After seven weeks of action, we still have 11 undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. With a huge matchup between Texas A&M and Alabama looming this weekend, here are the LWOS Bowl Projections Week 7.
College Football Playoff
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
CFP Semifinal
#1 Alabama vs. #4 Washington
Fiesta Bowl
CFP Semifinal
#2 Ohio State vs. #3 Clemson
National Championship Game
#1 Alabama vs. #2 Ohio State
Ohio State escaped a visit to Madison, Wisconsin in overtime. The Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines are getting closer and closer to a November 26th meeting in Columbus with a playoff berth on the line.
Clemson won an overtime nail biter at home as well, over NC State. If not for a missed field goal in regulation by the Wolfpack, Clemson would have suffered their first loss of the season. With the win, the Tigers kept their record unblemished, and kept their playoff hopes very much alive.
Alabama throttled Tennessee in Knoxville to the tune of 49 – 10. The Crimson Tide are building steam at the mid-point in their season, and with Texas A&M coming to town this weekend, the SEC West could be in The Tide’s grasp come Saturday night.
New Years Six Bowls
Rose Bowl
Michigan vs. USC
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Baylor vs. Texas A&M
Capital One Orange Bowl
Louisville vs. Wisconsin
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Tennessee vs. Boise State
Explanation
Boise State stayed in my New Year’s Six Bowls with a narrow 28 – 23 win over Colorado State. The Broncos welcome BYU Thursday night in what should be their toughest test outside of a presumptive Mountain West Championship Game.
Western Michigan rolled on by decimating Akron 41 – 0 while South Florida kept their AAC record perfect with a 42 – 27 win over UConn. Both the Eagles and Bulls are sneaking up the rankings with Houston having lost to Navy. Houston struggled this past weekend to win at Tulsa (Houston won 38 – 31). The Cougars’ only hope for redemption lies in their home showdown with Louisville.
Bowl Season Projections
Outback Bowl
Big Ten vs. SEC
Penn State vs. Missouri
TaxSlayer Bowl
SEC vs. ACC/Big Ten/Notre Dame
Arkansas vs. Miami (FL)
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
SEC vs. ACC/Big Ten/Notre Dame
Florida vs. Nebraska
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Indiana vs. Ole Miss
Hyundai Sun Bowl
ACC/Notre Dame vs. Pac-12
Florida State vs. Utah
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Big 12 vs. SEC
Oklahoma State vs. Georgia
Arizona Bowl
Mountain West vs. Sun Belt
Nevada vs. Idaho
Valero Alamo Bowl
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Oklahoma vs. Colorado
Belk Bowl
ACC vs. SEC
Virginia Tech vs. Auburn
Birmingham Bowl
AAC vs. SEC
Tulsa vs. Arizona State *
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Big 12 vs. SEC
Texas vs. LSU
Foster Farms Bowl
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Iowa vs. California
Russell Athletic Bowl
ACC vs. Big 12
UNC vs. West Virginia
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
ACC/Notre Dame vs. Big Ten
Pitt vs. Maryland
Cactus Bowl
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
TCU vs. UCLA
Holiday Bowl
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Minnesota vs. Washington State
Military Bowl
AAC vs. ACC
UConn vs. NC State
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
Big Ten vs. C-USA
Texas Tech * vs. Western Kentucky
Camping World Independence Bowl
ACC vs. SEC
Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina
Quick Lane Bowl
ACC vs. Big Ten
Eastern Michigan * vs. Northwestern
St. Petersburg Bowl
AAC vs. ACC
South Florida vs. Wake Forest
Hawai’i Bowl
C-USA vs. Mountain West
Army * vs. Hawai’i
Dollar General Bowl
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Akron vs. Georgia Southern
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
AAC vs. Big 12
Navy vs. Kansas State
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
C-USA vs. MAC
Southern Mississippi vs. Ohio
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
MAC vs. Mountain West
Toledo vs. Wyoming
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
BYU vs. Mountain West
BYU vs. Air Force
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl
AAC vs. C-USA
Temple vs. Old Dominion
Miami Beach Bowl
AAC vs. MAC
Houston vs. Western Michigan
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
C-USA vs. Sun Belt
Middle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State
AutoNation Cure Bowl
AAC vs. Sun Belt
Memphis vs. Troy
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Central Michigan vs. South Alabama
Las Vegas Bowl
Mountain West vs. Pac-12
San Diego State vs. Stanford
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
C-USA vs. Mountain West
Louisiana Tech vs. Nevada
Explanation
After dropping Oregon and Notre Dame, I can’t believe I am dropping Michigan State out of the projections. Each of these teams will have to make a U-turn on their season if they are to salvage a bowl berth.
Michigan State gave up a whopping 54 points to Northwestern to fall to 2 – 4. With Ohio State and Michigan remaining on their schedule, that’s essentially six losses at the least for the Spartans. If they want six wins, they have to beat Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, and Penn State. It will be a tough task for Mark Dantonio and company to make their tenth straight bowl game.
Welcome aboard Eastern Michigan! I have had my eye on the Eagles ever since they reeled off three consecutive wins. Now at 5 – 2, EMU is one win away from gaining bowl eligibility. I have them as an ACC replacement team in the Quick Lane Bowl, as the Detroit bowl would love to have a local team in their game.
The MAC will send EMU bowling if they are eligible. Their lone bowl game was the 1987 California Bowl and fans in Ypsilanti, Michigan will be foaming at the mouth for a bowl trip.
* = Replacement team
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