USA TODAY bowl projections – Page 2

Wisconsin plays SEC foe in latest USA TODAY bowl projections

Despite losing last Saturday by 21 points to the No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes, the Wisconsin Badgers’ bowl prediction from USA TODAY has not chan…

Despite losing last Saturday by 21 points to the No. 16-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, the Wisconsin Badgers’ bowl prediction from USA TODAY has not changed for this week.

The Badgers are still projected by USA TODAY to play the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn on Dec. 30. Missouri has had a bounce-back season under new head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, including big wins against LSU, Kentucky, and South Carolina. However, Wisconsin is 4-1 in the all-time series with the Tigers, and the Badgers’ only loss came back in 1975 when they lost 21-28 in Columbia, Mo.

Nov 21, 2020; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz discusses a call against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

The College Football Playoff teams stay the same in this week’s predictions as Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Clemson keep their positions.

Despite being 2-3 on the season, Wisconsin has a chance to finish the year at .500 with a win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers this weekend. A convincing win by the Badgers would help their chances for a better bowl game, instead of in the Music City Bowl that they are currently projected to play in.

USA TODAY Bowl Projections: Win vs. Maryland could send Spartans bowling

Does a win vs Maryland on Saturday lockup a bowl bid for the Spartans? It may not be a guarantee but a victory keeps their bowl dreams alive

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Should Michigan State get the opportunity to play another game in a bowl, Mel Tucker says the Spartans would certainly accept the offer. The real question is whether or not they’ll even get that offer — but there could be some hope if they win their season-finale on Saturday.

At 2-5, it’s understandable to think MSU is unlikely to get offered a bowl bid this year. I wrote last week that they’d most likely need to win their final two games to receive a bid so, after last week’s 39-24 loss to Penn State, it appeared MSU’s bowl dreams were dead. However, after analyzing all of the factors in play, there may still be a chance for the green-and-white.

Erick Smith of USA TODAY released his latest Bowl Projections on Tuesday, and once again the Spartans were left off the list. That came as no surprise after MSU lost last week, but what stood out to me was where he has the rest of the Big Ten. Here are the bowl games Smith has Big Ten teams playing in:

Rose Bowl (part of College Football Playoff): Ohio State vs. Clemson
Cotton Bowl: Indiana vs. Oklahoma
Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. Auburn
Citrus Bowl: Northwestern vs. Ole Miss
Duke Mayo’s Bowl: Maryland vs. Wake Forest
Music City Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Missouri
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Penn State vs. West Virginia

What’s notable in this projection is Indiana receiving an at-large bid for a New Year’s Six game — this frees up another Big Ten bowl tie-in for teams like MSU. If this holds true, then there will be one potential spot still up for grabs (I’m assuming Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Penn State are all locks at this point).

Should MSU beat Maryland on Saturday, that would put both teams at three wins and give the Spartans the head-to-head victory. That doesn’t necessarily play a role in these bids as the bowls ultimately can choose whoever they want, but it wouldn’t hurt the Spartans’ case.

Assuming MSU wins (since a loss should rule out any chance of making a bowl), then it would come down to the Spartans, Rutgers, Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska for the final bowl slot. I’m assuming Michigan (COVID-19 issues), Purdue (COVID-19 issues) and Illinois (recently fired head coach) are out of play for the postseason at this point.

Nebraska and Rutgers play each other this week so the loser is most likely out of play, and while it might not be fair, the Scarlet Knights have a slim chance anyway based on brand recognition. Minnesota has a tough rivalry game against Wisconsin so a loss to end the year could also knock them out of consideration. So while there are a lot of factors in play, it does still appear a win against Maryland would give MSU a chance to go bowling this season.

It’ll be extremely interesting to see how this plays out for the league, but at least it appears MSU has a lot to play for this Saturday in College Park. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.

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Will MSU be bowling this year? Assessing where Spartans could end up

Check out the four possibilities where I could see Michigan State football land this bowl season.

In a normal season, we would know by now where (or if) Michigan State football would be bowling this holiday season. However, this year we won’t have that answer for a few more weeks so we still have time to speculate where the Spartans could be bowling this year.

MSU is 2-4 on the season with two games still left on the schedule so reaching a .500 record is still in play. Again, in a normal year that would mean MSU would need to win out to qualify for a bowl, but the normal restrictions are not in place this year. So regardless of the next two week’s results, MSU is able to go bowling this year — whether they are selected or not is what we need to determine.

Erick Smith of USA TODAY currently has the Spartans not listed in his latest bowl projections — which are released every Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean MSU is dead in the water when it comes to making a bowl game. At least, not at this point in time.

Here are the four possibilities where I could see MSU land this bowl season:

Wisconsin falls in latest USA TODAY bowl projections

After a disappointing loss to the now No. 8-ranked Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers have fallen to No. 25 in both poll…

After a disappointing loss to the now No. 8-ranked Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers have fallen to No. 25 in both polls and have dropped in their USA TODAY bowl projections for this week.

Wisconsin is now predicted to play the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn. The Badgers have dropped from their USA TODAY prediction of last week to play against the Auburn Tigers in the Citrus Bowl. Coincidentally, Wisconsin has only played in one Music City Bowl, and it was a 28-14 loss to Auburn back in 2003.

Wisconsin quarterback Jim Sorgi (19) gets sandwiched by Auburn defenders Reggie Torbor and Karlos Dansby, causing him to fumble in the fourth quarter. Auburn defeated Wisconsin 28-14 before 55,109 in the Music City Bowl in Nashville Dec. 31, 2003. Music City Bowl © Sanford Myers / The Tennessean, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Missouri and Wisconsin have only played five times in their histories, with the Badgers winning four of the games. The last time the two teams played was back in 1984, where Wisconsin was able to pull out a narrow 35-34 victory against the Tigers on the road.

The predicted College Football Playoff teams for this week stay the same with Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, and Notre Dame maintaining their positions.

Wisconsin will need a big game this weekend against the Iowa Hawkeyes to remain in a relevant bowl game and stay ranked, especially as the Badgers are sitting at 2-2 before the last game of the season.

Wisconsin faces familiar SEC foe in latest USA TODAY bowl projections

Although the cancellation of the game against Minnesota last weekend did not impact Wisconsin’s rankings much for this week, it has defin…

Although the cancellation of the game against Minnesota last weekend did not impact Wisconsin’s rankings much for this week, it has definitely impacted the Badgers’ bowl projections from USA TODAY. Wisconsin is still predicted to play the Auburn Tigers, like in last week’s projections, but is now projected to play in the Citrus Bowl.

Wisconsin fans may be familiar with Auburn Tigers because of the two teams’ matchup in the 2015 Outback Bowl that the Badgers won 34-31. Wisconsin has played in three Citrus Bowls, while it was named the Capital One Bowl, including in 2006 against Auburn. The Badgers won the game 24-10 under head coach Barry Alvarez. Wisconsin leads the all-time series with the Tigers at 2-1-1, and the first game between them happened all the way back in 1931.

January 2, 2006; Orlando, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back (2) Brian Sanders avoids the tackle of Auburn Tigers linebacker (4) David Irons at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, FL. Sanders was named the MVP of the Capital One Bowl as the Badgers beat the Tigers 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Photo by John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2006 John Reed

Although Ohio State did not play last weekend because of a team outbreak of COVID-19, the projected College Football Playoff teams for this week have not changed. The teams are still Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, and Notre Dame.

The No. 16-ranked Wisconsin Badgers will be facing the No. 12-ranked Indiana Hoosiers this Saturday and will be fighting to stay alive in the Big Ten West. The Hoosiers will be without their star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for the rest of the season, which has caused the odds to shift significantly in Wisconsin’s favor to win this game.

Latest USA TODAY bowl projections predict Wisconsin to play a familiar SEC foe

After Wisconsin’s disappointing loss to the undefeated Northwestern Wildcats, the Badgers have surprisingly, not fallen in the latest USA…

After Wisconsin’s disappointing loss to the undefeated Northwestern Wildcats, the Badgers have surprisingly, not fallen in the latest USA TODAY bowl projections. Wisconsin is projected by USA TODAY to play the Auburn Tigers in the Outback Bowl. The Tigers are a change from last week’s projections when the Badgers were projected to play the Ole Miss Rebels in the Outback Bowl.

Auburn may be a familiar team for many Wisconsin fans, as the teams played against each other most recently in the 2015 Outback Bowl under head coach Barry Alvarez where the Badgers won 34-31 in overtime. This was following the resignation of former head coach Gary Andersen after Wisconsin’s 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game.

Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Melvin Gordon (25) loses control of the ball in the second half of the 2015 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. The Badgers defeated the Tigers 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn and Wisconsin have played each other three other times in their history with Wisconsin leading the series at 2-1-1. The first game between the sides happened on Oct. 10, 1931, where they tied 7-7 at Camp Randall.

The College Football Playoff teams remain the same for this week with Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama, and Clemson keeping their projections.

Wisconsin could possibly see another Outback Bowl appearance, but it will be interesting to see how the cancellation of Saturday’s game against Minnesota will impact next week’s bowl projections.

Latest USA TODAY bowl projections predict Wisconsin to face new SEC foe

Tuesday morning, USA TODAY released their latest bowl projections and have projected Wisconsin to play a very unfamiliar SEC opponent. In…

Tuesday morning, USA TODAY released their latest bowl projections and have projected the 10th-ranked Wisconsin to play a very unfamiliar SEC opponent.

In last week’s projections, the Badgers were predicted to play the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Outback Bowl. The drop to the Outback Bowl last week put Wisconsin outside of a New Year’s Six bowl game projection for the first time since their season has started. Unfortunately, USA TODAY predicted this week that the Wisconsin Badgers will still play in the Outback Bowl, but now against the Ole Miss Rebels.

Oct 31, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin congratulates Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) after a touchdown during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Badgers have never played the Ole Miss Rebels, which could make this matchup between Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst even more exciting to see. The Rebels are currently sitting at 3-4 in the SEC West. Their three wins have come against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina. Ole Miss has struggled this season, including an upset by the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The College Football Playoff teams remain unchanged this week as Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama retain their projections.

Ole Miss and the Outback Bowl are definitely not what Badgers fans imagined for the end of their season, but a victory against the undefeated 19th-ranked Northwestern Wildcats this Saturday could definitely boost Wisconsin’s USA TODAY bowl projection for next week.

USA TODAY Bowl Projections: MSU in danger of missing bowl game after blowout loss

For the first time this season, Michigan State fell out of Erick Smith’s latest bowl projections that were published on Tuesday.

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When you lose by 42 points to a team that some — including myself — thought you’d beat, odds are you’re going to get some blowback. That was the case in USA TODAY’s latest bowl projections.

For the first time this season, Michigan State fell out of Erick Smith’s latest bowl projections that were published on Tuesday. The Spartans had previously been pegged for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia for the past two weeks, but now it’s Purdue that Smith has playing the Mountaineers in Phoenix.

Here’s how the Big Ten teams are slated in Smith’s latest projections:

Rose Bowl (College Football Playoff game) – Ohio State vs. Clemson

Outback Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Arkansas

Citrus Bowl – Indiana vs. Auburn

Duke’s Mayo Bowl – Michigan vs. NC State

Music City Bowl – Northwestern vs. LSU

Pinstripe Bowl – Penn State vs. Virginia
Guaranteed Rate Bowl – Purdue vs. West Virginia

I said last week that MSU needed to win the toss-up games — Iowa, Indiana, Maryland and Northwestern — in order to get selected for a bowl game. The Spartans obviously didn’t achieve that in the first of those games, and now will need to make up for that in the next three weeks to get back into the bowl picture.

Another interesting element Spartan fans will need to monitor is whether or not the Big Ten lands a second team in a New Year’s Six game. Wisconsin was replaced by Oregon for one of the Fiesta Bowl at-large bids in this week’s projections, and that had a trickle-down effect. With Wisconsin no longer in a New Year’s Six bowl, they will take one of the Big Ten tie-ins — which results in one less bowl opportunity for the Spartans.

Certainly, MSU will need to win at least four games to beat out the likes of Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska for one of the lower-tier Big Ten bowls. But it would also be very helpful if Wisconsin — maybe even Indiana — move into one of the at-large spots of a New Year’s Six bowl.

Click here to check out the complete USA TODAY bowl projections.

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Wisconsin faces SEC foe in latest USA TODAY bowl projection

Last week, the Wisconsin Badgers were projected by USA TODAY to play the BYU Cougars in the Fiesta Bowl, but because of a second forced g…

Last week, the Wisconsin Badgers were projected by USA TODAY to play the BYU Cougars in the Fiesta Bowl, but because of a second forced game cancellation against the Purdue Boilermakers, the Badgers have dropped in their USA Today bowl projection.

Wisconsin is projected to play against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Outback Bowl, which places the Badgers outside of a New Year’s Six bowl game. These two teams have only played each other two times in their history in 1912 and 2007. Wisconsin has won both games, with the most recent being a 17-14 victory in the Citrus Bowl.

Jan 1, 2007, Orlando, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback (7) John Stocco is sacked by Arkansas Razorback defensive tackle (55) Marcus Harrison and defensive end (92) Jamaal Anderson in the Badgers 17-14 victory against the Razorbacks during the Capital One Bowl at the Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2007 Bob Donnan

The projected four College Football Playoff teams have changed for this week, after the 47-40 overtime upset of Clemson by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The teams for this week are Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson.

The team outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent game cancellations have caused Wisconsin to drop for two straight weeks in the USA TODAY bowl projections, but a win this weekend against the Michigan Wolverines should set the Badgers back on the right path.

New USA TODAY bowl projections show Wisconsin playing a familiar foe

After being projected to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl last week by USA TODAY, Wisconsin’s projection has moved back…

After being projected to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl last week by USA TODAY, Wisconsin’s projection has moved back to that of a matchup against a very familiar non-conference opponent in the Fiesta Bowl, the BYU Cougars.

Many Wisconsin fans may be familiar with the Cougars because of their 2018 upset of the sixth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall. The loss to BYU ended the Badgers’ hopes for an undefeated regular season, which ended up culminating in Wisconsin’s appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl. Wisconsin has played BYU four times in their history, and the matchup is split even at two games each.

Sep 15, 2018; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Alex Hornibrook (12) rushes with the football during the fourth quarter against the BYU Cougars at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The projected College Football Playoff teams remain unchanged from last week and include Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oregon.

The drop from last week’s projection of the Cotton Bowl likely comes from the fact that Wisconsin canceled their game last weekend against Nebraska, as well as their upcoming game against Purdue, because of a team outbreak of COVID-19. The Badgers will look to return to action on November 14th against the Michigan Wolverines.