If it's early August, it's time to get ready for college football!  It's also time for preseason bowl projections and a predicted College Football Playoff field that features some quite familiar names.

The projected No. 1 seed is once again Alabama. The Crimson Tide lost a lot of talent to the NFL, as always. They've also reloaded with a lot of talent the NFL cannot wait to get its hands on, as always.

Alabama should be in the Orange Bowl facing future conference mate and No. 4 seed Oklahoma.  The Sooners have been the dominant team in the Big 12, winning the last six conference championships; they are favored to extend that streak to seven. That game should be in Miami instead of the Cotton Bowl (technically closer for Alabama) because playing in Arlington, Texas, could be perceived to be an advantage for Oklahoma, which is even closer to the stadium.

In the Cotton Bowl, No. 2 seed Clemson is projected to make its seventh consecutive CFP.  The Tigers are heavy favorites to repeat as champions of the ACC. Also heavily favored to win its conference once again is projected No. 3 seed Ohio State from the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are looking for a fifth straight Big Ten title and a fifth CFP appearance.

hose four teams have combined to take 20 of 28 overall slots in the first seven seasons of the CFP. At least three of those four have been in each of the last six playoff fields.

That is no small part of why the CFP is looking to expand. A 12-team proposal was announced in June but is now on hold to wait and see how the new wave of conference realignment shakes out.