The college football championship week was filled with its fair share of surprises. Baylor knocked off Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game, while Alabama dominated top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship.
This made for a relatively easy decision-making process for the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee. The top four teams stayed in the top four with a little shuffling. Alabama moved to no. 1, with Georgia dropping to No. 3—thus avoiding an immediate rematch. Michigan and Cincinnati are in at No. 2 and No. 4, respectively.
Of course, this past week also shook up the non-CFP bowl picture. Oklahoma State, for example, fell to No. 9 and will now face fifth-ranked Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
Here, we'll dive into the full bowl schedule and examine the CFP race. A printable bowl schedule listing every upcoming game and broadcast information can be found at NCAA.com. Below, you'll find a look at the schedule with odds and predicted winners in bold.
All odds via DraftKings
Non-CFB Bowl Schedule, Odds, Predictions
Friday, December 17
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee (+10) vs. Toledo
Cure Bowl: Northern Illinois (+10) vs. Coastal Carolina
Saturday, December 18
Boca Raton Bowl: Appalachian State (-2.5) vs. Western Kentucky
Celebration Bowl: Jackson State (n/a) vs. South Carolina State
New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State (-11) vs. UTEP
Independence Bowl: No. 13 BYU (-7) vs. UAB
LendingTree Bowl: Eastern Michigan (+8.5) vs. Liberty
LA Bowl: Oregon State (-7) vs. Utah State
New Orleans Bowl: No. 23 Louisiana (-6) vs. Marshall
Monday, December 20
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Tulsa (-9.5) vs. Old Dominion
Tuesday, December 21
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Kent State (+3) vs. Wyoming
Frisco Bowl: No. 24 San Diego State (+2.5) vs. UTSA
Wednesday, December 22
Armed Forces Bowl: Missouri (+3.5) vs. Army
Thursday, December 23
Frisco Football Classic: Miami (Ohio) (-3.5) vs. North Texas
Gasparilla Bowl: Florida (-7.5) vs. UCF
Friday, December 24
Hawai'i Bowl: Memphis (-3) vs. Hawai'i
Saturday, December 25
Camellia Bowl: Ball State (+4.5) vs. Georgia State
Monday, December 27
Quick Lane Bowl: Western Michigan (+1) vs. Nevada
Military Bowl: East Carolina (+3.5) vs. Boston College
Tuesday, December 28
Birmingham Bowl: No. 20 Houston (+3) vs. Auburn
First Responder Bowl: Air Force (+1.5) vs. Louisville
Liberty Bowl: Texas Tech (+8) vs. Mississippi State
Holiday Bowl: No. 18 North Carolina State (-1) vs. UCLA
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Minnesota (-4) vs. West Virginia
Wednesday, December 29
Fenway Bowl: Virginia (-1) vs. SMU
Pinstripe Bowl: Virginia Tech (-1) vs. Maryland
Cheez-It Bowl: No. 19 Clemson (-1) vs. Iowa State
Alamo Bowl: No. 14 Oregon (+4.5) vs. No. 16 Oklahoma
Thursday, December 30
Duke's Mayo Bowl: North Carolina (-7.5) vs. South Carolina
Music City Bowl: Tennessee (-3.5) vs. Purdue
Peach Bowl: No. 10 Michigan State (+3.5) vs. No. 12 Pittsburgh
Las Vegas Bowl: Wisconsin (-7) vs. Arizona State
Friday, December 31
Gator Bowl: No. 17 Wake Forest (+6.5) vs. No. 25 Texas A&M
Sun Bowl: Washington State (+2.5) vs. Miami (FL)
Arizona Bowl: Central Michigan (+9.5) vs. Boise State
Saturday, January 1
Outback Bowl: No. 21 Arkansas (+3) vs. Penn State
Citrus Bowl: No. 15 Iowa (+2.5) vs. No. 22 Kentucky
Fiesta Bowl: No. 5 Notre Dame (-2) vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State
Rose Bowl No. 6 Ohio State (-6.5) vs. No. 11 Utah
Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Baylor (-1.5) vs. No. 8 Ole Miss
Tuesday, January 4
Texas Bowl: Kansas State (+2.5) vs. LSU
College Football Playoff
Friday, December 31
Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 1 Alabama (-13.5) vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: No. 2 Michigan (+7.5) vs. No. 3 Georgia
Monday, January 10
College Football Playoff National Championship Game
It would be foolish to discount any of the final four teams this year, but one of them is not like the other. The fourth-ranked Bearcats are the first true Cinderella story we've had during the CFP era. Cincinnati is undefeated and won't be intimidated by what is viewed as superior competition.
"I told [the players] upstairs afterward they can say what they like to say, we let our play speak for us," head coach Luke Fickell said, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson.
Can the Bearcats knock off an Alabama team that just ran roughshod over Georgia? Perhaps not, but fans should be treated to a tighter game than they might expect. Cincinnati, after all, won by 11 against a very good Notre Dame squad back in October. That was the only loss by the fifth-ranked Irish and the reason why Notre Dame isn't in this year's playoffs.
I'd expect the Crimson Tide to advance, but it may not cover.
An argument could be made that Georgia should have fallen behind the undefeated Bearcats, but that would have set up an early rematch between Alabama and the Bulldogs. Moving Georgia to No. 3 means we get a non-conference showdown between the Bulldogs and the Wolverines.
Georgia is currently favored by more than a touchdown, but at this point, it's hard to pick against Michigan against any opponent. The Wolverines' only loss came in a tight game against Michigan State, and Michigan has continued to find an offensive rhythm as the season has progressed.
This is a Wolverines squad that smoked the then-second-ranked Buckeyes on Thanksgiving weekend and then avoided a trap against Iowa in the Big Ten title game.
After Alabama blasted Georgia in the SEC Championship, the Wolverines probably feel that they should be the No. 1 team in the country. Expect an angry Michigan team to roll into the Orange Bowl and to come out with a close—perhaps an overtime—win.
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