College football bowl projections: Sizzling South Carolina to Orlando? What about Texas A&M?
While the 12-team College Football Playoff field will be the focal point of the sport these last three weeks, there will still be 70 other teams that go bowling this winter.
Red-hot South Carolina, even with three losses, would be a no-brainer pick for the Citrus Bowl, which has the first choice of the SEC’s non-Playoff teams. Their fans figure to be far more excited than Tennessee’s if the Vols miss the cut. Texas A&M (if it loses to Texas) and LSU then make sense for the ReliaQuest and Gator Bowls, respectively.
As one of the Pac-12’s legacy bowls, the Alamo Bowl could theoretically pit two current Big 12 teams if one side is Colorado or Arizona State. We have BYU there for now but could see the Sun Devils supplanting the Cougars if they win this week.
The Holiday Bowl thought it was getting Clemson last season until Florida State’s CFP snub caused an 11th-hour domino effect. We have the Tigers going to San Diego this year to face Washington.
Finally, Florida for the first time this season looks like it will get bowl-eligible, but a 6-6 Gators team would still fall below most SEC bowls. The Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa becomes a natural landing spot, where they would likely face an ACC foe. We chose North Carolina.
A friendly reminder: Most non-CFP bowls do not have to select teams in order of conference standings.
College Football Playoff
| Bowl/Playoff | Date | Team | Team | Location | Time (ET) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Playoff |
Dec. 20 |
6. Penn State |
11. Ole Miss |
State College, Pa. |
8 p.m. |
ABC/ESPN |
|
Playoff |
Dec. 21 |
7. Georgia |
10. Indiana |
Athens, Ga. |
Noon |
TNT |
|
Playoff |
Dec. 21 |
5. Oregon |
12 Boise State (G5 champ) |
Eugene, Ore. |
3:30 p.m. |
TNT |
|
Playoff |
Dec. 21 |
8. Texas |
9. Notre Dame |
Austin, Texas |
8 p.m. |
ABC/ESPN |
|
Fiesta |
Dec. 31 |
4. Colorado (Big 12 champ) |
Oregon-Boise St winer |
Glendale, Ariz. |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Peach |
Jan. 1 |
3. Miami (ACC champ) |
Penn State-Ole Miss winner |
Atlanta |
Noon |
ESPN |
|
Rose |
Jan. 1 |
1. Ohio State (Big Ten champ) |
Texas-Notre Dame winner |
Pasadena, Calif. |
5 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Sugar |
Jan. 1 |
2. Alabama (SEC champ) |
Georgia/Indiana winner |
New Orleans |
8:45 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Orange |
Jan. 9 |
Quarterfinal winner |
Quarterfinal winner |
Miami, Fla. |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Cotton |
Jan. 10 |
Quarterfinal winner |
Quarterfinal winner |
Arlington, Texas |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Championship |
Jan. 20 |
Semifinal winner |
Semifinal winner |
Atlanta |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
Remaining bowls
| Bowl | Date | Team | Team | Location | Time (ET) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bahamas |
Jan. 4 |
NIU (MAC) |
Liberty (C-USA) |
Nassau, Bahamas |
11 a.m. |
ESPN2 |
|
Duke’s Mayo |
Jan. 3 |
Minnesota (Big Ten 6) |
Duke (ACC 5-7) |
Charlotte, N.C. |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
First Responder |
Jan. 3 |
Arkansas State (ESPN) |
UTSA (ESPN) |
University Park, Texas |
4 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Gator |
Jan. 2 |
SMU (ACC 2-4) |
LSU (SEC 3-8) |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Texas |
Dec. 31 |
Baylor (Big 12 4) |
Arkansas (SEC 3-8) |
Houston |
3:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Citrus |
Dec. 31 |
Illinois (Big Ten 2) |
South Carolina (SEC 2) |
Orlando, Fla. |
3 p.m. |
ABC |
|
Sun |
Dec. 31 |
Syracuse (ACC 5-7) |
USC (Pac-12 5) |
El Paso, Texas |
2 p.m. |
CBS |
|
ReliaQuest |
Dec. 31 |
Iowa (Big Ten 3) |
Texas A&M (SEC 3-8) |
Tampa, Fla. |
Noon |
ESPN |
|
Music City |
Dec. 30 |
Nebraska (Big Ten 4) |
Missouri (SEC 3-8) |
Nashville, Tenn. |
2:30 p.m. |
ABC |
|
Independence |
Dec. 28 |
Army (AAC) |
Cincinnati* (Pac-12 7) |
Shreveport, La. |
9:15 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Alamo |
Dec. 28 |
BYU (Big 12 2) |
Washington State (Pac-12 2) |
San Antonio, Texas |
9:15 p.m. |
ABC |
|
Military |
Dec. 28 |
Navy (AAC) |
Georgia Tech (ACC 8-10) |
Annapolis, Md. |
5:45 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Arizona |
Dec. 30 |
Colorado State (MWC) |
Miami of Ohio (MAC) |
Tucson, Ariz. |
4:30 p.m. |
CW |
|
Pop-Tarts |
Dec. 28 |
Iowa State (Big 12 3) |
Pittsburgh (ACC 2-4) |
Orlando, Fla. |
3:30 p.m. |
ABC |
|
New Mexico |
Dec. 28 |
New Mexico (MWC) |
Texas State (ESPN) |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
2:15 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Pinstripe |
Dec. 28 |
Michigan (Big Ten 5) |
Louisville (ACC 5-7) |
Bronx, N.Y. |
Noon |
ABC |
|
Fenway |
Dec. 28 |
Virginia Tech (ACC 8-10) |
Memphis (AAC) |
Boston |
11 a.m. |
ESPN |
|
Vegas |
Dec. 27 |
Arizona State (Pac-12 3) |
Tennessee (SEC 3-8) |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
10:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Holiday |
Dec. 27 |
Clemson (ACC 2-4) |
Washington (Pac-12 4) |
San Diego, Calif. |
8 p.m. |
FOX |
|
Liberty |
Dec. 27 |
Kansas State (Big 12 5) |
Vanderbilt (SEC 3-8) |
Memphis, Tenn. |
7 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Birmingham |
Dec. 27 |
West Virginia* (ESPN) |
Tulane (ESPN) |
Birmingham, Ala. |
12/3:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Armed Forces |
Dec. 27 |
TCU (Big 12 7) |
Rutgers (ESPN) |
Fort Worth, Texas |
12/3:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
68 Ventures |
Dec. 26 |
Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) |
Western Kentucky (C-USA) |
Mobile, Ala. |
9 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Rate |
Dec. 26 |
Michigan State (Big Ten 7) |
Texas Tech (Big 12 6) |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
5:45 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
GameAbove |
Dec. 26 |
Wisconsin (Big Ten 8) |
Ohio (MAC) |
Detroit |
2 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Hawaii |
Dec. 24 |
James Madison* (MWC) |
Jacksonville State (C-USA) |
Honolulu, Hawaii |
8 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Idaho Potato |
Dec. 23 |
San Jose State (MWC) |
Buffalo (MAC) |
Boise, Idaho |
2:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Myrtle Beach |
Dec. 23 |
Coastal Carolina (ESPN) |
East Carolina (ESPN) |
Myrtle Beach, S.C. |
11 a.m. |
ESPN |
|
Gasparilla |
Dec. 20 |
North Carolina (ACC 8-10) |
Florida (ESPN) |
Tampa, Fla. |
3:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Cure |
Dec. 20 |
USF (ESPN) |
Marshall (ESPN) |
Orlando, Fla. |
Noon |
ESPN |
|
New Orleans |
Dec. 19 |
Louisiana (Sun Belt) |
Sam Houston (C-USA) |
New Orleans |
7 p.m. |
ESPN2 |
|
LA Bowl |
Dec. 18 |
California (Pac-12 6) |
UNLV (MWC 1) |
Inglewood, Calif. |
9 p.m. |
ABC |
|
Boca Raton |
Dec. 18 |
UConn (ESPN) |
Bowling Green (ESPN) |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
5:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Frisco |
Dec. 17 |
Toledo (ESPN) |
North Texas (ESPN) |
Frisco, Texas |
9 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Camellia |
Dec. 14 |
South Alabama (ESPN) |
Western Michigan (ESPN) |
Montgomery, Ala. |
9 p.m. |
ESPN |
Notes: (ESPN) indicates an ESPN Events bowl. Teams can be moved between them. An * indicates a replacement team because a league was not able to fill all of its slots.
(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic, Photos: Don Juan Moore / Getty)
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