Category: bowl games

Where Texas is projected for the 2024 College Football Playoffs

Texas Longhorns are projected to make the College Football Playoffs again.

Almost every major national publication has Texas going back to the Colleg Football Playoffs this year.

Before we discuss where the Texas Longhorns are projected for the 2024 College Football Playoff, there were significant changes from previous years with the expansion to a 12-team format, and here is a look at what it will look like.

How it Works:

  • Selection of the 12 teams:

    • The top five ranked conference champions are selected. More than likely being the champions of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, and Mountain West will earn a top-five seed.
    • The next seven highest-ranked teams (regardless of conference) are also selected. For example, Notre Dame and other highly ranked teams from the Power Four conferences will likely be selected.

  • Seeding for this season’s playoffs:

    • The top four conference champions are seeded 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. The conference winners of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 will be rewarded a first-round bye in the first year of the new 12-team college football playoffs.
    • The fifth conference champion is seeded based on their overall ranking. Likely, the conference champions from the Mountain West or American Athletic Conference will be selected for the playoffs.
    • The remaining seven teams are seeded 5-12 based on their overall ranking. Even if Texas does not win the SEC this season, they can still have a home playoff game for the first round if ranked five through eight.

  • Bracket format for the playoffs:

    • Teams seeded 5 through 8 will host first-round games against teams seeded 9-12 in the playoffs. For example, if Texas were to receive the 7th seed they would host the 10th seed in the first round.
    • Winners of the first-round games advance to play the top four seeds in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

  • College Football 2024 Semifinals and Championship Game:

    • The four remaining teams compete in the semifinals and championship game similar to last season’s format when it was a four-team playoff.

Key Changes from last season to this season:

  • Expanded Field: The most obvious change is the increase from four to twelve teams, which allows more teams to participate in this season’s playoffs. Even though Texas was in last season’s playoffs, the Longhorns could lose up to two games and still make this year’s playoffs.
  • First-Round Games: The introduction of first-round games adds an extra layer of excitement and competition and will make watching college football in mid to late December a must-watch for college football fans.
  • Bye Weeks for the top-seeded teams: The top four seeds now have a bye in the first round which is an award for the conference champions of the power four conferences.

Now let’s take a look at where Texas is projected to be in this upcoming college football playoffs in various college football preseason predictions.

Athlon Sports has Texas earning the 6th spot in the 2024 College Football Playoffs. They are projecting that the Longhorns will host No. 11 Notre Dame. Then they have Texas after defeating the Fighting Irish, play No. 3 seeded Florida State in the quarterfinals on Jan. 1 in the Peach Bowl. Finally, they have Texas advancing to the semifinals to face off against No. 2 Ohio State on Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl. Unfortunately for Texas fans, they are not forecasting the Longhorns defeating the Buckeyes and advancing to the title game.

College Football News has the Longhorns hosting Penn State in the first round of the playoffs on Dec. 21 with the game being on TNT. They then have Texas playing Ohio State in the quarterfinals on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl. However, unlike Athlon Sports projections, they do not have the Longhorns advancing to the semifinals.

Sporting News has Texas ranked higher than the two other previous publications that have been mentioned already as they have the Longhorns as the No. 5 seed hosting No. 12 seed Memphis. They have Texas advancing to the quarterfinals to face off against No. 4 seed Florida State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Then they have the Longhorns going to the semifinals after defeating the Seminoles to play No. 1 seed Georgia on Jan. 9 in the Capital One Orange Bowl. However, as high as Sporting News is on the Longhorns, they have them losing to the Bulldogs in the semifinals.

The New York Times via the Athletic has similar to Sporting News has Texas as the No. 5 seed hosting Memphis in the first round of the playoffs. They don’t give a full project of the playoffs as other publications have but they are quoted as saying,

“The Longhorns came within one play of making the title game last year. Don’t be surprised if they get there this season.”

247 Sports has Texas as the No. 5 seed hosting Liberty in the first round of the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, they have the Longhorns going up against the No. 4 seed Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. They have Texas advancing to the semifinals to play No. 2 seed Georgia in the Cotton Bowl. 247 Sports though does not have the Longhorns advancing to the title game.

Overall, all publications listed have Texas making the college football playoffs. Most have them making it to the semifinals but none of them have them advancing to the championship game. However, the games being played on the actual field this Fall and early Winter will determine how far the Longhorns advance in post season play.

Projecting the College Football Playoff’s Top 10

A best guess at what the top ten will look like later tonight when the College Football Playoffs announce their first rankings of the year.

Later this evening the College Football Playoff committee will release their first set of rankings this year. Since 2014, the first year of the CFP, they really have been the only rankings that really matter. Yes, the Amway Coaches and AP Polls are still important, but they don’t get you into the playoffs. Here is a best guess as what the top 10 will look like when the rankings are released later tonight.

ESPN announces schedule for Georgia’s takeover of the SEC Network

The SEC Network will showcase the Tennessee-Georgia game, the national championship, and the Ohio State game

Starting at midnight on July 5, it will be Georgia’s turn to takeover the SEC Network. The Bulldogs have a lot of great games over the last several seasons to showcase.

Georgia has won back-to-back national championships in football. The Dawgs have had quite a few nerve-wracking moments, like the Ohio State game, on the way to back-to-back titles.

The SEC Network will show some of the best recent University of Georgia sporting events including the Tennessee-Georgia game, the national championship, the spring game and Georgia’s College Football Playoff victory over Ohio State.

Let’s take a look at the full schedule for Georgia’s SEC Network takeover:

12:00 a.m. (ET): Tennessee at Georgia (football)

3:00 a.m.: Georgia spring game

5:00 a.m.: SEC Storied: Scramblin’ Fran

6:00 a.m.: Georgia vs. Florida

7:30 a.m.: Georgia vs. Tennessee (women’s soccer)

9:30 a.m.: Georgia vs. #11 Florida

11:30 a.m.: Ohio State vs. Georgia (College Football Playoff)

2:30 p.m.: SEC women’s tennis championship (Finals)

5:00 p.m.: Georgia vs. Virginia Tech (softball)

7:00 p.m.: Kentucky vs. Georgia

9:00 p.m.: TCU vs. Georgia (football national championship)

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How the Big 12 fared in 2022 bowl games

The Big 12 sits at 2-6 in bowl games this season.

Eight Big 12 Conference teams qualified for bowl games this season. Only Iowa State and West Virginia missed the six-game mark to make the cut.

The league as a whole did not find much success in bowl games this season. The eight Big 12 squads combined for a 2-6 record, the worst winning percentage among the Power Five conferences.

The future Big 12 schools went 2-2 as BYU and Houston came away with wins.

The good news for the Big 12 is the College Football Playoff drought is over. TCU became the first Big 12 team to win a semifinal game with an instant classic over Michigan. The Frogs will square off against No. 1 Georgia in the national title game on Monday night.

The Big 12 was 0-4 in playoff semifinal games. All of the losses were by the Oklahoma Sooners.

Here is a look at how each Big 12 team fared in 2022 bowl games.

Watch: The grossest tradition of all the Bowl Game’s

Eww

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when coaches started getting the Gatorade shower when winning big games, but it has become a tradition across most major sporting events.

What about the grossest tradition, one that Dukes Mayo Bowl can put a claim to. This year’s matchup was a battle of the Carolina’s, North against South, with the Gamecock’s coming out on top this afternoon, 38-21.

The win would lead South Carolina’s head coach Shane Beamer to a room, covered with plastic for what none of us want, a Mayo shower to commemorate the win. Take a look at Beamer “enjoying” himself as a large vat of mayo is dumped over his head.

Alamo Bowl: Five bold predictions for Texas vs. Washington

Time to get BOLD.

No. 20 Texas is set for an Alamo Bowl matchup with No. 12 Washington on Thursday night.

The Longhorns are going to be without three key players as Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and DeMarvion Overshown have opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Washington is at full strength with no players opting out; quarterback Michael Penix Jr announced he is returning for his senior year.

Washington enters the Alamo Bowl playing a high level of football down the stretch of the season. They are riding a six-game winning streak, scoring over 40 points per game over that span.

Texas currently sits as a slight favorite in the ballgame. The Horns are a three-point favorite over the Huskies. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Texas a 75% chance to come out on top.

Here are five bold predictions for Texas’ showdown against Washington this Thursday. Expect a shootout between two of the top offensive attacks in college football.

LOOK: Complete College Football 2022-23 Bowl Schedule with dates, kickoff times for each matchup

Bowl season is officially upon us

Bowl season is officially upon us.

Unfortunately, Michigan State failed to reach the postseason this year and will not be playing in a bowl game for the second time in the past three seasons. But that doesn’t mean fans can’t still enjoy all of the other bowl games — 42 to be exact.

Action Network has put together a comprehensive breakdown of each and every bowl game, starting with today’s action. Click on the tweet below to see the complete bowl game schedule:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

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Ranking the 10 most exciting 2022 bowl matchups

Bowl season has no shortage of must-see matchups.

The 2022 college football regular season stale has come to an end as we officially gear up for postseason play.

43 bowl games are set to take place from the Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 16 all the way to the CFP National Championship on Jan. 9.

The College Football Playoff semifinals will take place at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl this year, with the title game being held in Los Angeles.

All eyes will be on No. 1 Georgia as they take on No. 4 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU. Georgia looks to repeat as national champs while the other playoff squads try to dethrone the Bulldawgs.

Outside of the College Football Playoff semifinals features a great schedule of New Year’s Six games at the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl.

This bowl season has no shortage of must-see matchups. Here is a list of the 10 most exciting 2022 bowl games.

No. 20 Texas to take on No. 12 Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl

Texas is going back to the Alamo Bowl to square off against Washington.

No. 20 Texas is set to take on No. 12 Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29.

This top-25 matchup between Big 12 and Pac-12 teams should have no shortage of fireworks and star power. Texas running back Bijan Robinson, should he decide to play, and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. are two of the most exciting players in the nation.

Washington enters with a 10-2 record on the season, winners of six straight games. The Huskies boast a dynamic offense that is scoring over 40 points per game. Penix Jr. currently holds the most passing yards in the country.

Texas heads to San Antonio with an 8-4 record. The Longhorns reached bowl eligibility after a 5-7 season in 2021.

This game features some familiarity between the two programs. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski are former Washington coaches. Sarkisian spent 2009-2013 as the Huskies’ head coach while Kwiatkowski served as an assistant at Washington from 2014-2020.

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Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Notre Dame bowl game projections following BYU win

Which of these do you hope Notre Dame ends up in?

Notre Dame earned a hard fought victory over previously 16th ranked BYU on Saturday and is knocking on the door of entering the top 25.  While there is work left to do on that there is a wide array of post-season destinations the Irish will ultimately play in under first year head coach Marcus Freeman.

It’s a weird year in that the range of games the experts are predicting at this point of the year call for some highly regarded programs as opponents, but some destinations that would probably leave you a bit disappointed.

Related: All-time Notre Dame bowl history

Here are the eight experts predictions of where Notre Dame will go bowling this winter.