Bowl projections: Ohio State into College Football Playoff after USC falls as Georgia, Michigan, TCU clinch

We knew there wouldn’t be a lot drama getting into Championship Week, at the least as it pertained to the 4 groups that might in the end take part within the College Football Playoff. It was merely a matter of which group would wind up within the No. 4 spot, USC or Ohio State.

Well, Utah beat USC for the second time this season, 47-24 in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game, to knock the Trojans out of playoff rivalry. In reality, USC will more than likely be ranked behind Utah when the ultimate CFP Rankings come out Sunday afternoon.

Ohio State will due to this fact again into the College Football Playoff for the third time within the final 4 seasons, more than likely as the No. 4 seed. That will make the Big Ten simply the second convention in CFP historical past to place two groups in a singular four-team discipline, becoming a member of the SEC.

The Buckeyes’ positioning solely comes into some query as a result of Kansas State handed TCU its first defeat of the season within the Big 12 Championship Game with the Jayhawks avenging their regular-season loss to the Horned Frogs in time beyond regulation.

I consider TCU will remain ahead of Ohio State within the CFP, however even when it doesn’t, overlook any notion of Alabama shifting up together with Ohio State and supplanting TCU. That could be fully unwarranted. If TCU’s jerseys learn “Oklahoma” or Alabama’s mentioned “Ole Miss,” nobody would even entertain this dialogue level.

Filling out the highest of the four-team discipline, Georgia locked up the primary seed within the playoff and its first SEC Championship Game victory since 2017 in a rout of No. 14 LSU, and Michigan clinched the second seed by successful its second straight Big Ten Championship Game, this season over Purdue. 

College Football Playoff

The Rose Bowl will characteristic Pac-12 champion Utah, which is making a repeat look within the Granddaddy of Them All after successful a second straight league crown. Penn State will signify the Big Ten instead of league champion Michigan as the highest-ranked Big Ten group not taking part in within the CFP.

USC ought to keep excessive sufficient within the CFP Rankings to earn a spot within the Cotton Bowl. That chance arises as a result of the Big Ten put a second group within the CFP. Ohio State being out of the at-large pool for the New Year’s Six opens the door for the Trojans.

Like Kansas State earlier within the day, Tulane additionally avenged a regular-season loss within the AAC Championship Game. The Green Wave throttled UCF 45-28 to win the league crown and advance to their first major bowl game since 1939 when undefeated Tulane confronted equally undefeated Texas A&M within the 1940 Sugar Bowl. Tulane will signify the Group of Five on this yr’s Cotton Bowl in opposition to USC.

Speaking of the Wildcats, their Big 12 championship clinches a berth within the Sugar Bowl. Kansas State will face Alabama, the substitute for SEC champion Georgia.

The Orange Bowl will get ACC champion Clemson, which dealt with North Carolina 39-10 in the ACC Championship Game. Tennessee would be the opponent for Clemson as the highest-ranked group remaining from the SEC, Big Ten or Notre Dame. A Clemson-Tennessee matchup appears acceptable for an Orange Bowl.

New Year’s Six bowl video games

Buffalo and New Mexico State had been the final groups to turn into bowl eligible this week, albeit in several methods. Buffalo beat Akron 23-22 to choose up its sixth win and earn a bowl berth. NMSU bought a waiver from the NCAA to take part as a five-win group.  

New Mexico State went out and picked up a sixth win anyway over FCS Valparaiso in a sport added late this weekend, nevertheless it doesn’t rely towards the six wanted the Aggies wanted as a result of just one FCS opponent could be counted and NMSU beat Lamar earlier this season. The waiver put the Aggies in a bowl anyway.

With the remainder of the sector set, solely Rice will take part as a 5-7 group this season. That could also be simply as nicely as given subsequent group in line, UNLV, fired its coach this week and was contemplating declining a bowl bid if supplied.

Don’t see your group? Check out Jerry Palm’s updated bowl projections as nicely as the CBS Sports bowl eligibility tracker with all 82 spots now stuffed for the 2022-23 bowl video games.