, and are highly respected by their peers.
It's Alabama's electric secondary against TCU's bevy of star wideouts. There's the Horned Frogs' corners working like dogs to cover Calvin Ridley and O.J. And of course Saban and Patterson counter-punching. A football nerd's dream.
College Football Playoff Title Game
CFP Title Game Projection: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 FSU
The Flora-Bama bar in Perdido Key will be the place to be on January 9, as FSU and Alabama square off for the national championship. All thoughts of these programs entering the fall with question marks under center feel like a distant memory, as they navigated the two most balanced conferences in the land. Enjoy the added wrinkle of Jeremy Pruitt coaching Alabama's defense against a club he knows very intimately - Pruitt was the defensive coordinator for FSU's 2013 national championship team.
Some Info used from Campusinsiders.com
Blessed be the day, college football season is right around the corner. Why not, then, make some preseason College Football Playoff and New Year's Six bowl projections? After all, football is what happens while you're busy making other predictions - I'm pretty sure John Lennon said that.
Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl Projection: Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Since getting absolutely obliterated by West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl, Dabo Swinney and Clemson have grown quite fond of the postseason game. In 2014, after defeating Ohio State, Swinney famously quipped that his team was the first ever from the state of South Carolina to win a BCS bowl game. Then in last year's Orange Bowl, the Tigers eviscerated an overmatched Oklahoma team in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Now lookie lookie, who's on deck: Notre Dame. Soak it in, fans, and be sure to bring your own guts because the best game from 2015 is running it back. The Fighting Irish's quasi-ACC member situation makes for an interesting wrinkle.
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Projection: Michigan vs. Stanford
30 for 30 What if I told you college football's most polarizing head coach made it to the sport's most prestigious bowl in Year 2 with his alma mater?
What if I told you that coach squared off not only against his former team, but a protege who, by all intents, is just as good as his mentor?
What if I told you it was Michigan vs. Stanford in the Rose Bowl?
Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl Projection: Oklahoma vs. LSU
The last time Oklahoma played an unmotivated SEC team in the Sugar Bowl the Sooners waxed what may have been Nick Saban's best Alabama team. After a championship-or-bust mentality went kaput midway through the year, LSU could be tempted to sluff off in this consolation bowl game.
However, there's a separate emotional side to this one. LSU running back Leonard Fournette closes out his illustrious career (there's no way he returns for a senior season) in the city where his legend was formed. A proven stud in bowl games, Buga Nation puts on a show in front of the home crowd.
Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl Projection: Georgia vs. Houston
The game's top young offensive head coach, Tom Herman, takes on the game's top young defensive head coach, Kirby Smart. Houston took FSU to the woodshed last year, and Herman looks to continue college football's version of Sherman's March to the Power 5.
On the other side of things, a healthy Nick Chubb and blossoming Jacob Eason have UGA fans salivating for 2017 and dreaming of championships.
College Football Playoff
Fiesta Bowl (Semifinal No. 1)
Fiesta Bowl Projection: No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Two ships in the night, Jimbo Fisher and Urban Meyer only faced off once while the latter was head coach at the University of Florida (a game handily won by FSU). Now they meet again, only with much greater stakes.
Maybe we're watching a Heisman Trophy winner - J.T. Barrett, Mike Weber, Deondre Francois or Dalvin Cook - push for a national championship. Hard to argue with a semi that features two of the past three national championship programs.
Peach Bowl (Semifinal No. 2)
Peach Bowl Projection: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 TCU
This is what football is all about. Nick Saban and Gary Patterson are, arguably, the sport's two brightest minds. Both have revolutionized their respective programs, and are highly respected by their peers.
It's Alabama's electric secondary against TCU's bevy of star wideouts. There's the Horned Frogs' corners working like dogs to cover Calvin Ridley and O.J. And of course Saban and Patterson counter-punching. A football nerd's dream.
College Football Playoff Title Game
CFP Title Game Projection: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 FSU
The Flora-Bama bar in Perdido Key will be the place to be on January 9, as FSU and Alabama square off for the national championship. All thoughts of these programs entering the fall with question marks under center feel like a distant memory, as they navigated the two most balanced conferences in the land. Enjoy the added wrinkle of Jeremy Pruitt coaching Alabama's defense against a club he knows very intimately - Pruitt was the defensive coordinator for FSU's 2013 national championship team.
Some Info used from Campusinsiders.com
