Why release my never-too-early 2024 bowl projections in February, while several critical details impacting the bowl system are still pending? For example, where will former Pac-12 teams be placed, or how many automatic conference championship bids will be included in the new 12-team playoff?
Some skeptics and conspiracy theorists will claim this is all a ploy to get clicks — "EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Taylor and Travis abducted by UFO after Super Bowl party." Google, are you seeing this!? "Taylor and Travis engaged! Pregnant?!?"
I, for one, am offended by those baseless accusations. This is simply continuing a tradition like no other — "Tiger Woods joins LIV Tour for $5 gazillion" — here at Action Network in providing the best bowl projections on the planet, no matter what month it is. #TAYLORSWIFT #SUPERBOWL #ENDOFWORLD
This season marks the debut of the 12-team playoff, as chosen by the College Football Playoff selection committee. The Cliff Notes version: the five highest-ranked conference champions — regardless of ranking — receive an automatic bid to the playoff with the final spots going to the remaining seven highest-ranked teams.
The four highest-ranked conference champions receive byes into the quarterfinals and will be seeded Nos. 1-4 regardless of their ranking (yes, even if they're “ranked” No. 3, 5, 12 and 24.)
Onto my never-too-early 2024 bowl projections, along with the projected point spread of each matchup from Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson’s power betting ratings.
*Conference champions projected to receive automatic bids
College Football Playoff First Round
 CFP 1st Round Dec. 20 • Columbia, MO  #9 Penn State  #8 Missouri -1.5  | CFP 1st Round Dec. 21 • Austin, TX  #12 Boise State*  #5 Texas -19 |
CFP 1st Round Dec. 21 • Eugene, OR  #11 Michigan  #6 Oregon -1 | CFP 1st Round Dec. 21 • South Bend, IN  #10 Alabama -2.5  #7 Notre Dame |
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Dec. 31 • Glendale, AZ  #4 Utah* #5 Texas -9 |  Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Jan. 1 • Atlanta, GA  #3 Florida State* #6 Oregon -10 |
 Rose Bowl Jan. 1 • Pasadena, CA  #2 Ohio State* -5.5 #7 Notre Dame |  Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 1 • New Orleans, LA  #1 Georgia* -9 #8 Missouri |
College Football Playoff Semifinals
 Capital One Orange Bowl Jan. 9 • Miami, FL #1 Georgia -4.5 #5 Texas |  Goodyear Cotton Bowl Jan. 10 • Arlington, TX #2 Ohio State -0.5 #6 Oregon |
CFP National Championship Prediction
Projections for All Other Bowl Games
 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL  Ole Miss -14  Nebraska |  ReliaQuest Bowl Tampa, FL  Iowa  Oklahoma -14 |  Arizona Bowl Tucson, AZ  Bowling Green -3.5  Utah State |  Music City Bowl Nashville, TN  Texas A&M -15.5  Michigan St. |  AutoZone Liberty Bowl Memphis, TN  Oklahoma St.  Kentucky -2.5 |  Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl El Paso, TX  UNC -3.5  California |  TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Jacksonville, FL  LSU -10.5  Miami |  Valero Alamo Bowl San Antonio, TX  Kansas State -4.5  USC |  Pop-Tarts Bowl Orlando, FL  Louisville  Kansas PK |  Pinstripe Bowl Bronx, NY  NC State PK  Maryland |  Wasabi Fenway Bowl Boston, MA  Duke -2  Memphis |  TaxAct Texas Bowl Houston, TX  Iowa State -0.5  Auburn |  Holiday Bowl San Diego, CA  Clemson  Washington -6 |  Duke's Mayo Bowl Charlotte, NC  Virginia Tech  Wisconsin -1 |  Military Bowl Annapolis, MD  SMU -18  South Florida |  Guaranteed Rate Bowl Phoenix, AZ  Illinois  Texas Tech -5 |  First Responder Bowl Dallas, TX  UAB -8.5  Sam Houston |  Quick Lane Bowl Detroit, MI  Indiana -10.5  C. Michigan |  EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl Honolulu, HI  Colorado St.  New Mexico St. -5 |  Las Vegas Bowl Las Vegas, NV  Tennessee  Arizona PK |  68 Ventures Bowl Mobile, AL  Arkansas St. -7  W. Michigan |  Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Boise, ID  Fresno State -2  Miami OH |  Armed Forces Bowl Fort Worth, TX  Air Force  West Virginia -6.5 |  Camellia Bowl Montgomery, AL  Louisiana -2.5  Jacksonville St. |  Birmingham Bowl Birmingham, AL  Georgia Tech -0.5  Northwestern |  Gasparilla Bowl Tampa, FL  Pittsburgh  Tulane -2 |  Boca Raton Bowl Boca Raton, FL  UCF -15.5  Marshall |  Frisco Bowl Frisco, TX  Minnesota -6.5  ODU |  Myrtle Beach Bowl Conway, SC  Troy -18.5  East Carolina |  Independence Bowl Shreveport, LA  TCU -0.5  Washington St. |  LA Bowl Inglewood, CA  Oregon State -15  UNLV |  New Mexico Bowl Albuquerque, NM  Rice  San Jose St. -10 |  Cure Bowl Orlando, FL  JMU -7  Toledo |  New Orleans Bowl New Orleans, LA  App State  Liberty -2 |  Bahamas Bowl Nassau, Bahamas  WKU -0.5  NIU |
