Bowl Predictions 2021: Projections for College Football Playoff Contenders
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Julio Cortez/Associated Press
Georgia will be in a class of its contain this year. And that is the reason changing into extra evident with every passing week of the 2021 college football season.
The No. 1 Bulldogs didn’t play in Week 8, as they fill been on a bye. Nonetheless, several other top College Football Playoff contenders weren’t too impressive. No. 2 Cincinnati and No. 3 Oklahoma played with out warning competitive games. No. 4 Alabama let Tennessee loaf spherical till leisurely. And No. 7 Penn Command and No. 8 Oklahoma Command fill been both knocked off.
As other sturdy teams war to preserve rolling, Georgia has won every of its previous six games by no longer no longer up to 17 aspects. And when it returns to action subsequent week, it may per chance per chance merely procure up honest correct the place it left off.
Right here is a seek for on the new CFP landscape following the conclusion of Week 8.
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Roger Steinman/Associated Press
College Football Playoff Semifinals
Orange Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio Command vs. No. 3 Oklahoma
Leisure of New Year’s Six
Peach Bowl: Michigan Command vs. Wake Woodland
Fiesta Bowl: Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Oklahoma Command
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Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
Oklahoma and Cincinnati are no longer exactly striking collectively essentially the most impressive resumes for the College Football Playoff choice committee. No no longer up to no longer but. And both played games that fill been honest a runt bit closer than either would fill most smartly-favored on Saturday.
The No. 2 Bearcats played at Navy, and the Midshipmen trailed by simplest three aspects at halftime. Though Cincinnati pulled away in the 2d half, leading by as many as 17 aspects, Navy simplest ended up losing 27-20. The Bearcats may per chance merely composed be dominating AAC opponents in grunt to seriously change the principle Crew of 5 team to succeed in the CFP, and that wasn’t what took place in this matchup.
Meanwhile, the No. 3 Sooners in relation to had a devastating loss at Kansas. The Jayhawks hadn’t defeated Oklahoma since 1997, having misplaced the earlier 16 conferences between the 2 colleges. Nonetheless, Kansas had a 3-level lead coming into the fourth quarter, striking Oklahoma on upset procure out about.
The Sooners pulled out a 35-23 victory, but it marked their sixth recall by 12 or fewer aspects at some level of their 8-0 initiate. They are progressively undefeated, but they need to initiate showing they’re a legit CFP contender.
For now, Cincinnati and Oklahoma remain in grunt to mark the Playoff. Nonetheless, both teams need to secure a better job of successful its lighter matchups in additional convincing vogue.
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Barry Reeger/Associated Press
Three weeks ago, Penn Command was once undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the country. Now, they’re out of the College Football Playoff image fully, having won every of their previous two games and losing all of their early-season momentum.
On Oct. 9, Penn Command misplaced 23-20 to Iowa—which then straight misplaced to Purdue the next week itself. The Nittany Lions fill been on a bye closing week, but they returned to action in unimpressive vogue, falling 20-18 in a ancient 9-overtime game in opposition to Illinois. No longer simplest was once Penn Command taking half in at residence, but the Combating Illini entered the matchup at 2-5.
For the reason that College Football Playoff machine was once implemented in 2014, there’s never been a two-loss team to mark the four-team field. That isn’t very any longer likely to replace this year, as there are composed lots of sturdy applications with either no losses or simplest one loss jockeying for grunt.
Penn Command has a tough schedule arising, with matchups in opposition to No. 5 Ohio Command, No. 6 Michigan and No. 9 Michigan Command on the horizon. If the Nittany Lions bustle the desk, in all likelihood there’s a manner they would per chance merely by some ability secure abet in the Playoff dialog. Nonetheless that’s no longer likely to happen at this level.
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Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Even supposing Oregon’s hopes of an undefeated season ended on Oct. 2 (when it misplaced at Stanford in overtime), its College Football Playoff dreams remained alive. The Geese fill been composed the cease-ranked team in the Pac-12, they in most cases composed contain an impressive recall over Ohio Command, in spite of all the pieces.
Now, Oregon is abet now not off song, having notched wins over California and UCLA the previous two weeks. The Geese are likely to circulate up no longer no longer up to 2 spots to No. 8 in the AP Top 25 poll this week, and there may per chance be composed a path for them to secure into the Playoff.
What wants to happen? Oregon likely has to recall every of its closing five traditional-season games, then recall the Pac-12 Championship Game. It be that you may factor in that every body will happen, but the Geese may per chance fill just a few teams ranked ahead of them to lose down the stretch as successfully.
Oregon’s 34-31 recall over UCLA will be its top game for a while. With matchups in opposition to Colorado (2-5), Washington (3-4) and Washington Command (4-4) the next three weeks, request the Geese to preserve rolling and to stay spherical in the Playoff hunt.