The final College Football News bowl projections and predictions for the College Football Playoff for 2020-2021
– New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
– College Football Playoff Predictions
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews
It’s the final call on the 2020-2021 bowl projections and College Football Playoff predictions …
Sort of.
Before we start, please be patient and please be kind.
These are going to change in a huge way by the hour. Usually we have a decent grasp on who’s going where, but not this time around.
We’ll try to update this on the fly as more teams opt out and more bowls get canceled – follow us @ColFootballNews for the updates – because there’s about to become a huge problem with merely getting enough teams to want to play in these things.
Penn State and USC are the latest to decline any bowl invites, and there will be several more along the way, so these will be based on what we know at the moment.
If it was possible to type this in pencil, we would.
Schools that opted out of a bowl invite (so far)
Boston College, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Kansas State, Louisville, Penn State, Pitt, San Diego State, USC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Utah, Washington
Team has accepted bowl bid
2020-2021 Bowl Projections
All times Eastern
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Monday, December 21
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
Bowl Tie-Ins: Conference USA or MAC or Sun Belt
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Matchup: Appalachian State vs North Texas
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Tuesday, December 22
ESPN, 3:30
Lyle Smith Field at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Mountain West
Last Season: Ohio 30, Nevada 21
Bowl Matchup: Tulane vs Nevada
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Tuesday, December 22
ESPN, 7:00 pm
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or C-USA or MAC
Last Season: Arkansas State 34, FIU 26
Projection: UCF vs BYU
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Wednesday, December 23
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Bowl Tie-Ins: C-USA vs. Sun Belt Champion (if available)
Last Season: Appalachian State 31, UAB 17
Projection: Louisiana Tech vs Georgia Southern
Montgomery Bowl
Wednesday, December 23
ESPN or ESPN2, 7:00 pm
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. AAC
Last Season: No Bowl
Note: This is the Fenway Bowl for this year only
Bowl Matchup: Florida Atlantic vs Memphis
New Mexico Bowl
Thursday, December 24
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Mountain West or Conference USA or MAC
Last Season: San Diego State 48, Central Michigan 11
Bowl Matchup: Hawaii vs. Houston
Camellia Bowl
Friday, December 25
ESPN, 2:30 pm
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Last Season: Arkansas State 34, FIU 26
Projection: Buffalo vs. Louisiana
Union Home Mortgage Gasparillia Bowl
Saturday, December 26
ABC, 12:00 pm
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or ACC or SEC
Last Season: UCF 48, Marshall 25
Projection: South Carolina vs. Liberty
Cure Bowl
Saturday, December 26
ESPN, 12:00 pm
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC, MAC, Sun Belt
Last Season: Liberty 23, Georgia Southern 16
Projection: UAB vs. Coastal Carolina
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Saturday, December 26
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or ACC or Big 12
Last Season: WKU 23, Western Michigan 20
Projection: Tulsa vs UTSA
LendingTree Bowl
Saturday, December 26
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Last Season: Louisiana 27, Miami University 17
Bowl Matchup: WKU vs. Georgia State
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Saturday, December 26
ESPN, 7:00 pm
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Bowl Tie-Ins: Army vs. Pac-12
Last Season: Louisiana Tech 14, Miami 0
Projection: Army vs Nebraska
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Saturday, December 26
ESPN, 10:15 pm
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Big Ten
Last Season: Air Force 31, Washington State 21
Note: Was Cheez-It Bowl last season
Projection: Texas Tech vs Minnesota
Military Bowl presented by Perspecta
Monday, December 28
ESPN, 2:30 pm
Navy-Marine Corps. Stadium, Annapolis, MD
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. AAC
Last Season: North Carolina 55, Temple 13
Projection: Purdue vs Navy
Cheez-It Bowl
Tuesday, December 29
ESPN, 5:30 pm
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big 12
Last Season: Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9
Note: Was Camping World Bowl last season
Projection: Miami vs Oklahoma State
Valero Alamo Bowl
Tuesday, December 29
ESPN, 9:00 pm
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Last Season: Texas 38, Utah 10
Projection: Texas vs. Colorado
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Wednesday, December 30
ESPN, 12:00 pm
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big Ten
Last Season: Kentucky 37, Virginia Tech 30
Projection: Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Wednesday, December 30
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Last Season: Louisville 38, Mississippi State 28
Projection: Iowa vs. Tennessee
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Thursday, December 31
ESPN, 12:00 pm
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. SEC
Last Season: Tulane 30, Southern Miss 13
Projection: Arizona State vs. Mississippi State
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Thursday, December 31
ESPN, 5:00 pm
Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Last Season: Navy 20, Kansas State 17
Projection: West Virginia vs. Kentucky
Arizona Bowl
Thursday, December 31
CBS Sports Network, 4:00 pm
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. MW
Last Season: Wyoming 38, Georgia State 17
Projection: Ball State vs. San Jose State
Texas Bowl
Thursday, December 31
ESPN, 8:00 pm
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Last Season: Texas A&M 24, Oklahoma State 21
Projection: TCU vs. Arkansas
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Friday, January 1
ESPN, 12:00 pm
Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC, ACC vs. SEC
Last Season: Cincinnati 38, Boston College 6
Projection: Marshall vs. Boise State
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Friday, January 1
ABC, 1:00 pm
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Last Season: Alabama 35, Michigan 16
Projection: Northwestern vs. Auburn
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Saturday, January 2
ESPN, 12:00 pm
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Last Season: Tennessee 23, Indiana 22
Projection: NC State vs. Ole Miss
Outback Bowl
Saturday, January 2
ESPN, 12:30 pm
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Last Season: Minnesota 31, Auburn 24
Projection: Indiana vs. Missouri
Bowls That Aren’t Being Played
Bahamas (Conference USA vs. MAC)
Fenway (the Montgomery Bowl this year)
Hawaii (Mountain West vs. AAC or Conference USA)
LA Bowl (Pac-12 vs. Mountain West)
Las Vegas (Pac-12 vs. SEC)
New Era Pinstripe (ACC vs Big Ten)
Quick Lane (Big Ten vs MAC)
Redbox (Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday (ACC vs. Pac-12)
Tony the Tiger (ACC vs. Pac-12)
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl (AAC vs. Conference USA)
– New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
– College Football Playoff Predictions
NEXT: New Year’s Six Bowls
New Year’s Six Bowls Schedule
New Year’s Six Games
Chick-Fil-A Peach, Cotton, Fiesta are all based on the best possible matchups. An ACC team has to play in the Orange against a Big Ten or SEC team.
All Power Five conference champions will be in either the College Football Playoff or a New Year’s Six game along with the top-ranked Group of Five champion.
GoodYear Cotton Bowl Classic
Wednesday, December 30
ESPN, 7:15 pm
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
At-Large vs. At-Large
Last Season: Penn State 53, Memphis 39
Projection: Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Friday, January 1
ESPN, 12:30 pm
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
At-Large vs. At-Large
Last Season: LSU 63, Oklahoma 28
Projection: Georgia vs. Cincinnati
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Saturday, January 2
ESPN, 4:00
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
At-Large vs. At-Large
Last Season: Clemson 29, Ohio State 23
Projection: Oregon vs. Iowa State
Capital One Orange Bowl
Saturday, January 2
ESPN, 8:00 pm
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
ACC vs. Big Ten or SEC
Last Season: Florida 36, Virginia 28
Projection: North Carolina vs. Florida
NEXT: College Football Playoff
2020-2021 College Football Playoff Schedule
CFP Semifinal*
Friday, January 1
ESPN, 5:00 pm
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
CFP vs. CFP
Last Season: Oregon 28, Wisconsin 27
Projection: Ohio State vs. Clemson
*Bowl hasn’t been officially named yet
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Friday, January 1
ESPN, 8:45 pm
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
CFP vs. CFP
Last Season: Georgia 26, Baylor 14
Projection: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
College Football Playoff National Championship
Monday, January 11, 8:00 ET
ESPN, 8:00 pm
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
CFP vs. CFP
Last Season: LSU 42, Clemson 25
Projection: Alabama vs. Clemson
