Tag: bowl games 2020

Hawaii 28, Houston 14: New Mexico Bowl 10 Things To Know

Hawaii 28, Houston 14. The 10 ten things you need to know about the Hawaii win over Houston in the New Mexico Bowl.

Hawaii 28, Houston 14. The 10 ten things you need to know about the Hawaii win over Houston in the New Mexico Bowl.

[jwplayer Hn8O2tae]

Hawaii 28, Houston 14: New Mexico Bowl

10. Houston started cold, and that was it. QB Clayton Tune gave up a weird interception deep in Cougar territory, Hawaii capitalized with a quick touchdown, and that was it … sort of.

There was one burst for Houston coming out in the second half down 21-0, but it was too late. Just when it looked like it was going to make something special with a comeback, Hawaii dropped the hammer with a kick six.

9. As this game showed, turnovers mean everything so far in this bowl season. Houston turned it over three times, Hawaii didn’t. Memphis turned it over three times in the Montgomery Bowl win over Florida Atlantic, but that’s been it so far in the first six bowls. In the other five – including this – the winning side didn’t turn the ball over and came up with a combined 11 takeaways.

8. The American Athletic Conference got that Memphis win, but that was as mismatched a game as it could get so far. Tulane got beat by Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato, UCF was never in it in the Boca Raton, and now this.

7. You know that cliché about a bowl team wanting it more? Hawaii apparently wanted it a whole lot. It came out with an energy and gameplan that worked from the start. Houston needed a little while to get going, and by then it was way too late. Hawaii did the same thing to Fresno State to start the season, but it was way too inconsistent.

6. You wouldn’t think of Hawaii as tough – it’s the place the world goes to relax – but the teams always play nasty. They might not have the talent, and they might not have the facilities, but there’s a chip on this program’s shoulder.

5. Chevan Cordeiro had a bit of an up-and-down year, and the Hawaii quarterback didn’t connect on any downfield passes other than the backbreaking 75-yard pass play to RB Calvin Turner. But he didn’t turn the ball over – his counterpart Clayton Tune threw three picks – and he completed 15-of-32 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns with 33 yards rushing.

4. And here’s the really crazy part – the Hawaii offense didn’t really work. The Rainbow Warriors only generated 267 yards of total offense, had little happening with the ground game, and struggled to move the ball. This isn’t the high-octane passing Hawaii of the past, but the team was still able to get the job done.

3. West Virginia famously beat Dabo Swinney’s Clemson team 70-33 in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Since then, Holgorsen has gone 1-6 in bowl games. Even so, he was supposed to be a big upgrade for the Houston program that wanted to take things to a whole other level, and instead it’s 7-13 in two years.

Last season was supposed to be about building up for 2020, and he should get a free pass for now because of the obvious overall issues in the world. A bowl win would’ve done wonders, but after this, 2021 needs to rock.

2. The Hawaii defense was fantastic throughout. It started right away, the pressure didn’t stop, and it was over fast. Hawaii finished with five sacks, nine tackles for loss, and three takeaways, but it was the run D that totally dominated allowing just 58 yards on the ground because …

1. The pass rush was an anomaly. Hawaii only generated 13 sacks on the year before this, with three coming against Fresno State and three more against UNLV. The team had just seven sacks in the other six games, but playmaking safety Khoury Bethley and linebacker Jeremiah Pritchard brought the pressure throughout.

Chalk this up to the players coming up with a big day, and also give credit to Todd Graham and the coaching staff that had a little extra time to work with and showed what they could do.Their team had the far, far better gameplan from the start.

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Memphis 26, Florida Atlantic 10: Montgomery Bowl 10 Things To Know

Memphis 26, Florida Atlantic 10. The 10 ten things you need to know about the Memphis win over Florida Atlantic in the Montgomery Bowl

Memphis 26, Florida Atlantic 10. The 10 ten things you need to know about the Memphis win over Florida Atlantic in the Montgomery Bowl.

[jwplayer Hn8O2tae]

Memphis 26, Florida Atlantic 10: Montgomery Bowl

10. Florida Atlantic got really, really close to making this interesting. It had plenty of chances to come up with late scores, but the Memphis defense held on a goal line stand, came up with a pick in the final minutes, and the 25-10 score looked a wee bit worse than it actually was. Emphasis on the word wee, because …

9. Okay, Memphis should’ve made this a blowout. The Tigers outgained the Owls 469 yards to 290 and had several opportunities to pull away further, but three turnovers – the conditions weren’t perfect, to be fair – made this a wee bit dramatic, at least for those who sat through the entire game.

8. The American Athletic Conference DESPERATELY needed this. Memphis was around a double-digit favorite depending on where you choose to invest, but after Tulane and UCF lost their respective bowls in ugly fashion the day before, and with Houston expected to miss around 20 players for its date with Hawaii the day after the Montgomery Bowl, the league couldn’t afford another clunker.

7. Memphis wasn’t great, but it got the job done. It was a business-like effort, it got up early, and there wasn’t any real drama. However, give the Tigers credit for making the key plays to prevent FAU from getting into a position for there to be any real drama.  It also helped that …

6. The Tiger offense and got out of a few jams. It managed to go on a few long drives when needed to keep the momentum on its side – Memphis had an 18-0 lead at halftime – and rumbled late with a few good runs to close it out. The ground game averaged over five yards per carry and finished with 185 yards against the solid Owl D.

5. That’s the Florida Atlantic offense. It it struggled all year, only scoring against the truly awful defenses. The running game wasn’t awful – James Charles ran for 82 yards – but Nick Tronti isn’t the type of quarterback who’ll bomb away for 300 yards. He completed 16-of-32 passes for 146 yards with a touchdown and a pick, and he ran for 33 yards, but there were a few plays that didn’t click that could’ve been gamechangers.

4. Willie Taggart still hasn’t won a bowl game. It’s one of the stranger trivia tidbits considering all of his success, but he left WKU for USF just before a bowl, lost his one bowl appearance at USF and left before the second, and he left Oregon for Florida State before the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl. Those wins will come – he’s a master of rebuilding programs – and this year’s team had to undergo an overhaul.

3. It might not have been an American Athletic Conference championship season under Ryan Silverfield, and Memphis might not have played in a New Year’s Six game, but it’s a bowl win for the program for the first time since taking out BYU in the 2014 Miami Beach, and it’s the second win in the last nine tries going back to 2005. The Tigers ended this year winning five games in the last six in an interesting run.

2. Defense hasn’t really been a thing around Memphis football over the years, but up 25-10, it had to hold on after a fumble that led to FAU getting down to the Tiger 3. It did, coming up with a 4th-and-1 stop. With just over four minutes to play, Memphis got an interception by Thomas Pickens at the goal line to finish allowing just 290 yards of total FAU offense and ten points.

1. Brady White was a strong recruit for Arizona State, threw 49 passes, and left for Memphis. All he did in his Tiger career was throw for 10,690 yards and 90 touchdowns, and for his entire college experience, he threw for 10,949 yards to close out as the 73rd all-time yardage leader in passing. After this game, he passed up Marcus Mariota, Matt Leinart, Danny Wuerffel and Ben Roethlisberger on the all-time NCAA yardage list.

He led the way to an American Athletic Conference championship, a Cotton Bowl appearance, and another trip to the AAC title game. He was fine, throwing for 284 yards and three touchdowns with a pick in his final game, leading the Tigers to an eight-win season and a bowl victory.

Not bad.

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Georgia Southern 38, Louisiana Tech 3: R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 10 Things To Know

The 10 ten things you need to know about the Georgia Southern win over Louisiana Tech in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Georgia Southern 38, Louisiana Tech 3. The 10 ten things you need to know about the Georgia Southern win over Louisiana Tech in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

[jwplayer Hn8O2tae]

Georgia Southern 38, Louisiana Tech 3: R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

10. The Louisiana Tech offense could never get going. The Georgia Southern offense had something to do with that, a whole slew of mistakes had something to do with that, and this was over fast. Georgia Southern got up 7-0 just over five minutes in, and that was it.

9. Skip Holtz finally lost a bowl game at Louisiana Tech. It’s a far cry from shutting out Miami 14-0 in last year’s Independence, but he got the program to its seventh bowl game in a row after winning the first six. This was a rebuilding year, and all things considered, 5-5 and this bowl trip wasn’t bad.

8. Georgia Southern was totally dominant from the start. Louisiana Tech couldn’t stop the option, it got behind too fast after too many mistakes, and it didn’t have the passing game to keep up. All year long it’s been a struggle for the Bulldogs, they needed to get out to a hot start, and they did anything but.

7. Starting quarterback Luke Anthony couldn’t go for the Bulldogs, Aaron Allen stepped in and gave it a try against one of the nation’s best teams at taking the ball away, and it was a disaster from there. Four interceptions – three on Allen – no takeaways – and no downfield passing game – nothing worked.

6. Don’t put this on Louisiana Tech not showing up. It had issues all year long with its consistency, it was coming off a 52-10 blasting against TCU, and it just couldn’t get anything going. The momentum carries Georgia Southern, but it all started because …

5. Shai Werts was able to go. The Georgia Southern quarterback was questionable at best with a shoulder injury. It seemed like the Eagles would be down to a third-string option, but Werts played, there didn’t appear to be a problem looking and playing like normal, and the offense rolled.

4. The Eagle offense did exactly what it was supposed to. It ran for 322 yards with its option attack, Werts hit on his deep throws when they were available, and it had the ball for way over 34 minutes. Louisiana Tech was never able to get into any sort of a groove because …

3. Those turnovers were devastating. It looked like Louisiana Tech was going to be able to move the ball a little bit early on. It came up with a few nice plays, it seemed like it would take just a little bit to warm up, and then … interception. Interception. And then another – including a key one in the red zone. Georgia Southern only scored seven points on the first three picks, but they were enough to stall the Bulldogs.

2. The Georgia Southern defense generated pressure throughout the game. It came up with three sacks, and more than that, it was able to get to knock around Austin Allen enough to limit him to 41 passing yards on a 10-of-24 passes with no touchdowns and three picks. Israel Tucker was able to run for 123 yards, but it wasn’t nearly enough to carry the offense.

1. Shai Werts closed out his career as one of the most ultra-productive option quarterbacks ever. During his time, he ran for 3,072 yards, 34 touchdowns, and unlike a slew of triple-option quarterbacks over the decades, he threw well, pitching 34 touchdown passes in his four seasons with just 12 interceptions.

So he wasn’t supposed to be healthy? 7-of-12, 126 yards, one touchdown,  and 71 rushing yards with three touchdowns, and with this, he won two bowl games in three tries.

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

BYU 49, UCF 23: Boca Raton Bowl 10 Things To Know

BYU 49, UCF 23. The 10 ten things you need to know about BYU win over UCF in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.

BYU 49, UCF 23. The 10 ten things you need to know about BYU win over UCF in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.

[jwplayer Hn8O2tae]

BYU 49, UCF 23: Boca Raton Bowl

10. Was there a more underappreciated running back in the country than Tyler Allgeier? The BYU sophomore started the season hot, ended the season hotter, and finished with 1,130 yards and 14 touchdowns averaging 7.5 yards per carry – and he missed the San Diego State game. Zach Wilson is the superstar of the show, and the offensive line opened up a whole lot of big holes, but Allgeier was brilliant.

9. It’s been a really, really rough run for the Boca Raton Bowl. This was the seventh all-time game and none of them have been closer than 15 points. The seven-year all-time score is 323-138 – an average of 46-20. BYU was up 49-10 with just under 20 minutes to play.

8. No, this isn’t an indictment on UCF football, and for all the great things the program has done over the last few years, this doesn’t mean things are slipping … yet.

Remember, the Knights had a whole slew of player opt out before the season,  they still beat Georgia Tech by 28 – don’t mock it; there weren’t many Group of Five over Power Five wins this year if you take out Liberty and the Sun Belt – and the explosion was still there.

The losses? 50-49 on the road in a heartbreaker against Memphis, Tulsa, Cincinnati, and BYU. The two AAC championship combatants, a BYU team that was painfully close to being in a New Year’s six game, and a wild shootout.

7. All season long, BYU had a knack for ripping off big plays early and taking the heart out of a game. It did that against UCF, but UCF was supposed to be able to keep up. The first BYU scoring drive went 87 yards in under two minutes, and the second went 72 yards in four plays. The Cougars out-UCFed, UCF with a 14-0 lead four minutes in.

6. A 35-7 lead late in the first half, no turnovers, over 33 minutes of possession, and just one punt on the night. This was as perfect a bowl game as BYU could’ve come up with. As it showed throughout the season, when the lines were able to take over and the team was on a mission to make a statement, it was able to do it.

5. BYU didn’t do anything fancy defensively but 1) not let the UCF speedsters gets into space like Coastal Carolina could, and 2) it got off the field. It didn’t generate any takeaways, there wasn’t any pressure from the line, and it allowed UCF to hit 50% of its third down tries. However, it came up with the early stops it needed to, the offense did its thing, and it was 21-0 in the blink of a first quarter eye.

4. It was a bad day for UCF. BYU was totally focused, too physical, and it had an NFL franchise quarterback have an NFL franchise quarterback day. To put how rare this loss was into perspective, it was the first defeat by more than eight points since dropping the 2016 Cure Bowl to Arkansas State four years ago.

3. This was a complete and total disaster for the American Athletic Conference. Not only did Tulane lose big in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to Nevada earlier in the day, but UCF was playing in Florida in a game that should’ve been the type of shootout it likes, and it was out of it two minutes in.

Considering Coastal Carolina beat BYU, it was a bad look that UCF didn’t look like it belonged on the same field as the Cougars, who started out the season rocking Navy from the AAC.

2. If you’re an NFL GM and you didn’t already have a hard opinion and scouting thought on Zach Wilson, you’re a bad NFL GM. However, if it’s possible, Wilson just helped himself in a huge way with his 26-of-34, 425-yard, three-touchdown, two touchdown run performance.

He was flawless, he didn’t make any mistakes, he was calm, and he was in command from the start. Now, with this, get ready for the buzz that the Jets might go with him over Justin Fields.

1. Considering what BYU had to do just to get together a schedule, this was a miraculous season. It rolled through it, the only blip was a wonderful game against Coastal Carolina that was put together at the last second, and it turned out to be an 11-1 campaign with a totally dominant performance against a brand-name UCF team. Zach Wilson might be off to the NFL, but it’ll be interesting to see what the program is capable off in normal times now that it showed it could do this.

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Nevada 38, Tulane 27: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 10 Things To Know

The 10 ten things you need to know about Nevada win over Tulane in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

The 10 ten things you need to know about Nevada win over Tulane in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

[jwplayer Hn8O2tae]

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Nevada 38, Tulane 27

10. The loss of the top guys on the Tulane defensive front was devastating. Usually this year, the call is to not change up any pick too much, if at all, based on players being out – you never know who’s out on the other side until the game starts – but the Green Wave defensive front had a problem from the start. You can’t just make up for not having Patrick Johnson at one end.

9. Nevada came out running. The Tulane defensive front gave it a try, but couldn’t get the job done. The Wolf Pack don’t run – this has been a passing team all year – and yet it started the game setting a tone by daring the D line to come up with a stop. Toa Taua powered away for 102 yards, Devonte Lee ran for 105, and Tulane got outgained on the ground 209 to 197.

8. Tulane QB Michael Pratt had to press, and it didn’t work. It’s not that Tulane can’t or couldn’t throw this season, but the offense was mostly about being able to run effectively. It was fine on the ground – 197 yards and two touchdowns with over five yards per carry – but it wasn’t nearly enough. Pratt made a few big throws down the field, but he only hit 12-of-25 passes and gave up three picks.

7. This was huge for the Mountain West. Boise State is losing head coach Bryan Harsin to Auburn, conference champion San Jose State is playing Ball State in the Arizona Bowl instead of a good Power Five program, and Hawaii is playing Houston in the New Mexico Bow. That’s it – this is as high-profile as it might get this bowl season. It was a great showing for the bowl game and Nevada.

6. Nevada’s Lawson Hall came up with a gem. The senior linebacker ended up making a slew of plays down the field, and Tulane was able to run well, but he led the team with nine tackles with two sacks as part of a defensive front that came up with eight sacks and bothered Michael Pratt all game long.

5. Carson Strong is a budding star who’ll be a national thing in 2021. The Nevada QB completed 22-of-28 passes for 271 yards and five touchdowns with – almost most importantly – no picks. He didn’t make the big mistake to let the Green Wave into the game.

4. If it seemed like Nevada always had the ball, it’s because it did. This has been an okay team in the time of possession battle this year but for a style that’s not build on running – just 112 yards per game – it was able to control the pace like it needed to with well over 36 minutes of offensive time.

3. The Green Wave looked freaking freezing. It was in the high 60s in New Orleans on Tuesday and in the low 30s with snow and a 20 mph wind in Boise. Football players are some of the toughest humans on the planet, but literally and figuratively, Tulane came out cold.

2. Tulane has a habit under Willie Fritz of pulling games out of the fire in the second half – it did that in last year’s bowl win over Southern Miss – but it dug too deep a hole. The adjustments were good, the team played with a renewed energy in the second half, and it was a good try, but it was too late.

1. That’s the Nevada and the Mountain West that showed up early on this year. It might have lost to San Jose State and didn’t get a shot to win the conference title, but this put an end to a strong season and a great step forward under Jay Norvell. You absolutely take 7-2 with a double-digit bowl this season.

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Myrtle Beach Bowl 10 Things To Know: Appalachian State 56, North Texas 28

The 10 ten things you need to know about Appalachian State win over North Texas in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

The 10 ten things you need to know about Appalachian State win over North Texas in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

[jwplayer Hn8O2tae]

Myrtle Beach Bowl: Appalachian State 56, Tulane 28

10. North Texas QB Austin Aune was out due to COVID concerns. It was a late scratch, but Jason Bean is experienced enough to step in and be fine, but he got banged up early. He ended up completing 21-of-36 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns with a pick – he did what he could.

9. Appalachian State senior QB Zac Thomas went out in style. He only had to throw 16 times, he threw a touchdown pass and he ran for 35 yards. This game was all about the Mountaineer running game, but Thomas took advantage when he had his chances.

8. It also helped that the trick/funky things Appalachian State worked on, worked. Getting out to a 14-0 lead helped make everything else happen on the way to a 35-7 lead as big run after big run kicked in. The North Texas defense held up as well as it could, and then the dam broke.

 

7. The Mountaineer linebacking corps wasn’t perfect, but it came up with a whole lot of big plays. Nick Hampton and D’Marco Jackson combined for 19 tackles with two sacks and five tackles for loss, but …

6. North Texas still had its moments. The offense came up with almost 500 yards, there was and good balance to the attack, and the team kept things moving. It controlled the clock, Tre Siggers ran for 120 yards, Oscar Adaway ran for 97 yards, and the receiving corps and passing game wasn’t bad, but …

5. Not having Jaelon Darden didn’t help. The Mean Green was missing a 74-catch, 19-touchdown target after he chose to opt-out on the bowl game after declaring himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Austin Ogunmakin caught seven passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, but the UNT offense could’ve used a superstar playmaker to keep up the fight.

4. Speaking of fight, after a hit on QB Jason Bean as he was awkwardly sliding, the two teams got into a bit of a rumble. The two teams pushed and shoved as Bean was down, but nothing much came of it. It cranked up the intensity for a bit, but it didn’t help the North Texas defense against the run.

3. The North Texas defense came into the game with a whole slew of problems against the run, and they didn’t get any better. After allowing 927 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns over the previous three games, it got hit for 502 yards and six scores because …

2. The Appalachian State offensive line was dominant. The scheme worked, the backs got in space, and the coaching staff kept rolling with the same plays on both sides until North Texas could prove it could stop it – and it couldn’t. The backs were at the second and third level, made a guy miss, and then boom. Marcus Williams ran six times for 101 yards and a score, and …

1. It was the Camrun Peoples show. The entire Appalachian State running game worked, but it was Peoples who came up took over with bowl-record 319 yards and five touchdowns on 22 carries. Before this, he led the team with 807 yards and seven touchdowns on the year, but it wasn’t all him. That offensive line gave him big holes to rumble through.

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: CFN Final Call

The final College Football News bowl projections and predictions for the College Football Playoff for 2020-2021

The final College Football News bowl projections and predictions for the College Football Playoff for 2020-2021

[jwplayer O4Qk12Gs]

– 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

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

College Football Playoff Rankings: 10 Quick Takes From The Penultimate Top 25

10 quick reactions and what we learned from the from the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings of 2020d

10 quick reactions and what we learned from the from the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings of 2020.  

[jwplayer CkJF0b95]

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

10. Yeah, it really is all about the top four in the College Football Playoff, and potentially the top 12 for the bigger bowls, but how much fun is this if you’re San Jose State?

Out of all the bad things going on in the world, and after all the down years by the big names, one of the toughest of all programs to win at is unbeaten, in the Mountain West Championship, and in the College Football Playoff Top 25 at No. 24.

9. The College Football Playoff committee sort of put itself in a bind when it comes to the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six spot.

If it really believes that Louisiana is 19 and Tulsa is 23, if Coastal Carolina destroys the Ragin’ Cajuns in the Sun Belt Championship, and Cincinnati struggles in any way in the AAC title game against the Golden Hurricane, the 11 Chanticleers need to move ahead of the 9 Bearcats, otherwise.

8. It doesn’t really matter, but Georgia probably deserves a little more love than the 8. There might not be an amazing win, but its losses were to Alabama and Florida away from home, JT Daniels wasn’t the starting quarterback yet, six of the last seven games have been away from Athens, and the team is playing really, really well.

[lawrence-related id=525371]

7. I don’t think Cincinnati or Coastal Carolina or any Group of Five team deserves to be anywhere near the College Football Playoff – playing one good game isn’t the same as playing a weekly Power Five schedule – but it still totally and completely stinks that there’s NOTHING any of these teams can do to be in the top four.

I’m done honking about Iowa State – it’s playing really well – but if you’re unbeaten Coastal Carolina, and you’re the only team to beat the team – Louisiana – that beat the CFP 6 Cyclones in their house, and you’re ranked 12, you’re rightly ticked.

6. Very, very quietly, Indiana might be cemented into a New Year’s Six game. Oklahoma or Iowa State will lose in the Big 12 Championship, the committee almost certainly won’t put two Group of Five programs – Coastal Carolina and Cincinnati – in, and Northwestern at 14 likely won’t beat Ohio State to take a second spot for the Big Ten.

5. Relax when it comes to USC at 13. It only moved up two spots, and no, there’s no reason to give 5-0 Ohio State any more credit at No. 4 than the 5-0 Trojans are receiving, but remember – it’s all about winning the Power Five conference championships. Also, what do we know about the College Football Playoff committee? It loves bright shiny objects. What does that mean?

USC – when it comes to the committee – is probably coming into the Pac-12 Championship down 30. It has to annihilate the Ducks. Which leads to …

4. Enough. We have GOT to eliminate the concept of the eye test. Anyone who uses those words when analyzing college football teams can’t properly verbalize why some team is ranked as high as it is.

Analysts say “eye test” as a crutch because it doesn’t mean anything. The eye test is almost always an excuse for a bad resumé.

[lawrence-related id=525460]

3. Freaking out that your team is close to the top four and not in? Let me try to help. In the first seven years of the College Football Playoff rankings, only one time – 2016 with Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington – were the top four in the penultimate rankings. In five of the other six years, a team ranked 5th-8th got in.

Auburn in 2017 was the only No. 2 from the penultimate rankings to get knocked out, and TCU in 2014 – despite obliterating Iowa State – was the only No. 3 to get shoved aside.

2. Why are we just assuming Texas A&M is only the fifth-best team?

Yeah, Clemson didn’t have Trevor Lawrence and it still almost beat Notre Dame on the road – there’s no real argument against the Tigers – but Texas A&M lost a game on the road to Alabama. That’s it.

The argument could be made that Clemson doesn’t have a win as good as A&M’s win over Florida – but this isn’t an anti-Clemson argument. A&M getting trucked by Bama 52-24, and no one wanting to see a rematch in the College Football Playoff, isn’t a reason to potentially leave it out of the top four.

1. This is actually going to be a lot more boring than we’re making it out to be.

Ohio State almost certainly isn’t losing to Northwestern. The committee has been hell-bent on making sure this team is in, and that’s not about to change.
Alabama is in no matter what. Florida could dominate in a win and the Crimson Tide would still have one of the four best resumés.

The ACC Championship winner is in, and if it’s Clemson by 10ish or fewer, there’s no real argument and there we go.

Alabama vs. Notre Dame in the Sugar, and Clemson vs. Ohio State in the Rose.

Any variance on that gets Texas A&M in ahead of a two-loss Big 12 champ, and while the idea of USC would be fun … nah. Too big a leap at this point.

But that’s why they play the games – and wait until Sunday for the rankings that matter.

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: 6 Bowl Matchups Are Set

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 15 and before Championship Week.

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 15 and before Championship Week.

[jwplayer L9C4gcUx]

– New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
– College Football Playoff Predictions

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

The bowls are starting be put together with six matchups announced this weekend: Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco, Famous Idaho Potato, LendingTree, Montgomery, Myrtle Beach, New Mexico (see below for the teams that accepted the bids).

Remember, the bowls are usually announced the first week of December, and now they’re going to be announced next week AFTER the first bowl – the Tropical Smooth Cafe Frisco Bowl – is played on Saturday.

Here’s what’s happening. 1) A few bowls are jumping the gun and getting teams now to make sure they’re set to get the logistics in place, and 2) contracted bowl tie-ins mean a fat load of jack squat.

These can and will change up big-time over the next week before they’re all officially announced on Sunday. Virginia, Pitt, Boston College and Stanford already opted out on bowl bids, and more are sure to come.

However, even with some teams out of the mix, the MAC will have a hard time finding places to play and the Mountain West will get squeezed out. Hawaii accepting a New Mexico Bowl bid all but ended any hopes for San Diego State, Fresno State, and a few other potential options to play in a bowl game.

These will change throughout the week as more news comes in.

Team has accepted bowl bid

2020-2021 Bowl Projections: Week 14

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
Bowl Matchup: SMU 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
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 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
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: Western Michigan vs Georgia Southern

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: San Jose State vs. BYU

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: Ball State vs Louisiana

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 Texas Tech

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 Oregon

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: TCU 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: Virginia Tech 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: NC State 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: Iowa State vs. Washington

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. Penn State

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: Wisconsin 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: Colorado vs. South Carolina

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: Buffalo vs. Boise 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: Texas 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: UAB 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: Miami 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: Iowa 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) are taking the year off.

– New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
– College Football Playoff Predictions

NEXT: New Year’s Six Bowls

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

College Football Playoff Rankings Reactions: 5 Things We Learned, The Deep, Deep, DEEP Sleeper Is …

Five reactions and what we learned from the from the third College Football Playoff rankings of 2020. Who’s the big sleeper in this?

Five reactions and what we learned from the from the second College Football Playoff rankings of 2020.  

[jwplayer CkJF0b95]

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– 15 Best Wins So Far
– Ohio State is in the Top 4
– New Year’s Six Situation
– What it all really means

5. Rapid-Fire First Reaction To Latest College Football Playoff Rankings

How is Indiana still just 12? The Hoosier were 12th last week, rocked a then-CFP-ranked Wisconsin in Madison, and the only loss is to Ohio State. Meanwhile, Oklahoma lost to a bad Kansas State team – okay so it was different then with a healthy starting QB – at home, and is 7-2 and stayed at 11.

The College Football Playoff committee really is going with the recency thing. Iowa State lost 31-14 to Louisiana and dropped the date to an Oklahoma State team that has done nothing since. However, the team is playing better, and blowing out West Virginia is better than it looks. On the full resumé, Iowa State doesn’t deserve the 7, but …

I get the anti-Georgia argument – there just aren’t a whole lot of good wins – but the No. 9 Bulldogs’ two losses are to Alabama and Florida, and now they’re better with JT Daniels at quarterback, Iowa State’s two losses are to Louisiana and Oklahoma State.

Northwestern wasn’t punished enough for that loss to Michigan State. The Cats are hanging in there at 14, even though the Spartans got destroyed by Ohio State last week.

The one under-the-radar that really matters … Iowa at 16 up from 19. Now, if it beats Wisconsin this week, a game against Ohio State takes on a bigger significance. If the Buckeyes aren’t playing in the Big Ten Championship, and they beat a 15ish-ranked Iowa, that’s about the same rankings-wise as beating Northwestern in the title game.

Coastal Carolina and BYU swapped spots. The Chanticleers are 13 and Cougars are 18. Now, if CCU goes unbeaten and wins the Sun Belt title, it’s right on the edge of New Year’s Six consideration no matter what Cincinnati does.

– 15 Best Wins So Far
– Ohio State is in the Top 4
– New Year’s Six Situation
– What it all really means

NEXT: The deep, deep, DEEP sleeper now is …

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5