Last Word On College Football Week 11 Bowl Projections
Another crazy week is in the books and we are now three weeks away from college football’s version of “Selection Sunday.” There were no upsets at the top of the rankings so the top four remain the same. However there was some movement after that. Let’s start our Last Word On College Football week 11 bowl projections with the playoffs.
College Football Playoff Selections
December 29th- Cotton Bowl Classic Arlington, Texas- Number 4 Michigan versus Number 1 Alabama.
The Crimson Tide dispatched Mississippi State while the Wolverines knocked off in-state rival Michigan State. Jim Harbaugh’s club is one of the hottest in football however it is doubtful they can stop the Crimson Tide. A victory over Ohio State is the only thing standing in the way for Michigan. The last time these two squads faced off was the beginning of the 2012 season with Alabama winning 41-14.
December 29th- Orange Bowl- Miami, Florida- Number 3 Notre Dame versus Number 2 Clemson.
Even without their starting quarterback the Fighting Irish beat Florida State. Meanwhile the Tigers went on the road and turned back the efforts of Boston College. A suddenly huge game against Syracuse next week now stands between Brian Kelly’s club and the playoff. The last time these two schools played was October 3, 2015 with the Tigers winning 24-22.
January 8th- National Championship- Santa Clara, California- Alabama versus Clemson. This will be the fourth consecutive season these two clubs face off, three of those times for the title. The Tigers may have the only chance of derailing another title for Nick Saban. However it would take a near perfect game from Clemson to pull the upset.
There is some movement this week in the remaining New Year’s Six Games. As a result of their bad loss to Tennessee Kentucky is out and Syracuse takes their place.
New Year’s Six Games
December 29th- Peach Bowl- Atlanta, Georgia- LSU versus West Virginia. The Tigers represent the SEC in this contest against the Mountaineers. A matchup of Will Grier versus the stingy LSU defense has all the makings of a great contest. Furthermore it will be very interesting to see if Joe Burrow’s squad can keep up with West Virginia.
January 1st- Rose Bowl- Los Angeles, California– Ohio State versus Washington State. Assuming both schools beat their bitter rivals on the season’s last week this sets up the traditional contest between the Big 10 and Pac 12. Furthermore a week of listening to Mike Leach wax prophetic is worth the price of admission alone. This one looks to be an entertaining shootout between two great offenses. The Buckeyes are undefeated in eight previous meetings against the Cougars.
January 1st- Fiesta Bowl- Glendale, Arizona- Central Florida versus Syracuse. The Orangemen have been one of the biggest surprises in college football in 2018. Their reward is a trip to the Fiesta Bowl. UCF played in the Peach Bowl last year so as the top team in the Group of Five they go to the Fiesta Bowl. Dino Babers’ club puts up a lot of points so a battle against McKenzie Milton has the makings of a really intriguing game.
January 1st- Sugar Bowl- New Orleans, Louisiana- Georgia versus Oklahoma. The two schools waiting in the wings in case one of the top four lose meet again this time in the Sugar Bowl. However they both have tough games remaining. While many of the names are different fans can only hope this contest is as good as last year’s national semi-final.
With the New Year’s Six set let’s check out the next slate of contests in our Last Word on College Football Week 11 bowl projections.
Next Tier Of Games
Citrus Bowl- January 1st- Orlando, Florida- Kentucky versus Penn State. The Wildcats have dropped two in a row and need to right their ship quickly.
Outback Bowl- January 1st- Tampa, Florida- Florida versus Michigan State
Taxslayer Bowl- December 31st- Jacksonville, Florida- Mississippi State versus Northwestern
Holiday Bowl- December 31st- San Diego, California- Iowa versus Washington
Redbox Bowl- December 31st- Santa Clara, California- Purdue versus Oregon
Liberty Bowl- December 31st- Memphis, Tennessee- Iowa State vs. Missouri
Sun Bowl- December 31st- El Paso, Texas- Pittsburgh versus Stanford
Military Bowl- December 31st- Annapolis, Maryland- Virginia Tech versus Houston. As it stands right now how Hokies streak of 25 straight bowl games is in jeopardy. However we think they will make it to six wins.
Arizona Bowl- December 29th- Tuscon, Arizona- Fresno State versus Troy
Belk Bowl- December 29th- Charlotte, North Carolina- Duke versus South Carolina
Alamo Bowl- December 28th- San Antonio, Texas- Texas versus Utah
Camping World Bowl- December 28th- Orlando, Florida- North Carolina State versus Texas Tech
Music City Bowl- December 28th- Nashville, Tennessee- Boston College versus Tennessee. As a result of their big win over Kentucky we are moving the Volunteers into the bowl mix.
Texas Bowl- December 27th- Houston, Texas- Oklahoma State versus Texas A&M
Pinstripe Bowl- December 27th- New York, New York- Wisconsin versus Virginia
Independence Bowl- December 27th- Shreveport, Louisiana- Georgia Tech versus Auburn
Cheez-It Bowl- December 26th- Tempe, Arizona- Baylor versus Arizona State
Quick Lane Bowl- December 26th- Detroit, Michigan- Miami versus Maryland
First Responder Bowl- December 26th- Dallas, Texas- BYU versus TCU.
As we continue with our Last Word On College Football Week 11 bowl projections it’s time to look at the final tier of games. Some out there may consider these to be “lesser games.” However there are some very interesting matchups on the docket.
Pre-Christmas Bowl Games
Hawaii Bowl- December 22nd- Honolulu, Hawaii- Hawaii versus UAB
Dollar General Bowl- December 22nd- Mobile, Alabama- Buffalo versus Georgia Southern
Armed Forces Bowl- December 22nd- Fort Worth, Texas- SMU versus Utah
Birmingham Bowl- December 22nd- Birmingham, Alabama- Army versus Cincinnati
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl- December 21st- Boise, Idaho- Boise State versus Western Michigan
Bahamas Bowl- December 21st- Nassau, Bahamas- Middle Tennessee versus Ohio
Gasparilla Bowl- December 20th- Tampa, Florida- Memphis versus Wake Forest
Frisco Bowl- December 19th- Dallas, Texas- Temple versus Eastern Michigan
Boca Raton Bowl- December 18th- Boca Raton, Florida- Florida International versus South Florida
New Orleans Bowl- December 15th- New Orleans, Louisiana- Louisiana- Monroe versus Marshall
Cameilla Bowl- December 15th- Birmingham, Alabama- Appalachian State versus Northern Illinois
Las Vegas Bowl- December 15th- Las Vegas, Nevada- Fresno State versus USC
Cure Bowl- December 15th- Orlando, Florida- Florida Atlantic versus Arkansas State
New Mexico Bowl- December 15th- Albuquerque, New Mexico- San Diego State versus North Texas
Thanks for checking out our Last Word On College Football Week 11 bowl projections. Next week figures to be another exciting week and as a result some of these picks will likely change. Do you agree or disagree with where your favorite team is projected? Feel free to leave a message in the comment section below.
