{"id":2992,"date":"2016-10-27T17:13:13","date_gmt":"2016-10-27T21:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordoncollegefootball.com\/?p=2992"},"modified":"2017-12-30T16:24:09","modified_gmt":"2017-12-30T21:24:09","slug":"lwos-bowl-projections-week-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2016\/10\/27\/lwos-bowl-projections-week-8\/","title":{"rendered":"LWOS Bowl Projections Week 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a major upset in\u00a0State College<\/strong>, Pennsylvania<\/strong>, the top four<\/a>\u00a0got a facelift.\u00a0Michigan\u00a0<\/strong>was the big beneficiary of\u00a0Ohio State’s\u00a0<\/strong>loss. With 20 teams bowl eligible, and only three teams bowl ineligible (sorry\u00a0UMass<\/strong>,\u00a0Bowling Green<\/strong>, and\u00a0Fresno State<\/strong>) here are the LWOS Bowl Projections Week 8.<\/p>\n

College Football Playoff
\n<\/strong><\/span>Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
\n<\/strong>CFP Semifinal
\n#1 Alabama vs. #4 Washington<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fiesta Bowl
\n<\/strong>CFP Semifinal
\n#2 Michigan vs. #3 Clemson<\/strong><\/p>\n

National Championship Game
\n#1 Alabama vs. #2 Michigan<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Michigan Wolverines make their reappearance in my CFP projections. Michigan has benefitted from six home games and one true road game (at Rutgers, <\/strong>won 78 \u2013 0). They have taken advantage of this friendly schedule, and are off to a 7 – 0 start.<\/p>\n

With Ohio State <\/strong>dropping a stunner in Happy Valley<\/strong> 24 – 21 to Penn State<\/strong>, the race atop the Big Ten got a major shot of energy. With that first loss, the Buckeyes can still force a three-way tie atop the Big Ten East if they beat Michigan at home on November 26.<\/p>\n

Washington may get its toughest test this season this coming weekend as they head to Salt Lake City<\/strong> to take on the Utah Utes. <\/strong>If the Huskies escape The MUSS<\/strong> fueled stadium with a win, they will have a quality win to combat their weak non-conference slate (8 \u2013 15 combined record).<\/p>\n

New Years Six Bowls<\/u><\/p>\n

Rose Bowl
\nOhio State vs. Washington State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Allstate Sugar Bowl
\nBaylor vs. Texas A&M<\/strong><\/p>\n

Capital One Orange Bowl
\nLouisville vs. Wisconsin<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
\nTennessee vs. Boise State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Explanation
\n<\/em>Ohio State and Washington State move into the Rose Bowl to take Michigan and USC\u2019s <\/strong>spots.<\/p>\n

The Pac-12 South<\/strong> looks to be on a collision course for a log jam up top. Utah and Colorado<\/strong> may decide the division on November 26. Even if Washington State loses the biggest Apple Cup <\/strong>in ages, they may finish with one loss in conference.<\/p>\n

The Cougars\u2019 last Rose Bowl was in 2003, and a matchup with either OSU or Michigan would create a buzz, and give the Pac-12 a decent showing.<\/p>\n

Boise State held on to a spot in my New Year\u2019s Six with a 28 – 27 win versus the BYU Cougars. <\/strong>That is back-to-back close calls at home for the Broncos, including a 28 \u2013 23 win versus Colorado State. <\/strong>With Houston<\/strong> firmly planted in the traditional bowl pecking order in the AAC, the Group of Five representative picture is taking shape.<\/p>\n

If Boise State continues to play uninspired football, and Western Michigan<\/strong> continues their run at perfection, there could be a hot debate for a spot in the Cotton Bowl.<\/p>\n

Bowl Season Projections<\/u><\/p>\n

Outback Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big Ten vs. SEC
\nPenn State vs. Auburn<\/strong><\/p>\n

TaxSlayer Bowl
\n<\/strong>SEC vs. ACC\/Big Ten\/Notre Dame
\nArkansas vs. Miami (FL)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
\n<\/strong>SEC vs. ACC\/Big Ten\/Notre Dame
\nFlorida vs. Nebraska<\/strong><\/p>\n

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
\n<\/strong>ACC\/Big Ten vs. SEC
\nNorthwestern vs. Ole Miss<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hyundai Sun Bowl
\n<\/strong>ACC\/Notre Dame vs. Pac-12
\nFlorida State vs. USC<\/strong><\/p>\n

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big 12 vs. SEC
\nTCU vs. Georgia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arizona Bowl
\n<\/strong>Mountain West vs. Sun Belt
\nNew Mexico vs. Idaho <\/strong><\/p>\n

Valero Alamo Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big 12 vs. Pac-12
\nWest Virginia vs. Utah<\/strong><\/p>\n

Belk Bowl
\n<\/strong>ACC vs. SEC
\nVirginia Tech vs. Kentucky<\/strong><\/p>\n

Birmingham Bowl
\n<\/strong>AAC vs. SEC
\nTulsa vs. Vanderbilt<\/strong><\/p>\n

AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big 12 vs. SEC
\nOklahoma State vs. LSU<\/strong><\/p>\n

Foster Farms Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big Ten vs. Pac-12
\nIowa vs. California<\/strong><\/p>\n

Russell Athletic Bowl
\n<\/strong>ACC vs. Big 12
\nUNC vs. Oklahoma<\/strong><\/p>\n

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
\n<\/strong>ACC\/Notre Dame vs. Big Ten
\nPitt vs. Maryland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cactus Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big 12 vs. Pac-12
\nTexas vs. Stanford <\/strong><\/p>\n

Holiday Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big Ten vs. Pac-12
\nMinnesota vs. Colorado<\/strong><\/p>\n

Military Bowl
\n<\/strong>AAC vs. ACC
\nMemphis vs. NC State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zaxby\u2019s Heart of Dallas Bowl
\n<\/strong>Big Ten vs. C-USA
\nTexas Tech * vs. North Texas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camping World Independence Bowl
\n<\/strong>ACC vs. SEC
\nGeorgia Tech vs. Army *<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quick Lane Bowl
\n<\/strong>ACC vs. Big Ten
\nEastern Michigan * vs. Indiana<\/strong><\/p>\n

St. Petersburg Bowl
\n<\/strong>AAC vs. ACC
\nUSF vs. Wake Forest<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hawai\u2019i Bowl
\n<\/strong>C-USA vs. Mountain West
\nOld Dominion vs. Hawai\u2019i<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dollar General Bowl
\n<\/strong>MAC vs. Sun Belt
\nAkron vs. Troy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
\n<\/strong>AAC vs. Big 12
\nNavy vs. Kansas State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
\n<\/strong>C-USA vs. MAC
\nSouthern Mississippi vs. Ohio<\/strong><\/p>\n

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
\n<\/strong>MAC vs. Mountain West
\nToledo vs. Wyoming<\/strong><\/p>\n

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
\n<\/strong>BYU vs. Mountain West
\nBYU vs. Air Force<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marmot Boca Raton Bowl
\n<\/strong>AAC vs. C-USA
\nTemple vs. Western Kentucky<\/strong><\/p>\n

Miami Beach Bowl
\n<\/strong>AAC vs. MAC
\nHouston vs. Western Michigan<\/strong><\/p>\n

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
\n<\/strong>C-USA vs. Sun Belt
\nMiddle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State<\/strong><\/p>\n

AutoNation Cure Bowl
\n<\/strong>AAC vs. Sun Belt
\nUConn vs. South Alabama<\/strong><\/p>\n

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
\n<\/strong>MAC vs. Sun Belt
\nCentral Michigan vs. Georgia Southern<\/strong><\/p>\n

Las Vegas Bowl
\n<\/strong>Mountain West vs. Pac-12
\nSan Diego State vs. Arizona State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gildan New Mexico Bowl
\n<\/strong>C-USA vs. Mountain West
\nLouisiana Tech vs. Arkansas State *<\/strong><\/p>\n

Explanation
\n<\/em>The Kentucky Wildcats and Vanderbilt Commodores enter the projections this week to fill in lower tier bowls for the SEC. Kentucky has a shot at six wins with winnable games at Missouri and versus Austin Peay left.<\/p>\n

While I see Vanderbilt winning just one more game, the Commodores could benefit from an Academic Progress Rate<\/strong> waiver to go to the post season.<\/p>\n

* = Replacement team<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n