college football bowl projections

Duke’s Mayo Bowl could include Duke Blue Devils, according to one projection

The Duke Blue Devils could end up playing in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, according to the latest projection from USA TODAY Sports.

USA TODAY Sports writer Erick Smith released his updated bowl projections for the 2024 college football season on Monday, and the Blue Devils stayed in a familiar spot against a familiar opponent.

Smith slated Duke in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the same slot and opponent that [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his team have drawn in the past several editions of Smith’s projections.

The Blue Devils put together one of their most productive (and dramatic) performances against the Virginia Tech Hokies in Week 13. Fifth-year wideout Eli Pancol ended the first two offensive drives with 86-yard and 77-yard touchdown receptions en route to an 188-yard game, earning him ACC Receiver of the Week honors, and quarterback Maalik Murphy broke a school record with his 25th passing touchdown of the season.

Despite four turnovers, Duke held on for a 31-28 victory over the Hokies to clinch its third straight eight-win season.

Over in the Big Ten, the Golden Gophers nearly upset the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, but the one-point loss left Minnesota just 6-5 for the season.

With a litany of SEC playoff hopefuls taking a hit over the weekend, Smith included a pair of ACC schools in his 12-team playoff bracket. The Miami Hurricanes took the first-round bye as conference champions, but the SMU Mustangs earned one of the remaining at-large bids.

Duke football not included in USA TODAY Sports bowl projections after Week 10

USA TODAY Sports released its updated college football bowl projections on Monday, and the 6-3 Duke Blue Devils were nowhere to be found.

USA TODAY Sports updated its college football bowl projections on Monday, and the new changes after Week 10 included a pretty stunning development for the Duke Blue Devils.

One week after the Blue Devils were slotted for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl for a battle with the Iowa Hawkeyes, head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his team completely disappeared from Erick Smith’s updated field.

Duke built an 11-point lead over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, but five late touchdowns from the most prolific offense in the country put the game out of reach. Between the second-half collapse, an overtime loss to the SMU Mustangs, and two late Georgia Tech touchdowns in Week 6, the Blue Devils have now lost three of their past four games, but Duke already reached the six-win threshold needed to qualify for a bowl game.

A handful of other ACC teams who haven’t reached six wins yet, most notably the North Carolina Tar Heels and NC State Wolfpack, found their way into Smith’s projected matchups. Duke beat UNC to open conference play, overcoming a 20-0 lead in the second half, and the Blue Devils play the Wolfpack in Raleigh this coming Saturday.

Where are the Duke Blue Devils going in the latest CBS Sports bowl projections?

Check out where the Duke Blue Devils are in the CBS Sports bowl projections after Week 8.

The Duke Blue Devils have officially qualified for a bowl appearance after their 23-16 victory over the Florida State Seminoles last Friday, their sixth win in the first seven games.

First-year coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his players are one of five ACC teams with six wins already this season, but CBS Sports remains hesitant to put them in an esteemed bowl game.

The latest projections from the website have the Blue Devils in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 20, playing against the South Alabama Jaguars in Tampa, Florida.

The Jaguars have only won three of their first seven games, but they’re off to a 2-1 start against fellow members of the Sun Belt and finished with seven wins in 2023. Quarterback Gio Lopez is averaging 8.6 yards per attempt and 244.3 yards per game with 13 touchdowns and an interception, and wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett has 574 yards and six touchdowns of that production.

The Blue Devils are favored against NC State and Wake Forest by ESPN FPI, so an eight-win season could move Diaz and his team into a more dramatic slot in the calendar.

Social media reacts to Texas A&M’s new coaching hire

It’s a good time to appreciate where the Texas Longhorns football program is at compared to its in-state rival.

It’s a good time to appreciate where the Texas Longhorns football program is at compared to its in-state rival. Continue reading “Social media reacts to Texas A&M’s new coaching hire”

Latest bowl projections have Texas in the College Football Playoff

It’s still very early in the season, but Texas appears to be a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.

After a statement road win over No. 3 Alabama in Week 2, many feel Texas is a legitimate contender for the College Football Playoff. Continue reading “Latest bowl projections have Texas in the College Football Playoff”

Texas A&M’s projected football bowl matchup features a clash versus Big 12 opponent

As Texas A&M hopes to return to the postseason, one outlet projects the Aggies will clash with a Big 12 foe in the 2023 bowl season.

There’s never a wrong time for early college football predictions, with topics ranging from contenders to probable playoff clashes.

247Sports laid out their projected postseason bowl matchups coming out of spring football, and while there are plenty of external factors (e.g. rights holders and bowl organizers) in play when it comes to where teams are situated, chances are if your team is deserving of a bid, you’ll get to play in the postseason.

And with that in mind, 247Sports projects Texas A&M will go head-to-head with TCU in this year’s iteration of the Texas Bowl.

The Aggies last played in the Texas Bowl in 2019, which resulted in a 24-21 win over Oklahoma State. Quarterback Kellen Mond completed 13-of-19 pass attempts for 95 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, he tallied 12 carries for 117 yards and one rushing score, while running back Isaiah Spiller chipped in with 19 carries for 77 yards and one rushing touchdown.

The Maroon and White have appeared in 42 bowl games throughout school history with a record of 20-22. Of those bowl appearances, only two have come by way of the Texas Bowl, with the other back in 2016 (a 33-28 loss to Kansas State).

The Texas Bowl has been held annually since its inception in 2006, and each year has taken place at NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium), which is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. The bowl replaced the defunct Houston Bowl, which was played annually from 2000 to 2005, and before that the Bluebonnet Bowl. The game features one participating school each from the SEC and Big 12 conferences.

While the Aggies surely have their sets on a hopeful College Football Playoff appearance, a matchup between Texas A&M and TCU would represent a clash of two notable programs from the SEC and Big 12.

The Maroon and White boast one of the most talent-laden rosters in the country, led by an established head coach in Jimbo Fisher and one of the most innovative play-callers in offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. The Aggies also boast a plethora of talent on the defensive side of the ball that ranked top 25 in opposing scoring last season (21.2 PPG allowed).

In facing the Horned Frogs, A&M would be matching up against a program that made a historic appearance in the national championship game in 2022. It’s safe to say the hype builds itself when pitting these two against each other.

With the season just months away, time will tell how the Aggies 2023 campaign plays out. Here’s to hoping it ends with a ticket back to the postseason for the Maroon and White.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

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Where every Big 12 team lands in College Football News’ updated bowl projections

A few very intriguing matchups in here.

The 2022 college football season hasn’t even kicked off yet, but that hasn’t stopped many national media outlets from projecting bowl game matchups. Continue reading “Where every Big 12 team lands in College Football News’ updated bowl projections”

Where Texas football lands in the latest bowl projections after Week 8

Which matchup would you prefer to see?

While some goals are now out of reach for Texas this season, there is still a slight chance that they can appear in the Big 12 championship game and/or receive a berth to a decent bowl game. Continue reading “Where Texas football lands in the latest bowl projections after Week 8”

Bowl Season Update: Where is LSU projected to play?

LSU’s bowl hopes are on life alert.

LSU’s bowl aspirations took a big hit after the loss to Auburn last Saturday night.

Now, looking down the line, five straight top 25 teams stand in the way of LSU potentially getting three more wins. Past those five games are home games against ULM and Texas A&M. LSU should be favored in those two matchups.

This means that the Tigers will have to upset someone in their next five games to get to bowl eligibility. While the situation looks grim, there are quite a few experts that are projecting LSU to make it to the postseason.

Here are some bowl projections for LSU heading into week six of the college football season, starting with USA TODAY Sports.

ESPN predicts third consecutive Alamo Bowl appearance for Longhorns

ESPN predicts another Alamo Bowl appearance for Texas…

The Texas football program and its fans are expecting a big season with bountiful results from first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian.

However, in ESPN’s latest bowl projections for the 2021 season, they did not foresee Sarkisian’s squad making a significant jump this year. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach predicted who would be playing in every bowl game, and when it came to Texas, it’s a song that Longhorn fans are all to familiar with at the moment.

Both Bonagura and Schlabach predicted that Texas would be making their third consecutive Alamo Bowl appearance against one of Steve Sarkisian’s former coaching stops in the Washington Huskies. This would not only be the third straight appearance, but also the sixth Alamo Bowl appearance for Texas since 2006.

Granted, the Longhorns have done well in the Alamo Bowl going 4-1 since 2006, but the program likely has their eyes set on a bigger picture. Texas lost three games last season by a combined 13 points. They were a fumble away against TCU, a decisive decision not to go for two against Oklahoma, and a missed field goal against Iowa State from the season being completely different.

Sarkisian is fresh off a national championship with Alabama that saw the Crimson Tide posses one of the most prolific offenses in the nation, and is hoping that his success will translate to Austin.

There is no margin for error, as the Longhorns are tasked with one of the toughest schedules in the nation, but the program and the fans are likely shooting for a New Year’s Six game at the very least in comparison to another Alamo Bowl appearance.