College football predictions for 2021 bowl games, playoff semifinals, national championship

Bowl season returns in 2021-22 with a schedule that includes 43 bowl games between FBS teams.

While the college football playoff expansion may be in the works, this year marks the eighth season of the four-team playoff. This year’s College Football Playoff Championship game will take place on January 10th at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The semifinals of the year will take place on December 31st at the Capital One Orange Bowl and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Sporting News’ playoff picks tend to be the same. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma together made 20 of the 28 playoff appearances. However, these four schools have to reach the playoffs that same season.

SN has predictions for all 43 bowl games here, which will be updated over the course of the season:

College Football Bowl Predictions 2021

* Denotes not tied to bowl game

College Football New Year’s Six Predictions

College Football Playoff Championship prediction

Six tips for New Years Day

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M

The Aggies and the Irish can settle last year’s playoff a year late on a smaller stage. Both teams have quarterback fights well worth seeing at fall camp, but we’re more interested in running backs in this one. Isaiah Spiller and Kyren Williams are both Dark Horse Heisman candidates. This will make a fun placemat for the rest of the sixth New Years day.

PlayStation First Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. North Carolina

The Chanticleers are our pick of the group of 5, and some of them are based on Cincinnati’s tough schedule with no conferences against Indiana and Notre Dame. The Sun Belt falls due, and Grayson McCall is paired up with Sam Howell of North Carolina, who is wearing the Tar Heels for her second NY6 Bowl appearance under Mack Brown.

Rose Bowl Game: USC vs. Wisconsin

USC and Wisconsin met at the Rose Bowl in 1953 and 1963, and this hits the Pac-12 champion against the Big Ten runner-up. Kedon Slovis and Graham Mertz make it a fascinating duel, but what matters with these teams is who can hold the ball. It will be nice to have the Tournament of Roses Parade again too.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Iowa State vs. Georgia

The Bulldogs are forced to make do with a fourth consecutive New Year’s Day Six Bowl appearance unless JT Daniels can lead a playoff run. Will the Kirby Smart pressurize? The Cyclones, meanwhile, are in an all-in year considering the number of players who have returned from last year’s Fiesta Bowl winner. Given the hype surrounding both teams, that would feel a bit like a game of consolation.

College Football Playoff Selections

Capital One Orange Bowl: Ohio State vs. Alabama

Haven’t we just seen this game? Both programs sent 10 players to the 2021 NFL Draft, but there is more than enough talent on both sides for a third CFP playoff match. The Buckeyes are loaded at the consignee and Alabama should be better off on the defense. What will Ryan Day do differently after losing the CFP championship last year?

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Oklahoma vs. Clemson

This would be the more fun matchup as it features two of the top three quarterbacks in SN’s top 25 QB rankings. Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei and Oklahomas Spencer Rattler would deliver an offensive show in this one. Which program is under more pressure? The Sooners are 0-4 in the CFP semifinals, and the Tigers have been beaten in their last two appearances.

CFP championship selection

CFP Championship Game: Alabama vs. Clemson

More of the same. Until the CFP expands to 12 teams, this matchup will keep popping up given the talent levels put together on both sides. The Crimson Tide and Tigers have split four playoff matches in the past seven years, and this time both schools travel north to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In last year’s championship game, we had Ohio State against Clemson.