Brett McMurphy’s College Football Bowl Projections After Week 3

    Notre Dame moves into the Orange Bowl in McMurphy's latest bowl projections.

    My four projected College Football Playoff picks – Clemson, Georgia, Alabama and Utah – remain unbeaten and unchallenged, so the top of my bowl projections haven’t changed.

    There was some movement in my New Year’s 6 bowl projections, though. Notre Dame would earn a bid to the Orange Bowl where the Irish would get a regular season rematch against Virginia. The Irish and Cavaliers meet on Sept. 28.

    Also, Auburn moves into my New Year’s 6 bowls, playing in the Cotton Bowl against Memphis, my projected highest-ranked Group of 5 champion.

    In the non-New Year’s 6 bowls, I have two newcomers in this week’s projections and both are two of college football’s newest FBS programs: Conference USA’s Charlotte to the Bahamas Bowl and Sun Belt’s Coastal Carolina to the Cure Bowl.

    On to this week’s projections:

     

    College Football Playoff
    ChampionshipJan. 13 (CFP semifinal winners)
    Projection: Clemson vs. Georgia

    Semifinals
    Peach BowlDec. 28 (CFP semifinal)
    Projection: Clemson (CFP No. 1) vs. Alabama (CFP No. 4)

    Fiesta BowlDec. 28 (CFP semifinal)
    Projection: Georgia (CFP No. 2) vs. Utah (CFP No. 3)

     

    New Year’s 6 bowls

    Rose BowlJan. 1 (Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
    Projection: Ohio State vs. Washington State

    Sugar BowlJan. 1 (Big 12 vs. SEC)
    Projection: Oklahoma vs. LSU

    Orange BowlJan. 1 (ACC vs. SEC/Big Ten/Notre Dame)
    Projection: Virginia vs. Notre Dame

    Cotton BowlDec. 28 (at-large vs. Group of 5*)
    Projection: Auburn vs. Memphis*

     

    Other Bowls

    Citrus Bowl(Big Ten vs. SEC)
    Projection: Wisconsin vs. Texas A&M

    Outback Bowl(Big Ten vs. SEC)
    Projection: Penn State vs. Florida

    Gator Bowl(Big Ten/ACC vs. SEC)
    Projection: Nebraska vs. South Carolina

    Holiday Bowl(Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
    Projection: Michigan vs. Cal

    Liberty Bowl(Big 12 vs. SEC)
    Projection: Kansas State vs. Boston College**

    Redbox Bowl (Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
    Projection: Iowa vs. Washington

    Sun Bowl(ACC vs. Pac-12)
    Projection: Duke vs. Arizona State

    Military Bowl (ACC vs. American)
    Projection: Syracuse vs. Navy

    Arizona Bowl(Mountain West vs. Sun Belt)
    Projection: Wyoming vs. UL-Monroe

    Belk Bowl(ACC vs. SEC)
    Projection: Miami vs. Mississippi State

    Alamo Bowl(Big 12 vs. Pac-12)
    Projection: Texas vs. Oregon

    Camping World Bowl (ACC vs. Big 12)
    Projection: Wake Forest vs. Oklahoma State

    Music City Bowl (ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC)
    Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Texas Tech

    Texas Bowl (Big 12 vs. SEC)
    Projection: TCU vs. Kentucky

    Pinstripe Bowl(ACC vs. Big Ten)
    Projection: North Carolina vs. Michigan State

    Independence Bowl(ACC vs. SEC)
    Projection: NC State vs. North Texas**

    Cheez-It Bowl (Big 12 vs. Pac-12)
    Projection: Iowa State vs. Arizona

    Quick Lane Bowl(ACC vs. Big Ten)
    Projection: Pitt vs. Northwestern

    First Responder Bowl(Big 12 vs. C-USA)
    Projection: Baylor vs. Marshall

    Hawaii Bowl(AAC vs. BYU)
    Projection: SMU vs. BYU

    Dollar General Bowl (MAC vs. Sun Belt)
    Projection: Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia State

    Armed Forces Bowl(Big Ten vs. Mountain West)
    Projection: Maryland vs. Air Force

    Birmingham Bowl(American vs. SEC)
    Projection: UCF vs. Minnesota**

    Idaho Potato Bowl(MAC vs. Mountain West)
    Projection: Toledo vs. San Diego State

    Bahamas Bowl (C-USA vs. MAC)
    Projection: Charlotte vs. Northern Illinois

    Gasparilla Bowl(American vs. C-USA)
    Projection: Cincinnati vs. Southern Miss

    Frisco Bowl(American vs. Open)
    Projection: Tulane vs. Army

    Boca Raton Bowl(American vs. MAC)
    Projection: Houston vs. Ohio

    New Orleans Bowl(C-USA vs. Sun Belt)
    Projection: Louisiana Tech vs. Appalachian State

    Camellia Bowl (MAC vs. Sun Belt)
    Projection: Western Michigan vs. Louisiana

    Las Vegas Bowl (Mountain West vs. Pac-12)
    Projection: Boise State vs. USC

    Cure Bowl(American vs. Sun Belt)
    Projection: Temple vs. Coastal Carolina

    New Mexico Bowl (C-USA vs. Mountain West)
    Projection: UAB vs. Hawaii


    *-The highest-rated champion from the Group of Five conferences (American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt) will be selected to play in the Cotton Bowl.

    **-Replaces team from league that can’t fill bowl.

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