If Week 4 was any indication, then the 2020 College Football Playoff race will be just what the sport needed.
LSU, last year's national champion, lost in Week 4. Oklahoma, which has made the College Football Playoff each of the past three seasons, lost to Kansas State for the second straight season. The Big Ten and Pac-12 haven't even started their seasons, but it's clear that this could be a fun year.
MORE: Updated AP, Coaches Polls
Oklahoma was one of SN's picks to make the College Football Playoff, and the Sooners can still do that. It's just going to be more difficult than ever given the nature of this season. We moved Oregon, which won't start its season until November, into the Playoff picture as a result.
Sporting News also is revisiting its bowl projections in their entirety, and we will revisit those as the Big Ten and Pac-12 near the starts of their seasons. 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 heading into Week 5:
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 | Georgia vs. Oklahoma |
| Jan. 2 | PlayStation Fiesta Bowl | Cincinnati vs. Penn State |
| Jan. 2 | Capital One Orange Bowl | North Carolina vs. Florida |
College Football Playoff semifinals prediction
| DATE | BOWL | TEAMS |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl Game (semifinal) | Ohio State vs. Alabama |
| Jan. 1 | Allstate Sugar Bowl (semifinal) | Clemson vs. Oregon |
College Football Playoff championship prediction
| DATE | BOWL | TEAMS |
| Jan. 11 | CFP Championship Game | Clemson vs. Ohio State |
