The arrival of the 12-team College Football Playoff adds another layer to the ever-bloomin’ onion known as bowl predictions.
The expanded CFP field was unveiled, slotting the top four seeds — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Boise State and No. 4 Arizona State — into major bowl games that will double as national quarterfinals. Their opponents will be determined after first-round matchups on campus later this month. As your fearless forecaster, I will not only pick the first-round winners, but the entire CFP.
The non-CFP bowl matchups are also set, but the circumstances around them have yet to be determined. Will teams with legitimate CFP aspirations that were left out actually show up? The transfer portal officially opens in hours and will be heavily populated. Colorado Buffaloes stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are expected to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl, but other projected first-round NFL draft picks may decide to sit out their teams’ bowl games.
There are also coaching changes for bowl teams — some that have been made, like at North Carolina and West Virginia, and others that still could come, for head coaches as well as other staff members. These games are all about motivation and matchups, and a lot can change between now and kickoff.
But here at ESPN bowl prediction headquarters in downtown Indianapolis, we’re not afraid of any circumstances. So let’s get to the picks, from campus CFP sites through traditional bowls and all the way to the national title game on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
Ready, set, bowl!
(All times ET)
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CFP games | Title game | Bowl schedule
College Football Playoff schedule
Friday, Dec. 20
CFP first-round game
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
8 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Notre Dame hosting a first-round CFP game is more of an expectation than a surprise. The Irish kicking off the first 12-team playoff against an in-state opponent in Indiana, meanwhile, is a total shocker. Indiana’s dream season under coach Curt Cignetti will continue with its first CFP appearance. What a moment for college football in a state better known for its basketball. Neither team has played the most taxing schedule, but both have generally dominated their opponents. Both are led by formidable defenses, as Indiana leads the nation in rushing…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at www.espn.com – Notre Dame Fighting Irish…