It's finally here, not just the culmination of a long season but the first playoff in major college footballl since Rutgers and Princeton met on the field in 1869.

Here at the CFWP we have your New Year's Day viewing guide and playoff predictions along with the Wisconsin bowl game preview.

We also give you some of the best draft eligible seniors on each team before most underclassmen entries are announced...

Rose Bowl, Oregon vs. Florida State

Thursday Jan. 1 at 4:00 p.m. CT on ESPN

The Skinny: It's a meeting of the past two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks as Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota look to propel their prospective teams into the national championship game. Oregon stays on the West coast while Florida State has to travel cross country to Pasadena. The under-the-radar storyline is how much Oregon feels the loss of Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, arguably the best cornerback in America. Ekpre-Olomu suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice a few weeks ago.

Oregon Senior to Watch: Safety Erick Dargan—Recognized as an all-conference selection as a special teams coverage demon his junior year, Dargan emerged as senior to be honored on defense. All he did in 2014 was lead the Ducks in both tackles (82) and interceptions (six) as Oregon emerged in the second half of the season as a top-flight defense. His play in the secondary will be even more important with Ekpre-Olomu out. Any team drafting Dargan in the mid-rounds will get a player that can help on both defense and special teams.

Florida State Senior to Watch: Offensive lineman Cameron Erving—When an injury to the Seminoles' starting center struck, Erving shifted from left tackle to the pivot position, earning all-conference honors at two diferent positions as a senior: first-team as a tackle and second-team at center. To not only switch positions but to play both well proved how versatile Erving can be. He was honored with the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC's top offensive lineman in back-to-back years. There's first-round potential here.

Prediction: Winston is prone to turnovers while Mariota is not. Winston throws at least one costly interception, giving Mariota all the ammunition he needs to lead his team to victory in an otherwise close game. 37-30, Go Ducks.

Sugar Bowl, Alabama vs. Ohio State

Thursday Jan. 1 at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN

The Skinny: Ohio State is a vastly different team than the one that lost to Virginia Tech earlier in the year. Third-string quarterback Cardale Jones looked effective in the Big Ten championship game, but now he'll get to find out how much better the Alabama defense is than Wisconsin. The Blake Sims to Amari Cooper connection has been lethal all year but must be at its best now that all the chips are on the line. Above all, it's Nick Saban vs. Urban Meyer, the two biggest names in college football coaching.

Alabama Senior to Watch: Guard Arie Kouandijo—The older brother of Buffalo Bills second round draft pick Cyrus Kouandijo, Arie is soon to join his sibling in the NFL. He's one of the best interior offensive linemen in the country and should be Day 2 draft choice in the spring. He'll face an Ohio State defensive line that might be the Buckeyes' biggest strength.

Ohio State Senior to Watch: Defensive lineman Michael Bennett—Bennett is peaking at the right time. He was nearly unblockable in the Big Ten conference championship, making four tackles for a loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles, all single game season highs. He's a potential first-round draft pick. One-on-one battles with Kouandijo will be one of the game's best match-ups.

Prediction: The SEC reasserts its dominance after a couple of New Year's Six losses the previous day when Ole Miss and Mississippi State stumbled. The Buckeyes can keep it close for a half, but Alabama eventually wears them down in every phase of the game. 38-21, Roll Tide.

Outback Bowl, Wisconsin vs. Auburn

Thursday Jan. 1 at 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN2

The Skinny: Wisconsin looks to wash the bad taste from its mouth following the Big Ten championship beatdown from Ohio State, while the same goes for Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Barry Alvarez prowls the sidelines for yet another New Year's Day bowl. Will the Badgers rally around him or have they lost focus after Gary Andersen surprisingly left them to take another job? It's also Heisman runner-up Melvin Gordon's swan song for the Badgers after declaring for the draft. Does he want to recapture previous magic one last time or just avoid injury?

Wisconsin Senior to Watch: Offensive lineman Rob Havenstein—At 6-8 and 327 lbs., Havenstein is a true right tackle that's been invited to the Senior Bowl. It will be his final opportunity to block for Gordon, which will be key to the game. The only chance the Badgers have of hanging with Auburn will be if the ground game is grinding out first downs, controlling the football and the trenches.

Auburn Senior to Watch: Running back Cameron Artis-Payne—Gordon may have the higher-profile name, but Artis-Payne is NFL material too, potentially a Day 2 draft choice. He helped Auburn win a conference championship and reach the national title game last year, something Gordon can't boast. Pro teams looking for a running back will get to compare these two side by side.

Prediction: Auburn's pass defense is vulnerable, but the Badgers don't have the aerial attack to exploit it. Not having D'haquille Williams won't matter. Nick Marshall has plenty of other options in Sammie Coates and Quan Bray. 35-20, War Eagle.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].