College Football Playoff 2017: Breaking Down Format, Bowl Predictions and More

The latest College Football Playoff is one step away from taking its final form, and it looks like Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are in a commanding position, as they are holding the top four places in the most recent rankings. 

However, all four of those teams will be tested in conference championship games. It seems likely that the winners of the SEC and ACC conference championship games will earn spots in CFP, but there are questions about the Big Ten and Big 12.

Clemson, the defending CFP champions, will meet Miami in the ACC Championship Game, as both teams have one loss on their record.

Auburn and Georgia will meet in the SEC championship games. The Tigers have beaten both Georgia and Alabama in recent weeks, and both of those teams were rated No. 1 when Auburn took them down. 

Undefeated Wisconsin will meet Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, while Oklahoma will take on TCU in the Big 12 title game.

After losing to Auburn last week, the Crimson Tide dropped from the top spot to No. 5, and if Nick Saban's team doesn't get recognized by the committee, it will not get a chance to play in the CFP.

If Ohio State beats Wisconsin, the Buckeyes may not be able to claim a spot in the CFP, and the same holds for TCU. If either of those results happens, it seems likely that the CFP committee will recognize Alabama. The Crimson Tide are a powerful team that lost to Auburn on the road but was unblemished besides that defeat.

The CFP semifinals will be played January 1. The first semifinal game will take place in the Rose Bowl, and it will feature the No. 2 and 3 teams in the rankings. The second semifinal game will take place at the Sugar Bowl between the No. 1 and 4 teams.

The two winners will meet in the national championship game January 8 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Look for Clemson and Auburn to win the ACC and SEC championship games, respectively. Wisconsin is a 6.5-point underdog to Ohio State, according to OddsShark. That's somewhat surprising considering that the Buckeyes have two one-sided losses on their record to Oklahoma and Iowa.

However, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has had a sensational year with 33 passing touchdowns and nine more on the ground, and he is more productive than Wisconsin's Alex Hornibrook. However, the Badgers have a powerful running game with freshman Jonathan Taylor and a hard-hitting and dominating defense.

Look for Wisconsin to outlast and upset the Buckeyes and maintain its spot in the CFP.

Oklahoma has already beaten TCU once, and look for Heisman Trophy front-runner Baker Mayfield to put on an excellent show. 

However, we see the committee making a move with Alabama in its final ratings. While the Sooners are a powerful offensive team, their defense is ordinary at best. They have allowed 31 points or more five times this season, and they surrendered 41 points to Baylor and 52 points to Oklahoma State.

That's not good enough, and Alabama will take the No. 4 spot.

The move will be controversial, but it will be a bold and deserving one.

Predictions

Look for Auburn to hold down the No. 1 spot in the CFP rankings after the conference title games, followed by Clemson, Wisconsin and Alabama.

Clemson and Wisconsin will meet in the first semifinal at the Rose Bowl, while Auburn and Alabama will rematch in the Sugar Bowl.

Wisconsin will outlast Clemson and come away with the upset win, while Alabama will flex its muscles and beat Auburn.

That will set up a national championship game between the Badgers and the Crimson Tide. Alabama is the best team in the nation, and the Crimson Tide will roll to a big win and put an end to Wisconsin's undefeated ways.

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