The final full weekend of the college football season gives us 16 games, with eight conference championship contests. The College Football Playoff selections will be made this coming Sunday. All the guessing and debating will be put to bed as bowl season kicks off in earnest. For one last gaze into the crystal ball, here are the LWOS Bowl Projections Week 14.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
CFP Semifinal
#1 Alabama vs. #4 Wisconsin
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
CFP Semifinal
#2 Ohio State vs. #3 Clemson
National Championship Game
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
#1 Alabama vs. #2 Ohio State
New Years Six Bowls
Rose Bowl
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Michigan vs. Colorado
Sugar Bowl
Big 12 vs. SEC
Oklahoma vs. Auburn
Capital One Orange Bowl
ACC vs. Big Ten
Florida State vs. Penn State
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
At Large vs. At Large
Washington vs. Western Michigan
Explanation
The Group of Five slot is down to the winner of the MAC or the American. WMU should stay ahead of Navy in the final CFP Poll, unless the Midshipmen destroy Temple in the AAC Championship Game.
If the Broncos go 13 – 0, it will be hard to leave them out of the Cotton Bowl. Navy’s loss at South Florida (52 – 45) will likely keep them out of the New Year’s Six.
Michigan vs. Colorado in the Rose Bowl can happen no matter the outcome of their respective conference title games. Colorado can win their way into the Rose with a Pac-12 title. If Washington wins, the Huskies have a shot at the CFP. Colorado would be a fitting replacement.
If Colorado can’t compete with the Huskies on Friday night, the Rose Bowl may take USC to replace the Buffaloes. My only projected upset this weekend is in the Pac-12 Championship Game. If Colorado can keep the game close, and hold Washington under 30 points, they can pull out a win.
Michigan is on the outside looking in, along with Ohio State, in the Big Ten. Wisconsin and Penn State will battle for the B1G Championship. There is no guarantee the winner of that conference goes to the CFP. If Washington makes the playoff, the Nittany Lions or Badgers can go to the Rose Bowl as the winner of the B1G.
Bowl Season Projections
Outback Bowl
Big Ten vs. SEC
Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
TaxSlayer Bowl
SEC vs. ACC/Big Ten/Notre Dame
Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
SEC vs. ACC/Big Ten/Notre Dame
Florida vs. Louisville
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Iowa vs. Tennessee
Hyundai Sun Bowl
ACC/Notre Dame vs. Pac-12
Pittsburgh vs. Utah
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Big 12 vs. SEC
TCU vs. Georgia
Arizona Bowl
Mountain West vs. Sun Belt
Air Force vs. Idaho
Valero Alamo Bowl
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
West Virginia vs. USC
Belk Bowl
ACC vs. SEC
UNC vs. Arkansas
Birmingham Bowl
AAC vs. SEC
Tulsa vs. Vanderbilt
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Big 12 vs. SEC
Kansas State vs. LSU
Foster Farms Bowl
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Indiana vs. Washington State
Russell Athletic Bowl
ACC vs. Big 12
Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
ACC/Notre Dame vs. Big Ten
Miami (FL) vs. Northwestern
Cactus Bowl
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Baylor vs. Colorado State *
Holiday Bowl
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Minnesota vs. Stanford
Military Bowl
AAC vs. ACC
Memphis vs. NC State
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
Big Ten vs. C-USA
Army * vs. UT San Antonio
Camping World Independence Bowl
ACC vs. SEC
Boston College vs. South Carolina
Quick Lane Bowl
ACC vs. Big Ten
Wake Forest vs. Maryland
St. Petersburg Bowl
AAC vs. ACC
Temple vs. North Texas **
Hawai’i Bowl
C-USA vs. Mountain West
Southern Mississippi vs. Hawai’i
Dollar General Bowl
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Central Michigan vs. Troy
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
AAC vs. Big 12
Navy vs. Mississippi State **
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
C-USA vs. MAC
Old Dominion vs. Ohio
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
MAC vs. Mountain West
Toledo vs. Boise State
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
BYU vs. Mountain West
BYU vs. San Diego State
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl
AAC vs. C-USA
South Florida vs. Western Kentucky
Miami Beach Bowl
AAC vs. MAC
Houston vs. Eastern Michigan
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
C-USA vs. Sun Belt
Louisiana Tech vs. Appalachian State
AutoNation Cure Bowl
AAC vs. Sun Belt
Central Florida vs. South Alabama
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Miami (OH) vs. Arkansas State
Las Vegas Bowl
Mountain West vs. Pac-12
Wyoming vs. UL Lafayette *
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
C-USA vs. Mountain West
Middle Tennessee vs. New Mexico
* = Replacement team
** = APR (Academic Progress Rate) waiver
Explanation
If UL Lafayette and South Alabama win this weekend, they will become bowl eligible. With those two teams replacing the Pac-12 and filling out the Sun Belt slots, there will only be room for two APR teams in North Texas and Mississippi State.
Army and Colorado State will also fill in for conferences that won’t have enough .500 teams.
If the Big Ten does not put two teams in the CFP, these bowls wil look different. The Big Ten will have enough teams to fill out their slots, but the Pac-12 teams would slide up in rank if Washington is in the CFP, Colorado is in the Rose, and USC lands the Cotton.
