Sporting News released its College Football Playoff picks along with predictions for all 43 bowl games earlier this summer.
There is a problem with that. A total of 54 of the 130 FBS schools are not playing football this fall — meaning the 76 remaining teams cannot fill those 86 spots. The bowl lineup likely will go under some serious reconstruction as a result, and SN will adjust those picks accordingly.
MORE: SN's Preseason Top 25
We can still pick the College Football Playoff, which will go on as scheduled. This season’s semifinals are Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl Game and Allstate Sugar Bowl. The CFP championship game will be Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
With that in mind, here are Sporting News' picks for the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Day Six. Our playoff features the usual suspects. Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma and Georgia have combined for 15 of the past 24 playoff appearances — and those four teams made up the playoff in 2017-18.
College Football New Year's Day Six predictions
| DATE | BOWL | TEAMS |
| Dec. 30 | Goodyear Cotton Bowl | Texas vs. Notre Dame |
| Jan. 1 | Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl | Auburn vs. Oklahoma State |
| Jan. 2 | PlayStation Fiesta Bowl | Cincinnati vs. LSU |
| Jan. 2 | Capital One Orange Bowl | North Carolina vs. Florida |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl Game (semifinal) | Clemson vs. Georgia |
| Jan. 1 | Allstate Sugar Bowl (semifinal) | Alabama vs. Oklahoma |
College Football Playoff championship prediction
| DATE | BOWL | TEAMS |
| Jan. 11 | CFP Championship Game | Alabama vs. Clemson |
