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


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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

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.  


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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.


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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

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.  


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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 …

Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Week 14

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 14

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 14.


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New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
College Football Playoff Predictions

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

The bowl games are trying to move on. The Rose Bowl won’t be played in front of fans, and other bowls have decided not to go.

Bahamas (Conference USA vs. MAC), Fenway (the Montgomery Bowl this year), Hawaii (Mountain West vs. AAAC or Conference USA), 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), and Tony the Tiger (ACC vs. Pac-12) are taking the year off.

And then there’s another weird twist. The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl was supposed to be a Big 12 vs. Group of Five matchup, but now it’s the Pac-12 vs. SEC.

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
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: UAB 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: BYU 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: Florida Atlantic vs Buffalo

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: Liberty vs Georgia State

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
Projection: Pitt vs. Nevada

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: Toledo 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: Wake Forest 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: UCF 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 Virginia

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: Western Michigana 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 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 Purdue

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 SMU

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 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. 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: Boston College vs. Maryland

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

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: Pac-12 vs. SEC
Last Season: Tulane 30, Southern Miss 13
Projection: Washington vs. LSU 

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. Arkansas

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 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. Kentucky

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: Iowa 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: North Carolina 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: Northwestern vs. Missouri

New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
College Football Playoff Predictions

NEXT: New Year’s Six Bowls

College Football Playoff Rankings Reactions: 5 Things We Learned, Best Wins, New Year’s Six Situation

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

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


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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

The College Football Playoff committee still can’t get Louisiana right. As predicted, the Ragin’ Cajuns received a token ranking of 25 after being left out last week, but there’s still a gigantic gap between them at the bottom, and where they’re supposed to be ahead of Iowa State. The Cyclones are at 9, even though they have two losses, one of them is to Louisiana, and Coastal Carolina (18) is unbeaten and beat Louisiana.

Beating Texas just isn’t that big a deal. It shouldn’t have been enough to move the Cyclones from 13 to 9.

The committee has always had a blind spot to tough losses. Auburn was ranked last week, lost to the-be-all-end-all No. 1 Alabama team, and now it’s out – like it’s Auburn’s fault that it played Bama.

So, if beating Texas on a last second missed field goal was SO good that it earned Iowa State a move up from 13 to 9, then why move Texas from 17 to out of this thing entirely? How much worse is Texas now than it was last week before it lost a nail-biter to the supposed No. 9 team?

And THAT’S the problem with Ohio State being No. 4. You can’t say that you think Ohio State is the fourth-best team in the country – despite doing NOTHING to earn that distinction – and then drop a team like Auburn from 23 to out of this, and Texas from 17 to out, because of a loss to a top team by the committee’s own rankings.

Ohio State absolutely could be one of the four-best teams – and if the committee really believes that, fine. But then apply the same measure to everyone else, and don’t punish teams just because they lost to someone fantastic.

[lawrence-related id=524354]

Wisconsin being 16 is an absolute gift. Looking great by beating Illinois and Michigan shouldn’t be enough to earn a spot this good.

The committee is supposed to take injuries into account. It really still thinks Indiana is the 12th-best team in college football without Michael Penix?

The eye test desperately has to be eliminated from the College Football Playoff process. Now.

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

NEXT: Technically, the 15 best wins of 2020 are …

College Football Playoff Rankings Reactions: 5 Things We Learned (The REALLY Big Whiff)

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

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


[jwplayer 3WfFq2iS]

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

This week’s big whiff
The known unknown
The Cincinnati situation
What it all really means

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

They’re fine. There’s one GIGANTIC misfire – we’ll get into that in a moment – but overall, they’re okay considering the committee has to compare apples to a different types of apples in this year without a whole lot of non-conference games to go by.

They got the Texas A&M-over-Florida thing right. That was the obvious one they couldn’t miss to have any credibility, and they didn’t. Remember, it doesn’t really matter all that much – the Gators control their own destiny, and Texas A&M doesn’t.

LSU being No. 1 only really matters if and when Alabama becomes the No. 4 seed. The Tigers aren’t going to budge from this spot the rest of the way if they win out. You’ve been warned over and over again – they didn’t kill the beast. Bama is still more than alive. More on that, too, in a moment.

[lawrence-related id=523822]

So, this thought by Matt HayesGeorgia gets TRUCKED by Alabama and Georgia, and its best win over over an okay – but to be fair, top 22-ranked – Auburn team, and it’s ninth. Indiana looked great against Ohio State and is 12th.

There needs to be a detailed explanation besides any sort of “eye test” for exactly how and why the College Football Playoff committee ranked 6-2 Oklahoma 11th and 6-2 Iowa State – who beat the Sooners, who also lost to Kansas State – 13th. More on that in a moment.

2-1 Wisconsin is getting a TON of love at 16 for beating bad Illinois and Michigan teams and not doing a blessed thing in a meltdown against Northwestern.

So … Northwestern is 5-0 playing an all Power Five schedule. It beat CFP No. 24 Iowa and CFP No. 16 Wisconsin and it’s No. 8. Cincinnati is No. 7 with no Power Five wins and no victories over any College Football Playoff-ranked teams.

The eye test desperately has to be eliminated from the College Football Playoff process. Now.

This week’s big whiff
The known unknown
The Cincinnati situation
What it all really means

NEXT: This week’s big whiff was …

What Would The College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six Bowls Be After First CFP Rankings?

If the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six Bowl matchups were put together based on the first CFP rankings, what would they be?

If the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six Bowl matchups were put together based on the first CFP rankings, what would they be?


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Remember, the only College Football Playoff rankings that truly matter come at the very end after all the regular season and championship games are played. But let’s just say the CFP and New Year’s Six were based off of the first rankings …

New Year’s Six Bowls Schedule

New Year’s Six Games
Chick-Fil-A Peach, Cotton, Fiesta are all based on the best possible matchups. An ACC team has to play in the Orange against a Big Ten or SEC team.

All Power Five conference champions will be in either the College Football Playoff or a New Year’s Six game along with the top-ranked Group of Five champion.

GoodYear Cotton Bowl Classic

Wednesday, December 30
ESPN, 7:15 pm
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
At-Large vs. At-Large
Last Season: Penn State 53, Memphis 39
Projection: Oklahoma vs. Indiana

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Friday, January 1
ESPN, 12:30 pm
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
At-Large vs. At-Large
Last Season: LSU 63, Oklahoma 28
Projection: Georgia vs. Cincinnati 

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl

Saturday, January 2
ESPN, 4:00
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
At-Large vs. At-Large
Last Season: Clemson 29, Ohio State 23
Projection: Oregon vs. Northwestern

Capital One Orange Bowl

Saturday, January 2
ESPN, 8:00 pm
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
ACC vs. Big Ten or SEC
Last Season: Florida 36, Virginia 28
Projection: Miami vs. Florida 

[lawrence-related id=523822]

2020-2021 College Football Playoff Schedule

Rose Bowl

Friday, January 1
ESPN, 5:00 pm
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
CFP vs. CFP
Last Season: Oregon 28, Wisconsin 27
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Clemson

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Friday, January 1
ESPN, 8:45 pm
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
CFP vs. CFP
Last Season: Georgia 26, Baylor 14
Projection: Alabama vs. Ohio State

College Football Playoff National Championship

Monday, January 11, 8:00 ET
ESPN, 8:00 pm
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
CFP vs. CFP
Last Season: LSU 42, Clemson 25
Projection: Alabama vs. Clemson

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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

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

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

Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Week 11

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 11.

The College Football News bowl projections, and the predictions for the College Football Playoff after Week 11.


1. The Bahamas, Celebration, Fenway, Hawaii, Holiday, Quick Lane, and Redbox bowls won’t be played this year, and the Montgomery Bowl will take the place of the Fenway.

2. The Las Vegas Bowl is questionable. The Pac-12 is missing a few of its bowl ties, and now the rule in the league is that a team has to go .500 to be eligible. For everyone else, records don’t necessarily matter this year.

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New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
College Football Playoff Predictions

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

2020-2021 Bowl Projections: Week 11

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: 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
Projection: Liberty 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. Boise 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: Florida Atlantic vs. Western Michigan

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: Marshall vs. Coastal Carolina

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. Troy

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: San Jose State vs. Louisiana Tech

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: Kent State 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: Virginia vs. UCF

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: Miami University 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: Houston 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. Georgia Southern

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. Nebraska

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

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. Maryland

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. Iowa 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: Oklahoma 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: Iowa 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: Colorado vs. San Diego 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. Arkansas

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. Nevada

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. LSU

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. Missouri

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: North Carolina 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. Kentucky

Still waiting to decide whether or not it’s going to go …

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

New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
College Football Playoff Predictions

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