2015-2016 College Football Bowl Projections After Week 13
The top part of the puzzle is going to be easy to put together, but trying to figure out which teams will fill in all the vacant spots is a massive guess.
With Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Old Dominion and East Carolina losing, there won’t be nearly enough bowl eligible teams.
The NCAA will likely make an allowance based on the Academic Progress Report (APR). So here’s the deal, in order, these are the 5-7 teams with the highest APR. Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas State (if it doesn’t beat West Virginia next week), Minnesota, San Jose State, Illinois, Rice. So, in theory, these teams would fill the available slots in that order.
So keeping the geographic challenges in mind, and looking at what the football people are going to want to try putting together, here we go …
College Football Playoff
College Football Playoff Championship
Monday, January 11, ESPN
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Playoff Winner vs. Playoff Winner
Projection:Michigan State vs. Alabama
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
College Football Playoff Semifinal
Thursday, December 31, 4:00 or 8:00 pm ET, ESPN
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Playoff vs. Playoff
Projection:Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Will Alabama complain if it’s No. 2 and it has to play in Arlington against an Oklahoma team with a fan base that’ll invade Jerry World? It’ll be just fine.
Capital One Orange Bowl
College Football Playoff Semifinal
Thursday, December 31, 4:00 or 8:00 pm ET, ESPN
Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Playoff vs. Playoff
Projection:Clemson vs. Michigan State
If Iowa wins the Big Ten championship, it’ll be either No. 2 or 3. If Michigan State wins – as projected – it’ll be No. 4. If Clemson gets the No. 1 spot, it’ll get the break of playing in the Orange. It’s not that much closer, but it’s a few hundred miles closer than Arlington.
New Year’s Six Bowls
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Thursday, December 31, 12:00 pm ET, ESPN
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
CFP Top 12 vs. CFP Top 12
Projection:North Carolina vs. Notre Dame
Fiesta Bowl
Friday, January 1, 1:00 pm ET, ESPN
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
CFP Top 12 vs. CFP Top 12
Projection:Houston vs. Ohio State
Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual
Friday, January 1, 5:00 pm ET, ESPN
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection:Iowa vs. Stanford
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Friday, January 1, 8:30 pm ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection:Baylor vs. Florida
2015-2016 Bowl Schedule
AutoNation Cure Bowl
Saturday, December 19, 12:00 pm ET, CBSSN
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FL
American vs. Sun Belt
Projection:Connecticut vs. California*
*No Sun Belt team projected available
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Saturday, December 19, 2:00 pm ET, ESPN
University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Conference USA vs. Mountain West
Projection:Arizona* vs. New Mexico
*No Conference USA team available
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
Saturday, December 19, 3:30 pm ET, ABC
Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
BYU or Mountain West vs. Pac-12
Projection:BYU vs. Utah
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Saturday, December 19, 5:30 pm ET, ESPN
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection:Ohio vs. Georgia Southern
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Saturday, December 19, 9:00 ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Projection:Louisiana Tech vs. Arkansas State
Miami Beach Bowl
Monday, December 21, 2:30 pm ET, ESPN
Marlins Park, Miami, FL
American Athletic vs. Conference USA
Projection:Memphis vs. WKU
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Tuesday, December 22, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN
Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID
MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection:Akron vs. Boise State
Boca Raton Bowl
Tuesday, December 22, 7:00 pm ET, ESPN
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
American Athletic vs. MAC
Projection:Temple vs. Toledo
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Wednesday, December 23, 4:30 pm ET, ESPN
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection:Northern Illinois vs. San Diego State
GoDaddy Bowl
Wednesday, December 23, 8:00 pm ET, ESPN
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection:Bowling Green vs. Appalchian State
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Thursday, December 24, 12:00 pm ET, ESPN
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
Conference USA vs. MAC
Projection:Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan
Hawai’i Bowl
Thursday, December 24, 8:00 pm ET, ESPN
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
American Athletic vs. Mountain West or BYU
Projection:Cincinnati vs. Utah State
St. Petersburg Bowl
Saturday, December 26, 11:00 am ET, ESPN
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
American Athletic vs. Conference USA
Projection:South Florida vs. Marshall
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Saturday, December 26, 2:00 pm ET, CBS
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
ACC or Notre Dame vs. Pac-12
Projection:Pitt vs. UCLA
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
Saturday, December 26, 2:20 pm ET, ESPN
Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Big 12 vs. Conference USA
Projection:Colorado State* vs. Southern Miss
*No Big 12 team projected available.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Saturday, December 26, 3:30 pm, ABC
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
ACC or Notre Dame vs. Big Ten
Projection:Miami vs. Indiana
Independence Bowl
Saturday, December 26, 5:35 pm ET, ESPN
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
ACC or Notre Dame vs. SEC
Projection:Duke vs. LSU
Foster Farms Bowl
Saturday, December 26, 9:15 pm ET, ESPN
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection:Nebraska* vs. Washington State
*Nebraska a guess to get in on APR
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Monday, December 28, 2:30 pm, ESPN
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
ACC or Notre Dame vs. American Athletic
Projection:Virginia Tech vs. Navy
Quick Lane Bowl
Monday, December 28, 5:00 pm, ESPN2
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
ACC or Notre Dame vs. Big Ten
Projection:Central Michigan* vs. Minnesota*
*No ACC or Big Ten team available. Minnesota a guess to get in on exception
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Tuesday, December 29, 2:00 pm ET, ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Big Ten vs. Mountain West
Projection:Washington* vs. Air Force
*No Big Ten team projected available
Russell Athletic Bowl
Tuesday, December 29, 5:30 pm ET, ESPN
Orlando Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
ACC or Notre Dame vs. Big 12
Projection:Florida State vs. TCU
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Tuesday, December 29, 7:30 pm ET, Campus Insiders
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Conference USA vs. Mountain West (Sun Belt alternative)
Projection:Rice* vs. Nevada
*No Conference USA or Sun Belt team projected available, but exception could be made for Rice
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Tuesday, December 29, 9:00 pm ET, ESPN
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection:Texas Tech vs. Texas A&M
Birmingham Bowl
Wednesday, December 30, 12:00 pm ET, ESPN
Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
American Athletic vs. SEC
Projection:Tulsa vs. Missouri*
*Missouri projected to get in on APR
Belk Bowl
Wednesday, December 30, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
ACC or Notre Dame vs. SEC
Projection:NC State vs. Auburn
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Wednesday, December 30, 7:00 pm ET, ESPN
LP Field, Nashville, TN
ACC or Notre Dame or Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection:Louisville vs. Arkansas
National University Holiday Bowl
Wednesday, December 30, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection:Wisconsin vs. USC
Outback Bowl
Friday, January 1, 12:00 pm ET, ESPN2
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection:Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
Friday, January 1, 12:00 pm ET, ABC
Orlando Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection:Northwestern vs. Ole Miss
TaxSlayer Bowl
Saturday, January 2, 12:00 pm ET, ESPN
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
ACC or Notre Dame or Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection:Penn State vs. Georgia
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Saturday, January 2, 3:20 pm ET, ESPN
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN
Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection:West Virginia vs. Tennessee
Valero Alamo Bowl
Saturday, January 2, 6:45 pm ET, ESPN
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection:Oklahoma State vs. Oregon
Cactus Bowl
Saturday, January 2, 10:15 pm ET, ESPN
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection:Kansas State vs. Arizona State
