With only a handful of games left in rivalry week, let’s take a look at an updated projection for the College Football Playoff and the New Year’s Six bowls.
Slowly, but surely, we are approaching conference championship week in major college football, inching ever closer to the New Year’s Six and the College Football Playoff.
In Week 13 of the 2018 college football season, two possible Playoff teams were unfortunately crossed off with rivalry week losses. No. 8 Washington State lost the Apple Cup at home to No. 16 Washington in the snow. No. 4 Michigan could not get it done versus arch rival in No. 10 Ohio State down in Columbus for The Game.
Though Michigan and Washington State will no longer be playing for a national title, perhaps those Power 5 teams will be playing in a meaningful bowl game this holiday season? Here is an updated New Year’s Six and College Football Playoff bowl projections heading into the primetime Week 13 slate.
New Year’s Six
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA)
Michigan Wolverines vs. LSU Tigers
With both LSU and Michigan being in the top-10 for much of the season, it would only be fitting that these two Power 5 powers would be getting at-large bids to the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl down in Atlanta. LSU has played in Atlanta a ton before, but it should be interesting to see how Michigan travels to the Southeast for this high-profile bowl game.
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ)
Washington State Cougars vs. UCF Knights
Washington State didn’t get it done versus rival Washington, thus failing to win the Pac-12 North and play for a conference title. Since the Cougars won’t be smelling roses on New Year’s Day, they’ll need to wake up and get ready for the best team out of the Group of 5 in undefeated UCF. UCF beat the brakes off Auburn in the Peach Bowl a season ago to stay undefeated. Washington State and UCF will meet in Arizona to play in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl this year.
Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA)
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Washington Huskies
Historically, the Rose Bowl will feature the Big Ten champion versus the Pac-12 champion. With Ohio State being favored over Northwestern and Washington over Utah, expect the Buckeyes to meet the Huskies for a New Year’s date in Pasadena. Ohio State still has a chance to make the Playoff with one loss, but Washington took too many l’s to represent a lackluster Pac-12.
Allstate Sugar Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA)
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Texas Longhorns
Both Georgia and Texas will be playing in their respective conference championship games. However, neither the Dawgs or the Longhorns will be favored over Alabama and Oklahoma, respectively. Since they are seen as the second-best teams in the SEC and Big 12, it makes sense that they’ll be playing in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This New Year’s Six bowl is usually reserved for SEC and Big 12 teams anyway. All the more fitting.
College Football Playoff
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX)
No.1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners
The projected SEC champion Alabama will face the projected Big 12 champion Oklahoma in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Alabama would be the projected No. 1 overall side, while Oklahoma barely gets in at No. 4. Both teams made the College Football Playoff last season. Oklahoma lost to Georgia in the Rose Bowl, but Alabama beat Georgia in overtime in the national championship.
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Capital One Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL)
No. 2 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The projected ACC champion Clemson Tigers will face an undefeated independent team in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Clemson would be the projected No. 2 seed, while Notre Dame would be the projected No. 3 seed. For Clemson, this would be the Tigers’ fourth-straight trip to the Playoff. Notre Dame would be the first independent team to crash the Power 5 party.