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Dec 19, 2014

TSN.ca's College Football Playoff Primer

It’s getting better at least. The College Football Playoff is far from perfect (just ask TCU or Baylor) but it’s better than its predecessor, the BCS. As where the BCS selection system tried to identify the top two teams in the nation to play for the National Championship, the College Football Playoff selects the top four teams after the regular season and conference championship games to face off in a mini tournament for the National Championship.

College Football Playoff

It’s getting better at least.

The College Football Playoff is far from perfect (just ask TCU or Baylor) but it’s better than its predecessor, the BCS. As where the BCS selection system tried to identify the top two teams in the nation to play for the National Championship, the College Football Playoff selects the top four teams after the regular season and conference championship games to face off in a mini tournament for the National Championship.

Those four teams this year are Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, and Ohio State; three 12-1 teams and one 13-0, the defending champion Seminoles. As alluded to above, the consensus snubs are TCU and Baylor, both from the Big 12. Their chances were hurt by equal parts no conference championship game and weaker TV ratings than Ohio State.

But whether it’s fair or not, the CFP selection committee has left fans with two incredible semi-final matchups for New Year’s Day.

In the Sugar Bowl, two of the best coaches in college football and former big shot SEC foes in Nick Saban and Urban Meyer go head-to-head when top-ranked Alabama takes on No. 4 Ohio State. And in the Rose Bowl Game this year’s Heisman winner QB Marcus Mariota and No. 2 Oregon takes on last year’s Heisman winner QB Jameis Winston and No. 3 Florida State.

So basically if you’re not a TCU or Baylor alumnus, you should be excited for these matchups.

Bowl season is also the unofficial kickoff to mock draft mania. As many as seven potential first-rounders and 10 potential second-rounders will suit up in one of the semi-final bowl games on January 1.

The list is headlined of course by Heisman winner Mariota, who is the early consensus top prospect for the draft. But other names to keep an eye on include Winston, likely the second quarterback off the board come late April, and WR Amari Cooper and S Landon Collins from Alabama, each potential Top 10 picks.

This is still college football of course so there are still a million bowls from December 20 to January 12, and TSN has you covered with 25 on our air. Along with the two semi-final previews, TSN.ca takes a closer look at each team in the College Football Playoff and previews six of the best non-CFP bowls.

Once the dust settles in early January, let’s hope fans are in at least a little more agreement on the best team in college football. Until then, let’s have fun watching it all play out.

 

CFP Playoff Bowls

Marcus Mariota
Rose Bowl Game: Oregon vs Florida State

January 1, 5pm et/2pm pt on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5

Preview

The 2014 Rose Bowl features two almost opposite teams with one thing in common; a College Football Playoff spot.

 

The second-seeded Oregon Ducks have arguably put together more convincing wins than any other team in college football this season. However, their record features an obvious blemish in the form of an upset loss to unranked Arizona in early October. More...

 

And take a closer look at Oregon and Florida State.

Amari Cooper
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs Ohio State

January 1, 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5

Preview

Urban Meyer and Nick Saban know each other well. They’re friends off the field, but more importantly to the college football fan, they’ve had some epic battles back in the day in the SEC.

 

Those days are gone, Meyer trading his Florida Gators windbreaker for an Ohio State sweater vest, but for at least one more time, the two best coaches in college football will go head-to-head with major implications on the line. The matchup is too good to miss – so much so that Ohio State almost magically got better than both TCU and Baylor in the minds of College Football Playoff selection committee members. More...

 

And take a closer look at Alabama and Ohio State.

Others to Watch

Everett Golson
Music City Bowl: Notre Dame vs LSU

December 30. 3pm et/Noon pt on TSN2

Preview

In mid-October, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were ranked fifth in College Football with a perfect 6-0 record headed to Tallahassee to take on fellow-unbeaten Florida State. Following a narrow 31-27 loss to the Seminoles, in which they had a game-winning touchdown negated by a pass-interference penalty, Notre Dame’s season fell apart.

 

Notre Dame will try to salvage their disappointing season against their first SEC opponent since the 2013 BCS Championship in LSU when the two vie for the Music City Bowl on December 30. More...

Nick Chubb
Belk Bowl: Georgia vs Louisville

December 30, 6:30pm et/3:30pm pt on TSN2

Preview

If this game was played a year ago, it would have been a higher profile matchup, and perhaps one deserving of a more prestigious bowl than the Belk Bowl (no offence to the southern department store chain).

 

Instead this year it’s a matchup of two teams that have bounced around the Top 25 and are looking to end their mostly disappointing seasons on a high note. More...

Trevone Boykin
Peach Bowl: TCU vs Ole Miss

December 31, 12:30pm et/9:30pm pt on TSN2

Preview

It’s a helluva bowl game, but one TCU has little interest playing in. The Horned Frogs let it be known earlier this month they thought they deserved to be one of the four teams in the inaugural College Football Playoff, and they did little to hide their displeasure.

 

TCU’s consolation is a Peach Bowl matchup with a very good Ole Miss team, and despite earlier jokes, the Horned Frogs will surely be ready to go come New Year’s Eve. More...

Dak Prescott
Orange Bowl: Mississippi State vs Georgia Tech

December 31, 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN3 and TSN5

Preview

If you like underdogs and great stories, you’re going to like this year’s Orange Bowl. And if you don’t like those things, you’re probably an Alabama fan?

 

Everybody, save for maybe Ole Miss alumni, was a fan of Mississippi State and their incredible run this season. The Bulldogs jumped to national relevance with an upset win over then No. 8 LSU to open their conference play. More...

Bryce Petty
Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs Michigan State

January 1, 12:45pm et/9:45pm pt on TSN3

Preview

Baylor made it no secret; in their minds they belonged in the College Football Playoff. Now, having to settle for the Cotton Bowl, the fifth-ranked Bears will try to prove their point against No. 8 Michigan State on New Year’s Day.

 

Baylor finished their regular season at 11-1, a record they believed deserved a CFP spot. College football’s highest-scoring offence followed up their lone loss of the season to West Virginia with five straight wins to end the year – including two wins over top-15 ranked teams. More...

Brett Hundley
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs UCLA

January 2, 6:45pm et/3:45pm pt on TSN2

Preview

Kansas State and UCLA each ended their seasons with disappointing losses to knock them out of college football’s top-10.

 

The two teams will have a chance to rebound and end their once promising seasons with a win in the Alamo Bowl on January 2. More...