{"id":31834,"date":"2020-10-20T13:00:26","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T17:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=31834"},"modified":"2025-09-13T14:56:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T18:56:36","slug":"bowl-projections-following-week-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2020\/10\/20\/bowl-projections-following-week-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Bowl Projections Following Week 7"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>One Change In the Playoff This Week<\/h4>\n<p>It was another great week in college football with a number of down to the wire finishes. However, it was also a week where several games were canceled by COVID-19, most notably the Florida-LSU contest. In addition, a matchup of the top teams in the SEC caused a shakeup in the playoffs. As we begin our bowl projections following week 7 there are a few things to remember. First, every FBS team playing in 2020 is eligible thanks to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncaa.org\/about\/resources\/media-center\/news\/waiving-bowl-qualification-requirements-recommended\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the NCAA waving minimum win requirements.<\/a> Also three bowl games, the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Redbox won&#8217;t be played this year. That means six fewer bids for schools. If you want to see the changes from last week you can see <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2020\/10\/13\/bowl-projections-following-week-6\/\" target=\"_self\">those picks here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>College Football Playoff<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Sugar Bowl- January 1st- (1) Clemson vs. (4) Oregon-<\/strong> On Saturday\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/trevor-lawrence-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trevor Lawrence <\/a>cemented his status as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2020\/10\/15\/week-five-2020-heisman-rankings\/\" target=\"_self\">Heisman favorite <\/a>throwing for over 400 yards in one half as the Tigers 73-7. After weeks of saying a Pac 12 school wouldn&#8217;t make the playoff\u00a0 here we are. If we&#8217;ve learned anything in 2020 is the only thing that&#8217;s for sure is nothing&#8217;s for sure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rose Bowl- January 1st- (2) Alabama vs. (3) Ohio State-<\/strong> The Crimson Tide turned back the challenge of Georgia 41-24 after holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/coaches\/ryan-day-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Day&#8217;s <\/a>Buckeyes finally get their season started on Saturday against Nebraska.<\/p>\n<p><strong>College Football National Championship- January 11th- (1) Clemson vs. (2) Alabama-<\/strong> While we realize half our playoff hasn&#8217;t yet played a game it&#8217;s hard to believe anyone is beating the Tigers and Crimson Tide.<\/p>\n<h3>New Year&#8217;s Six Games<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Cotton Bowl- December 30th- Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State<\/strong>&#8211; The Bearcats&#8217; game against Tulsa was postponed due to a COVID outbreak within the Cincinnati program and will be made up on December 5th. The Cowboys have a huge game on Saturday when they host Iowa State in a battle of Big 12 unbeatens.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Peach Bowl- January 1st- Florida vs. Wisconsin-\u00a0<\/strong>As mentioned earlier, the Gators&#8217; game against LSU was postponed due to COVID issues within the program. The Badgers head back east after being in the Fiesta Bowl the last couple of weeks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Orange Bowl- January 2nd- Georgia vs. Notre Dame-<\/strong> Following their loss to Alabama, we&#8217;re dropping the Bulldogs out of the playoff this week, though they are likely to be back in it again. The Fighting Irish struggled in beating Louisville 12-7.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fiesta Bowl- January 2nd- Penn State vs. USC-<\/strong> The Nittany Lions head out west this week and they face a second team from the Pac 12 in the Trojans. We also looked at Boise State and BYU in this spot.<\/p>\n<p>Moving on with our bowl projections following week 7, let&#8217;s look at the contests played on New Year&#8217;s Eve and Day. You&#8217;ll notice with the SEC playing the all-conference schedule things moved around quite a bit this week as the teams beat each other up.<\/p>\n<h3>Games Played December 31st and January 1st<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Citrus Bowl- January 1st- Iowa vs. Texas A&amp;M-<\/strong> Truth be told Michigan should be slotted here, however, we try to avoid putting a team in the same bowl two years in a row. The Aggies followed up their big win over Florida with a 28-14 road victory over Mississippi State.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Outback Bowl- January 1st- Kentucky vs. Michigan-<\/strong> The Wildcats were the SEC&#8217;s big winners this week. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/coaches\/mark-stoops-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mark Stoops&#8217; <\/a>club won emphatically at Tennessee for the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2020\/10\/18\/kentucky-blasts-tennessee-34-7\/\" target=\"_self\">first time since 1984.<\/a> As a result, they head to Tampa for the first time since 1999. These two schools have met once in history with the Wolverines winning 62-0 way back in 1908.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Alamo Bowl- December 31st- Oklahoma vs. Washington<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Arizona Bowl- December 31st- Air Force vs. Toledo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Duke&#8217;s Mayo Bowl- December 31st- Minnesota vs. North Carolina State<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Liberty Bowl- December 31st- Iowa State vs. LSU<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl- December 31st- Georgia Tech vs. Stanford<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Bowl Games After January 1st-<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Birmingham Bowl- January 2nd- Florida State vs. Missouri-\u00a0<\/strong>Following their big win over North Carolina the Seminoles return to our bowl projections.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gator Bowl- January 2nd- South Carolina vs. North Carolina-<\/strong> Another big winner this past weekend was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/coaches\/will-muschamp-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Will Muschamp&#8217;s <\/a>Gamecocks. They now head to Jacksonville following their first win over Auburn since 1933. As of a result of their loss to Florida State, the Tar Heels drop out of a New Year&#8217;s Six game.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Idaho Potato Bowl- January 3rd- Buffalo vs. San Diego State<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Armed Forces Bowl- January 4th- BYU vs. SMU<\/strong>&#8211; The Mustangs host Cincinnati this weekend in a game with major Group of Five implications.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LendingTree Bowl- January 6th- Appalachian State vs. Ohio\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Bowl Games After Christmas<\/h3>\n<p><strong>First Responder Bowl- December 30th- Baylor vs. Houston<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Music City Bowl- December 30th- Nebraska vs. Tennessee-<\/strong> The Vols drop down a few spots following back to back losses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cheez-It Bowl- December 28th- Kansas State vs. Miami\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Cactus Bowl- December 27th- Indiana vs. West Virginia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Holiday Bowl- December 27th- Arizona State vs. Virginia Tech<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Military Bowl- December 27th- Navy vs. Pittsburgh<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pinstripe Bowl- December 27th- Purdue vs. Wake Forest<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Texas Bowl- December 27th- Arkansas vs. Texas-<\/strong> Let&#8217;s take a moment and give a huge shout out to what\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/coaches\/sam-pittman-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sam Pittman <\/a>has accomplished so far in Fayetteville currently sitting at 2-2. What a fun match up this would be between former conference members who haven&#8217;t played since 2014.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Independence Bowl- December 26th- Army vs. Washington State<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick Lane Bowl- December 26th- Central Michigan vs. Michigan State<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We finish up our bowl projections following week 7 as we do every week looking at all the early season games played before Christmas. The NCAA has said bowl games could begin as early as December 1st though it&#8217;s doubtful that happens.<\/p>\n<h3>Early Season Bowl Games<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Gasparilla Bowl- December 23rd- Central Florida vs. Ole Miss-<\/strong> Who wouldn&#8217;t want to see this game featuring\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/coaches\/lane-kiffin-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lane Kiffin<\/a> going up against his old squad.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Boca Raton Bowl- December 21st- Florida Atlantic vs. Tulane<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Cameilla Bowl- December 21st- Georgia Southern vs. UAB<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Cure Bowl- December 21st- Arkansas State vs. Temple<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Las Vegas Bowl- December 21st- Auburn vs. Utah<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>New Mexico Bowl- December 21st- Louisiana Tech vs. Troy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>New Orleans Bowl- December 21st- Coastal Carolina vs. Marshall-<\/strong> What a great matchup this would be between currently undefeated teams.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fenway Bowl- December 2oth- Boston College vs. Memphis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Frisco Bowl- December 20th- Tulsa vs. Fresno State<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Los Angeles Bowl- December 20th- Boise State vs. California<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Myrtle Beach Bowl- December 20th- Liberty vs. UAB-\u00a0<\/strong>What a start of the year it&#8217;s been for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/coaches\/hugh-freeze-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hugh Freeze<\/a> and the Flames who went into Syracuse last weekend and beat the Orangemen 38-21.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for checking out our bowl projections following week 7 here at <strong>Last Word On College Football.<\/strong> Next week the Big 10 starts playing and we&#8217;ll be back with updated picks. In addition, don&#8217;t forget to check out all the great content featured on the site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One Change In the Playoff This Week It was another great week in college football with a number of down to the wire finishes. However, it was also a week where several games were canceled by COVID-19, most notably the Florida-LSU contest. In addition, a matchup of the top teams in the SEC caused a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":877,"featured_media":29926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,35588,7361,8],"tags":[6980,7031,314,1145,300,184,140,5859,126,599,1333],"class_list":["post-31834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-arkansas-razorbacks","category-bowl-games","category-fbs","tag-2020-college-football-playoff-projections","tag-2020-new-years-six-projections","tag-arkansas-razorbacks","tag-bowl-games","tag-bowl-projections","tag-cfb","tag-fbs","tag-liberty-flames","tag-ncaa","tag-rose-bowl","tag-sugar-bowl"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/877"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31834"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78160,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31834\/revisions\/78160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}