College Football Playoff primer

December 4, 2016 at 6:34AM
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett celebrates with fans after their win over Michigan in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State beat Michigan 30-27 in double overtime. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) ORG XMIT: OHJL117
Quarterback J.T. Barrett and Ohio State likely secured their playoff spot with their stirring double-overtime victory over Michigan last week. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The four teams that will compete in the College Football Playoff, as well as all the other bowl matchups, will be announced at 11 a.m. Sunday on ESPN. You have questions, we might have the answers:

Q Who will be the four CFP teams competing for the national championship?

A That's up to the 12-person selection committee to decide, but SEC champion Alabama (13-0), Ohio State (11-1) and ACC champ Clemson (12-1) seem like locks. Washington (12-1) won the Pac-12 but could be vulnerable because of a weak nonconference schedule (Rugters, Idaho, Portland State).

Q Who will be the first teams out?

A Probably No. 5 Michigan and No. 7 Penn State, which won the Big Ten Championship Game over No. 6 Wisconsin. The conundrum: Michigan beat Penn State by 39 points, Penn State beat Ohio State, and the Buckeyes beat Michigan.

Q Can you be a national semifinalist without winning your conference championship? Can a conference have more than one playoff team?

A Yes and yes. Neither scenario occurred in the first two years of the CFP, but this year one of them might.

Q Who else is bowl-eligible in the Big Ten?

A Nebraska (9-3), Iowa (8-4), the Gophers (8-4), Northwestern (6-6), Maryland (6-6) and Indiana (6-6).

Q When does the postseason season begin?

A The first bowl games are on Dec. 17. The national semifinals are Dec. 31 in Atlanta and Glendale, Ariz., and the national championship is Jan. 9 in Tampa, Fla.

Bowl projections

How the College Football Playoff, major bowls and Big Ten bowls might shake out:

College Football Playoff

Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31, Glendale, Ariz.

• No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, Atlanta

• No. 4 Washington vs. No. 1 Alabama

Selection Committee Bowls

Rose, Jan. 2, Pasadena, Calif.

• Penn State vs. Colorado

Sugar, Jan. 2, New Orleans

• Oklahoma vs. Auburn

Cotton, Jan. 2, Arlington, Texas

• Wisconsin vs. Western Michigan

Orange, Dec. 30, Miami

•Florida State vs. Michigan

Other Big Ten bowls

Outback, Jan. 2, Tampa, Fla.

• Nebraska vs. Florida

Holiday, Dec. 27, San Diego

• Gophers vs. Washington State. Note: Music City, Foster Farms and Pinstripe bowls are possibilities for Gophers.

Music City, Dec. 30, Nashville

• Iowa vs. Tennessee

Pinstripe, Dec. 28, New York

• Northwestern vs. Georgia Tech

Foster Farms, Dec. 28, Santa Clara, Calif.

• Indiana vs. Utah

Quick Lane, Dec. 26, Detroit

• Maryland vs. Boston College

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