Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Week 12

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 12.

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 12.


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New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
College Football Playoff Predictions

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Two notes before getting started: 1) Overall, records don’t matter. Bowls can take anyone that fills a conference tie-in. 2) The Pac-12 has a funky issue – it requires its teams to get to .500 to go bowling. That means a few teams might have to schedule easy non-conference games to get to even.

2020-2021 Bowl Projections: Week 12

All times Eastern

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

Saturday, December 19
ESPN, 7:00 pm
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or C-USA or MAC or MWC
Last Season: Kent State 51, Utah State 41
Projection: Houston vs UTSA

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
Projection: Western Michigan vs Appalachian State 

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
Projection: Buffalo vs San Jose State

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 Liberty

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: San Diego State 48, Central Michigan 11
Projection: Coastal Carolina vs Marshall

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
Projection: Tulane vs Georgia Southern

New Mexico Bowl

Thursday, December 24
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or C-USA or MAC
Last Season: San Diego State 48, Central Michigan 11
Projection: Nevada vs Kent State

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: Central Michigan 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: Louisville vs South Carolina

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: Florida Atlantic vs Georgia State

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: SMU vs Wake Forest

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
Projection: UAB vs Troy

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 Washington

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: Kansas State vs Michigan

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: Virginia vs Navy

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Tuesday, December 29
ESPN, 2:00 pm
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big Ten
Last Season: Michigan State 27, Wake Forest 21
Projection: Boston College vs Iowa

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: North Carolina vs Texas

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: Iowa State vs. USC

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: NC State vs. Purdue

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: Indiana vs. Tennessee

LA Bowl

Wednesday, December 30
ESPN, 10:45 pm
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. MWC
Last Season: No Bowl
Projection: UCLA vs Boise State

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Thursday, December 31
ESPN, 12:00 pm
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs Group of 5
Last Season: Tulane 30, Southern Miss 13
Projection: TCU vs. Tulsa

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Thursday, December 31
CBS, 2:00 pm
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-12
Last Season: Arizona State 20, Florida State 14
Projection: Pitt vs. Utah

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: Toledo vs. San Diego 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: Oklahoma State 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: Memphis vs. Mississippi 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: Virginia Tech 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: Wisconsin vs. LSU

Still waiting to decide whether or not it’s going to go and a date/time …

Mistubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl

ESPN
Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. SEC
Last Season: Washington 38, Boise State 7
Projection: Colorado vs. Missouri

New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
College Football Playoff Predictions

NEXT: New Year’s Six Bowls