The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 8.
A whole slew of bowl things happened this week.
1. Army accepted the Independence Bowl bid. The Black Knights rolled by Mercer, and then received its official invitation to play in the Independence vs. a Pac-12 team. This was Army’s contracted bowl tie-in.
2. The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl has been cancelled. Organizers will take a year off from the bowl due to the coronavirus – this takes away tie-ins for the Big Ten and Pac-12.
In a year when records don’t necessarily matter to get into a bowl game, this is a big loss for those two conferences. All of a sudden, the contracted tie-ins dry up in a hurry. However, watch out for some bowls to try shoehorning in a Nebraska, Michigan State, or Pac-12 team in place of a Group of Five program.
Longwinded explanation short, if you don’t see your Power Five program here in a bowl, don’t get crazy quite yet. Bowls are going to want the big-name teams no matter what the records.
3. A few name changes. The Cactus Bowl between the Big 12 and Big Ten in Phoenix is now the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, and the Gasparilla in Tampa between the American Athletic, ACC, SEC, or BYU is now the Union Home Mortgage Bowl.
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– New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
– College Football Playoff Predictions
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2020-2021 Bowl Projections: Week 8
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl
ESPN, NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Oklahoma State vs. LSU
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
ESPN, Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Iowa State vs Tennessee
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
ESPN, Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Big Ten
Bowl Projection: West Virginia vs. Indiana
Camellia Bowl
ESPN, Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Ball State vs. Louisiana
Cheez-It Bowl
ESPN, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big 12
Bowl Projection: Miami vs. Kansas State
Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl
ESPN, Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or C-USA or MAC
Bowl Projection: Miami University vs. Florida Atlantic
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
ESPN, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big Ten
Bowl Projection: NC State vs. Minnesota
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
ESPN, Lyle Smith Field at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Mountain West
Bowl Projection: Toledo vs. Nevada
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FBS Mortgage Cure Bowl
CBS Sports Network, Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC, MAC, Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Tulane vs. Arkansas State
Fenway Bowl
ESPN, Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. AAC
Bowl Projection: Boston College vs. Memphis
Union Home Mortgage Bowl
ESPN, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or ACC or SEC
Bowl Projection: UCF vs. Ole Miss
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. MWC
Bowl Projection: Washington vs. Boise State
LendingTree Bowl
ESPN, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Ohio vs. Appalachian State
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
ESPN, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs Group of 5
Bowl Projection: TCU vs. SMU
Military Bowl
ESPN, Navy-Marine Corps. Stadium, Annapolis, MD
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. AAC
Bowl Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Navy
Mistubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
ESPN, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Utah vs. Arkansas
Myrtle Beach Bowl
ESPN, Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Conference USA or MAC or Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Liberty vs. UAB
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
ESPN, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big Ten
Bowl Projection: North Carolina vs. Iowa
New Mexico Bowl
ESPN, Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or C-USA or MAC
Bowl Projection: Tulsa vs. UTSA
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
CBS Sports Network, Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. MW
Bowl Projection: Buffalo vs. San Diego State
Outback Bowl
ESPN, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Michigan vs. Auburn
Quick Lane Bowl
ESPN, Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. MAC
Bowl Projection: Purdue vs. Western Michigan
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
ESPN, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: C-USA vs. Sun Belt Champion (if available)
Bowl Projection: Marshall vs. Coastal Carolina
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
ESPN, Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Army vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Army vs. Stanford
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
ESPN, Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or ACC or Big 12
Bowl Projection: Houston vs. West Virginia
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
ESPN, EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
ESPN, Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC, ACC vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Virginia vs. Mississippi State
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
CBS, Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Pitt vs. Cal
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
ESPN, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Northwestern vs. Missouri
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
ESPN, Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or C-USA or MAC or MWC
Bowl Projection: Baylor vs. Air Force
Valero Alamo Bowl
ESPN, Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Texas vs. Oregon
VRBO Citrus Bowl
ESPN, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Normal Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Iowa vs. South Carolina
– New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
– College Football Playoff Predictions