The CollegeFootballNews.com bowl projections, picks and predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 12.
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These projections are all going to go haywire when it’s time to really do this for three reasons.
1) The SEC. In some way, shape and form, LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Florida will all likely be in the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six games. That screws up the whole SEC pecking order, meaning there will be a few big openings against good Power Five teams.
If Mississippi State loses to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl and doesn’t become bowl eligible, and/or if Tennessee doesn’t get to six wins … uh oh. There could be as many as five bowls that have to fill open SEC spots, which is a problem because …
2) There won’t be any Power Five at-large teams to choose from. There will be some very, very good teams playing some very, very mediocre Group of Five teams because there simple won’t be enough options. And that means …
3) This is all going to be screwed up by a few bowls that will jump the gun. The Belk, AutoZone Liberty, Franklin American Mortgage Music City, and Academy Sports + Outdoor Texas will all be desperate for an SEC team. All of a sudden, Kentucky and Tennessee could be the most beloved programs in college football. The bowls that don’t get them might have to scramble for the best available MAC team.
2019-2020 Bowl Projections: Week 12
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl
Friday, December 20
2:00 ET, ESPN
Thomas Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
MAC vs. Conference USA
Projection: Ohio vs. Florida Atlantic
Last Season: FIU 35, Toledo 32
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Friday, December 20
7:30 ET, ESPN2
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
American Athletic vs. at-large
Secondary: MAC, and if not, Conference USA
Projection: Tulane vs. Ball State
Last Season: Ohio 27, San Diego State 0
Cure Bowl
Saturday, December 21
1:30 ET, CBS Sports Network
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
American Athletic vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Temple vs. Georgia State
Last Season: Tulane 41, Louisiana 24
New Mexico Bowl
Saturday, December 21
2:00 ET, ESPN
Branch Field at Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Conference USA vs. Mountain West
Projection: Southern Miss vs. Nevada
Last Season: Utah State 52, North Texas 13
Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl
Saturday, December 21
3:30 ET, ABC
Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
American Athletic vs. MAC
Projection: Charlotte* vs. Miami University
Last Season: UAB 37, Northern Illinois 13
Camellia Bowl
Saturday, December 21
5:30 ET, ESPN
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Toledo vs. Arkansas State
Last Season: Georgia Southern 23, Eastern Michigan 21
Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
Saturday, December 21
7:30 ET, ABC
Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Mountain West (champion) vs. Pac-12
Projection: Hawaii vs. Cal
Last Season: Fresno State 31, Arizona State 20
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Saturday, December 21
9:00 ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Conference USA vs. Sun Belt (champion)
Projection: Louisiana Tech vs. Appalachian State
Last Season: Appalachian State 45, Middle Tennessee 13
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl
Monday, December 23
2:30 ET, ESPN
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
American Athletic vs. Conference USA
Secondary: ACC
Projection: UCF vs. WKU
Last Season: Marshall 38, USF 20
SoFi Hawai’i Bowl
Tuesday, December 24
8:00 ET, ESPN
Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union Field at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
BYU vs. American Athletic or Mountain West
Projection: BYU vs. Wyoming
Last Season: Louisiana Tech 31, Hawaii 14
Walk-On’s Independence Bowl
Thursday, December 26
4:00 ET, ESPN
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
ACC vs. SEC
Secondary: American Athletic, Conference USA
Projection: Florida State vs. Memphis
Last Season: Duke 56, Temple 27
Quick Lane Bowl
Thursday, December 26
8:00 ET, ESPN
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
ACC vs. Big Ten
Secondary: MAC
Projection: North Carolina vs. Michigan State
Last Season: Minnesota 34, Georgia Tech 10
Military Bowl Presented By Northrup Grumman
Friday, December 27
12:00 ET, ESPN
Navy-Marine Corps. Stadium, Annapolis, MD
ACC vs. American Athletic
Projection: Louisville vs. Navy
Last Season: Cincinnati 35, Virginia Tech 31
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Friday, December 27
3:20 ET, ESPN
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
ACC vs. Big Ten
Projection: Wake Forest vs. Nebraska
Last Season: Wisconsin 35, Miami 3
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl
Friday, December 27
6:45 ET, ESPN
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Oklahoma State vs. SMU*
*No SEC team projected available
Last Season: Baylor 45, Vanderbilt 38
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Friday, December 27
8:00 ET, FS1
SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, CA
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Michigan vs. USC
Last Season: Northwestern 31, Utah 20
Cheez-It Bowl
Saturday, December 28
10:15 ET, ESPN
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Secondary: Mountain West
Projection: Kansas State vs. San Diego State
Last Season: TCU 10, Cal 7 OT
Camping World Bowl
Saturday, December 28
12:00 ET, ABC
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
ACC vs. Big 12
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Texas
Last Season: Syracuse 34, West Virginia 18
SERVPRO First Responders Bowl
Monday, December 30
12:30 ET, ESPN
Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Big 12 vs. Conference USA
Projection: TCU vs. Marshall
Last Season: Boise State vs. Boston College cancelled
Redbox Bowl
Monday, December 30
4:00 ET, FOX
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Illinois vs. Washington State
Last Season: Oregon 7, Michigan State 6
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Monday, December 30
4:00 ET, ESPN
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
SEC vs. (likely) ACC, or Big Ten
Projection: Miami vs. Liberty*
Last Season: Auburn 63, Purdue 14
*No SEC team projected available
Belk Bowl
Tuesday, December 31
12:00 ET, ESPN
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Pitt vs. Mississippi State
*No SEC team projected available
Last Season: Virginia 28, South Carolina 0
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Tuesday, December 31
2:00 ET, CBS
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Virginia vs. Arizona State
Last Season: Stanford 14, Pitt 13
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Tuesday, December 31
3:45 ET, ESPN
Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
Big 12 vs. SEC
Secondary: American Athletic
Projection: Iowa State vs. Tennessee
Last Season: Oklahoma State 38, Missouri 33
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Tuesday, December 31
4:30 ET, CBS Sports Network
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Sun Belt vs. Mountain West
Projection: Georgia Southern vs. San Jose State
Last Season: Nevada 16, Arkansas State 13 OT
Valero Alamo Bowl
Tuesday, December 31
7:30 ET, ESPN
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection: Baylor vs. Washington
Last Season: Washington State 28, Iowa State 26
VRBO Citrus Bowl
Wednesday, January 1
1:00 ET, ABC
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
SEC vs. Big Ten or ACC
Projection: Texas A&M vs. Wisconsin
Last Season: Kentucky 27, Penn State 24
Outback Bowl
Wednesday, January 1
1:00 ET, ESPN
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Penn State vs. Auburn
Last Season: Iowa 27, Mississippi State 22
Birmingham Bowl
Thursday, January 2
3:00 ET, ESPN
Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
American Athletic vs. SEC
Secondary: ACC
Projection: Cincinnati vs. UAB*
Last Season: Wake Forest 37, Memphis 34
*No SEC team projected available
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Thursday, January 2
7:00 ET, ESPN
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
SEC vs. (likely) Big Ten, or ACC
Projection: Kentucky vs. Iowa
Last Season: Texas A&M 52, NC State 13
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Friday, January 3
3:30 ET, ESPN
Lyle Smith Field at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Central Michigan vs. Utah State
Last Season: BYU 49, Western Michigan 18
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Saturday, January 4
11:30 am ET, ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Big Ten vs. Mountain West
Projection: Indiana vs. Air Force
Last Season: Army 70, Houston 14
Mobile Alabama Bowl
Monday, January 6
7:30 ET, ESPN
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Western Michigan vs. Louisiana
Last Season: Troy 42, Buffalo 32
– 2019-2020 College Football Conference Bowl Tie-Ins
NEXT: New Year’s Six Bowls & College Football Playoff
New Year’s Six Bowls Schedule
New Year’s Six Games
Rose Bowl: Big Ten vs. Pac-12 team
Sugar Bowl: Big 12 vs. SEC
Orange Bowl: ACC vs. Notre Dame or highest-ranked available SEC or Big Ten team not in the Sugar or Rose, respectively.
Cotton Bowl: Highest-ranked Group of Five champion if not in CFP vs. top ranked at-large team after the other NY6 bowls are figured out.
GoodYear Cotton Bowl Classic
Saturday, December 28
12:00 ET, ESPN
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
at-large vs. at-large
Projection: Boise State vs. Florida
Other Top Options: Alabama, Appalachian State, Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, Notre Dame, Penn State, Georgia
Last Season: Clemson 30, Notre Dame 3
– Get Cotton Bowl Tickets
Capital One Orange Bowl
Monday, December 30
8:00 ET, ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
ACC vs. Big Ten or SEC
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Georgia
Other Top Options: Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Florida
Last Season: Alabama 45, Oklahoma 34
– Get Orange Bowl Tickets
Rose Bowl
Wednesday, January 1
5:00 ET, ESPN
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Minnesota vs. Oregon
Other Top Options: Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Utah, Penn State
Last Season: Ohio State 28, Washington 23
– Get Rose Bowl Tickets
AllState Sugar Bowl
Wednesday, January 1
8:45 ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans, LA
Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Other Top Options: Georgia, Baylor, Florida, LSU
Last Season: Texas 28, Georgia 21
– Get Sugar Bowl Tickets
NEXT: College Football Playoff Picks
2019-2020 College Football Playoff Schedule
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Saturday, December 28
4:00 or 8:00 ET, ESPN
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
CFP vs. CFP
Projection: Ohio State vs. Clemson
Other Top Options: Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah
Last Season: LSU 40, UCF 32
– Get Fiesta Bowl Tickets
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Saturday, December 28
4:00 or 8:00 ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
CFP vs. CFP
Projection: LSU vs. Utah
Other Top Options: Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma, Oregon, Alabama
Last Season: Florida 41, Michigan 15
College Football Playoff National Championship
Monday, January 13
8:00 ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans, LA
CFP vs. CFP
Projection: LSU vs. Ohio State
Other Top Options: Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Utah, Oregon
Last Season: Clemson 44, Alabama 16
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