When you're in the bowl-projection business, it is essential to balance two competing instincts: the instinct to project the bowl schedule as it would look now, and the instinct to project the bowl schedule as it is likely to look after the season.

Who will play in the 12-team College Football Playoff? Here's a look at predictions based on the latest US LBM Coaches Poll following Week 13 games.

That leaves just the conference championship games left to settle who plays where and when in the College Football Playoff and the rest of the bowl games -- and there's still plenty to be settled. Other than the 18 teams playing for their league title,