Bowl projections: Clemson-Stanford, OSU-Alabama comprise playoff field after Week 10
In 2011, many (myself included) felt 11-1 Big 12 champ Oklahoma State should have played 13-0 LSU in the BCS title game in New Orleans instead of 11-1 non-division champ Alabama. Four years later, in my projected lineup, Les Miles’ current and former employers finally meet in New Orleans after all, albeit for a Sugar Bowl championship.
Right now I have the Big 12 as the playoff odd man out (again), which means Oklahoma State’s upset of TCU caused quite the ripple effect. The Horned Frogs fell to the Russell Athletic Bowl in my latest projections. Similarly, Nebraska’s stunner against previously undefeated Michigan State dropped the Spartans from the Rose Bowl to the Citrus Bowl.
And hey, that Nebraska win had other implications as well. The Huskers may now get to 5-7, which -- with only 79 eligible teams currently projected for 80 spots -- put them in a bowl this week (Armed Forces).
Without further ado …
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BOWLS
| DATE | BOWL | LOCATION | MATCHUP |
| Dec. 31 | Peach | Atlanta | Florida (at-large) vs. Temple (Group of 5) |
| Dec. 31 | Cotton | Arlington, Texas | Ohio St. (CFP No. 2) vs. Alabama (CFP No. 3) |
| Dec. 31 | Orange | Miami | Clemson (CFP No. 1) vs. Stanford (CFP No. 4) |
| Jan. 1 | Fiesta | Glendale, Ariz. | Notre Dame (at-large) vs. Baylor (at-large) |
| Jan. 1 | Rose | Pasadena, Calif. | Iowa (B1G) vs. Utah (Pac-12) |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar | New Orleans | LSU (SEC) vs. Oklahoma St. (Big 12) |
OTHER BOWLS
| DATE | BOWL | LOCATION | MATCHUP |
| Dec. 19 | Cure | Orlando, Fla. | USF (American) vs. Arkansas St. (Sun Belt) |
| Dec. 19 | New Mexico | Albuquerque | New Mexico (MWC) vs. Rice (C-USA) |
| Dec. 19 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | Boise St. (MWC No. 1 or BYU) vs. Cal (Pac-12 No. 6) |
| Dec. 19 | Camellia | Montgomery, Ala. | South Alabama (Sun Belt) vs. Ohio (MAC) |
| Dec. 19 | New Orleans | New Orleans | Appalachian St. (Sun Belt) vs. Southern Miss (C-USA) |
| Dec. 21 | Miami Beach | Miami | Houston (American) vs. W. Kentucky (C-USA) |
| Dec. 22 | Idaho Potato | Boise | Utah State (MWC) vs. C. Michigan (MAC) |
| Dec. 22 | Boca Raton | Boca Raton, Fla. | Tulsa (American) vs. NIU (MAC) |
| Dec. 23 | Poinsettia | San Diego | San Diego St. (MWC) vs. Akron* (Army) |
| Dec. 23 | GoDaddy | Mobile, Ala. | Bowling Green (MAC) vs. Ga. Southern (Sun Belt) |
| Dec. 24 | Bahamas | Nassau | Toledo (MAC) vs. La. Tech (C-USA) |
| Dec. 24 | Hawaii | Honolulu | Washington* (American) vs. BYU (MWC or BYU) |
| Dec. 26 | St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg | Memphis (American) vs. Marshall (C-USA) |
| Dec. 26 | Sun | El Paso, Texas | Pittsburgh (ACC Nos. 3-6) vs. Oregon (Pac-12 No. 5) |
| Dec. 26 | Heart of Dallas | Dallas | Buffalo* (Big 12) vs. Middle Tennessee (C-USA) |
| Dec. 26 | Pinstripe | Bronx, N.Y. | Va. Tech (ACC Nos. 3-6) vs. Northwestern (B1G Nos. 5-7) |
| Dec. 26 | Independence | Shreveport, La. | NC State (ACC Nos. 7-9) vs. Colorado St.* (SEC Nos. 9-10) |
| Dec. 26 | Foster Farms | Santa Clara, Calif. | Washington St. (Pac-12 No. 4) vs. Penn St. (B1G Nos. 5-7) |
| Dec. 28 | Military | Annapolis, Md. | Miami (ACC Nos. 7-9) vs. Navy (American) |
| Dec. 28 | Quick Lane | Detroit | Western Michigan* (B1G Nos. 8-9) vs. Louisville (ACC Nos. 7-9) |
| Dec. 29 | Arizona | Tucson | Nevada (MWC) vs. La.-Lafayette* (C-USA) |
| Dec. 29 | Armed Forces | Fort Worth, Texas | Air Force (MWC) vs. Nebraska+ (B1G Nos. 8-9) |
| Dec. 29 | Russell Athletic | Orlando, Fla. | Florida St. (ACC No. 2) vs. TCU (Big 12 No. 3) |
| Dec. 29 | Texas | Houston | Texas A&M (SEC Nos. 3-8) vs. Texas Tech (Big 12 No. 4) |
| Dec. 30 | Birmingham | Birmingham, Ala. | Cincinnati (American) vs. Kentucky (SEC No. 9-10) |
| Dec. 30 | Belk | Charlotte, N.C. | Arkansas (SEC Nos. 3-8) vs. Duke (ACC Nos. 3-6) |
| Dec. 30 | Music City | Nashville, Tenn. | Auburn (SEC Nos. 3-8) vs. Indiana (B1G Nos. 5-7) |
| Dec. 30 | Holiday | San Diego | UCLA (Pac-12 No. 3) vs. Wisconsin (B1G Nos. 2-4) |
| Jan. 1 | Outback | Tampa, Fla. | Michigan (B1G Nos. 2-4) vs. Tennessee (SEC Nos. 3-8) |
| Jan. 1 | Citrus | Orlando, Fla. | Mississippi St. (SEC No. 2) vs. Michigan St. (B1G Nos. 2-4) |
| Jan. 2 | TaxSlayer | Jacksonville, Fla. | Ole Miss (SEC Nos. 3-8) vs. North Carolina (ACC Nos. 3-6) |
| Jan. 2 | Liberty | Memphis, Tenn. | Georgia (SEC Nos. 3-8) vs. Kansas St. (Big 12 No. 5) |
| Jan. 2 | Alamo | San Antonio | Oklahoma (Big 12 No. 2) vs. USC (Pac-12 No. 2) |
| Jan. 2 | Cactus | Tempe, Ariz. | West Virginia (Big 12 No. 6) vs. Arizona St. (Pac-12 No. 7) |
* replacement for a conference without enough eligible teams
+ projected 5-7 team
Stewart Mandel is a senior college sports columnist for FOXSports.com. He covered college football and basketball for 15 years at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter @slmandel and Facebook. Send emails and Mailbag questions to Stewart.Mandel@fox.com.