Updated Bowl Game Projections: CFP picture unclear after USC, TCU losses

So much for all that Ohio State to the Orange Bowl talk. Starting on Tuesday night, Kirk Herbstreit got the campaign rolling for Ohio State to head to Miami, instead of taking yet another trip out west to the Rose Bowl. As it turns out, Utah took care of that issue for them.

Ohio State now more than likely will head to the College Football Playoff. The picture isn’t totally complete just yet, but the Buckeyes now have the inside track to the No. 4 seed.

That clears the way for Tennessee to head to Miami for the Orange Bowl, which is where we all started the week.

Every analyst agrees.

Latest Bowl Projections

CBS Sports: Orange vs. Clemson

Action Network: Orange vs. Clemson OR North Carolina

Bleacher Report: Orange vs. Clemson

247Sports: Orange vs. Clemson

You get the picture.

Unless the committee has a random change of heart and puts Tennessee ahead of Alabama, the Volunteers seem destined to make the trip to Miami this year. This development makes the outcome of tonight’s ACC Championship game of high interest to us, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The ACC Champion clinches a bid to the Orange Bowl.

USC, after the loss, is now projected to land in the Cotton Bowl. Penn State now will jump up to the Rose Bowl to face Utah.

TCU and Kansas State will settle the Big 12 at noon ET on ABC to get the fun going today. LSU and Georgia will play for the SEC title at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, while Michigan and Purdue will play the Big Ten Championship at 8 p.m. on FOX.

LSU could still throw a wrench into the NY6 picture, but they’ve got a tall task ahead taking on Georgia, where the Bulldogs are favored by 17.5 points.

The final four and the rest of the bowl field will be revealed to us on Sunday, starting at noon ET on ESPN.

UPDATE: Down goes TCU! But it was an overtime loss that could have gone either way. Does 2-loss Alabama now factor into this equation? Tennessee beat Alabama head to head, but took that ugly loss to South Carolina two weeks ago. The committee told us all we need to know on Tuesday night about that situation.

So does TCU hold at 4? That’s the big question. I say yes. Their resume is flat out better than Alabama’s, unless we put more value into “good losses.” At the end of the day, Alabama’s only impressive wins have come over Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Texas. If the Crimson Tide get in, it’s because of the logo by their name alone.

However, if they did get in, that likely puts Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. To the second wave of games we go....