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:
College Football Playoff primer
December 4, 2016 at 6:34AM
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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The Nittany Lions converted on three fourth downs while protecting a one-point lead to keep the Gophers from getting the ball back.
