Bowl projections: First season edition

The College Football Playoff has dominated all discussion about the sport in both the off-season and during the season's first month.

At times it gets overwhelming, but in two months the daily rhetoric will intensify out of control. It's obvious the conferences will start chirping at each other like a political campaign. Let's hope the level of distortion spin out of control.

In late November, the debate for team No. 4 will get heavy. As I see it now, Oklahoma, Alabama and Oregon are the top three. Florida State may be the defending champion, but the Seminoles haven't played like one of the nation's top four teams. UCLA and a second SEC team (Auburn, Texas A&M) also will be in play. But as of now, I think Michigan State deserves one of the four slots.

Here's a gander at some bowl projections:

NEW YEAR'S SIX

Sugar

(semifinal): 1. Alabama vs. 4. Michigan State

Rose

(semifinal): 2. Oklahoma vs. 3. Oregon

Orange

(ACC vs. B1G/SEC/ND): Florida State vs. Auburn

Cotton

(at-large/top non-power five): Baylor vs. Texas A&M

Fiesta

(at-large/top non-power five): UCLA vs. Nebraska

Peach

(at-large/top non-power five): Notre Dame vs. East Carolina

BIG TEN BOWLS

Citrus

: Ohio State vs. Georgia

Outback

: Penn State vs. Mississippi State

Holiday

: Wisconsin vs. Arizona

San Francisco

: Iowa vs. Stanford

Taxslayer (Gator)

: Minnesota vs. Florida

Pinstripe

: Maryland vs. Virginia

Quick Lane (Detroit)

: Northwestern vs. Boston College

Dallas

: Indiana vs. Rice

OTHERS

Music City

: Virginia Tech vs. Missouri

Texas

: TCU vs. Ole Miss

Belk

: N.C. State vs. South Carolina

Liberty

: Texas vs. LSU

Birmingham: Memphis vs. Tennessee

Independence

: Georgia Tech vs. Arkansas

Alamo

: Oklahoma State vs. USC

Russell

: Kansas State vs. Clemson

Cactus

: West Virginia vs. Utah

Armed Forces

: Texas Tech vs. Houston

Sun

: Louisville vs. Arizona State

Las Vegas

: Washington vs. Nevada

Military

: Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati

Bitcoin

: Miami vs. Central Florida

Hawaii

: San Diego State vs. Oregon State (CUSA replacement)

Poinsettia

: Navy vs. Boise State

Potato

: Wyoming vs. Toledo

New Mexico

: Air Force vs. North Texas

New Orleans

: Louisiana-Monroe vs. Colorado State

Miami Beach

: BYU vs. Marshall (American replacement)

Bahamas

: Louisiana Tech vs. Bowling Green

Boca Raton

: Akron vs. Old Dominion

GoDaddy

: Northern Illinois vs. Arkansas State

Camellia

: Ohio vs. South Alabama

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@sourcemedia.net