Bowl projections: Inaugural edition

In what feels like the longest college football offseason in world history (partly because of the team we cover) we finally get to turn the page to something tangible.

Yes, this week the sport returns in earnest, and with it comes multitudes of projections. I'm hardly naive enough to believe any of these will happen. Somebody important will get injured, some coach will get fired and some team's chemistry will have the wrong elements. But we'll let the season play out before we delve into the important discussions.

The College Football Playoff enters its second season and most observers have last year's surprise champion Ohio State as one of the four contenders this year. That makes sense. The Buckeyes return the most talent of any major contender and play in a conference with few challenges. Only three Big Ten teams are ranked this year, although Michigan State might be as good as any other team nationally.

After Ohio State, I think the TCU-Baylor winner claims another spot. The SEC champ earns a bid, while the fourth team will turn into a verbal dogfight. The Pac-12 champion might have too many losses, while the ACC champion might not have a good enough resume. It could come down to Michigan State and the SEC West runner-up. Based on the SEC West's depth, that's ultimately where the committee leans (at least in August).

Any way, here's a glimpse into bowl season.

NEW YEAR'S SIX

PLAYOFF (Orange):

Ohio State vs. LSU

PLAYOFF (Cotton):

TCU vs. Auburn

PEACH

: Virginia Tech vs. Notre Dame

ROSE

: Michigan State vs. USC

SUGAR

: Baylor vs. Arkansas

FIESTA

: Boise State vs. Arizona State

BIG TEN BOWLS

CITRUS

: Penn State vs. Alabama

OUTBACK

: Nebraska vs. Tennessee

HOLIDAY

: Wisconsin vs. UCLA

FOSTER FARMS

: Michigan vs. Stanford

MUSIC CITY

: Iowa vs. Ole Miss

PINSTRIPE

: Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh

QUICK LANE

: Northwestern vs. N.C. State

ARMED FORCES

: Indiana vs. Air Force

ARIZONA

: Rutgers (MWC replacement) vs. UTEP

OTHER POWER 5 BOWLS

ALAMO

: Oklahoma vs. Oregon

TEXAS

: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

RUSSELL

: Texas vs. Florida State

LIBERTY

: Kansas State vs. Missouri

CACTUS

: West Virginia vs. Washington

HEART OF DALLAS

: Texas Tech vs. Rice

BELK

: Clemson vs. Georgia

INDEPENDENCE

: Louisville vs. Mississippi State

BIRMINGHAM

: Cincinnati vs. Kentucky

SUN

: Georgia Tech vs. Utah

LAS VEGAS:

Utah State vs. California

MILITARY

: Boston College vs. Navy

ST. PETERSBURG

: North Carolina vs. East Carolina

POINSETTIA

: BYU vs. Arizona (Army replacement)

OTHER BOWLS

BOCA RATON

: Toledo vs. Memphis

MIAMI BEACH

: Marshall vs. Central Florida

CURE

: Appalachian State vs. Temple

HAWAII

: San Diego State vs. Houston

POTATO

: Fresno State vs. Akron

NEW ORLEANS

: Nevada vs. Arkansas State

NEW MEXICO

: Colorado State vs. Western Kentucky

BAHAMAS

: Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech

GODADDY

: Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern

CAMELLIA

: Western Michigan vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com