College football bowl projections for Week 11 of the 2016 season. Alabama went into Death Valley and defeated LSU, proving once again that it is the best team in America.
Alabama passed another test on Saturday night, and Nick Saban’s squad remains the team to beat as we head closer to the third College Football Playoff.
Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts had a 21-yard touchdown run to break a scoreless tie early in the fourth quarter, and the defense clamped down once again on star running back Leonard Fournette in the Tide’s 10-0 win at LSU. So Nick Saban’s squad remains on path to be the No. 1 team when the final CFP standings are released.
However, Auburn should provide the Crimson Tide with another test when the teams finish up the regular season in the Iron Bowl. The Tigers survived a home scare against Vanderbilt without their starting quarterback for the first half, but Gus Malzahn’s squad remains hot and a threat in the race for one of the four CFP spots at the end of the year.
One new team making these bowl projections this week is Idaho, which went on the road and won a key Sun Belt matchup over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday night. Matt Linehan was 20 of 30 through the air for 227 yards, and the Vandals are now slated to play Colorado State in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl.
Where does your favorite team check in this week in the latest bowl projections?
Note: An asterisk (*) denotes that the respective league did not have enough teams eligible to fill its bowl slot, thus it went to a team from a different league.
Bowl Projections
Cure Bowl
Date: Dec. 17
Location: Orlando, Florida
Tie-ins: AAC/Sun Belt
Cure Bowl Projection: UCF (AAC) vs. Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
Las Vegas Bowl
Date: Dec. 17
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Tie-ins: Mountain West/Pac-12
Las Vegas Bowl Projection: Hawaii (MW) vs. Arizona State (Pac-12)
Camellia Bowl
Date: Dec. 17
Location: Montgomery, Alabama
Tie-ins: MAC/Sun Belt
Camellia Bowl Projection: Akron (MAC) vs. Appalachian State (Sun Belt)
New Mexico Bowl
Date: Dec. 17
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Tie-ins: Conference USA/Mountain West
New Mexico Bowl Projection: Western Kentucky (C-USA) vs. Wyoming (MW)
New Orleans Bowl
Date: Dec. 17
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Tie-ins: Conference USA/Sun Belt
New Orleans Bowl Projection: Louisiana Tech (C-USA) vs. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt)
Miami Beach Bowl
Date: Dec. 19
Location: Miami, Florida
Tie-ins: AAC/MAC
Miami Beach Bowl Projection: Memphis (AAC) vs. Central Michigan (MAC)
Boca Raton Bowl
Date: Dec. 20
Location: Boca Raton, Florida
Tie-ins: AAC/Conference USA
Boca Raton Bowl Projection: Tulsa (AAC) vs. Old Dominion (C-USA)
Poinsettia Bowl
Date: Dec. 21
Location: San Diego, California
Tie-ins: MAC/Mountain West/BYU (BYU tied to bowl if not in CFP)
Poinsettia Bowl Projection: BYU vs. San Diego State (MW)
Idaho Potato Bowl
Date: Dec. 22
Location: Boise, Idaho
Tie-ins: MAC/Mountain West
Idaho Potato Bowl Projection: Eastern Michigan (MAC) vs. Air Force (MW)
Bahamas Bowl
Date: Dec. 23
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Tie-ins: AAC/MAC
Bahamas Bowl Projection: USF (AAC) vs. Toledo (MAC)
Armed Forces Bowl
Date: Dec. 23
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Tie-ins: AAC/Big 12/Navy (automatically takes spot if eligible)
Armed Forces Bowl Projection: Kansas State (Big 12) vs. Navy
Dollar General Bowl
Date: Dec. 23
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Tie-ins: MAC/Sun Belt
Dollar General Bowl Projection: Ohio (MAC) vs. Troy (Sun Belt)
Hawaii Bowl
Date: Dec. 24
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Tie-ins: Conference USA/Mountain West
Hawaii Bowl Projection: Middle Tennessee (C-USA) vs. New Mexico (MW)
Quick Lane Bowl
Date: Dec. 26
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten
Quick Lane Bowl Projection: Georgia Tech (ACC) vs. Indiana (Big Ten)
St. Petersburg Bowl
Date: Dec. 26
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC/AAC
St. Petersburg Bowl Projection: Army* (Independent) vs. SMU (AAC)
Independence Bowl
Date: Dec. 26
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana
Tie-ins: ACC/SEC
Independence Bowl Projection: Wake Forest (ACC) vs. Boise State* (MW)
Military Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Tie-ins: ACC/AAC
Military Bowl Projection: Pittsburgh (ACC) vs. Temple (AAC)
Holiday Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: San Diego, California
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Pac-12
Holiday Bowl Projection: Northwestern (Big Ten) vs. Washington State (Pac-12)
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: Dallas, Texas
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Conference USA
Heart of Dallas Bowl Projection: Syracuse* (ACC) vs. Southern Miss (C-USA)
Cactus Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Tie-ins: Big 12/Pac-12
Cactus Bowl Projection: TCU (Big 12) vs. Cal (Pac-12)
Texas Bowl
Date: Dec. 28
Location: Houston, Texas
Tie-ins: Big 12/SEC
Texas Bowl Projection: Baylor (Big 12) vs. Ole Miss (SEC)
Russell Athletic Bowl
Date: Dec. 28
Location: Orlando, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC/Big 12
Russell Athletic Bowl Projection: Miami (ACC) vs. West Virginia (Big 12)
Pinstripe Bowl
Date: Dec. 28
Location: New York, New York
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten
Pinstripe Bowl Projection: NC State (ACC) vs. Maryland (Big Ten)
Foster Farms Bowl
Date: Dec. 28
Location: Santa Clara, California
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Pac-12
Foster Farms Bowl Projection: Minnesota (Big Ten) vs. Colorado (Pac-12)
Birmingham Bowl
Date: Dec. 29
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Tie-ins: AAC/SEC
Birmingham Bowl Projection: Houston (AAC) vs. South Carolina (SEC)
Belk Bowl
Date: Dec. 29
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Tie-ins: ACC/SEC
Belk Bowl Projection: Virginia Tech (ACC) vs. Arkansas (SEC)
Alamo Bowl
Date: Dec. 29
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Tie-ins: Big 12/Pac-12
Alamo Bowl Projection: Oklahoma State (Big 12) vs. USC (Pac-12)
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Date: Dec. 30
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Tie-ins: Mountain West/Sun Belt
Arizona Bowl Projection: Colorado State (MW) vs. Idaho (Sun Belt)
Sun Bowl
Date: Dec. 30
Location: El Paso, Texas
Tie-ins: ACC/Pac-12
Sun Bowl Projection: North Carolina (ACC) vs. Stanford (Pac-12)
Liberty Bowl
Date: Dec. 30
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Tie-ins: Big 12/SEC
Liberty Bowl Projection: Texas (Big 12) vs. Kentucky (SEC)
Music City Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Music City Bowl Projection: Iowa (Big Ten) vs. Georgia (SEC)
TaxSlayer Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
TaxSlayer Bowl Projection: Florida State (ACC) vs. LSU (SEC)
Citrus Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Orlando, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Citrus Bowl Projection: Nebraska (Big Ten) vs. Tennessee (SEC)
Outback Bowl
Date: Jan. 2
Location: Tampa, Florida
Tie-ins: Big Ten/SEC
Outback Bowl Projection: Penn State (Big Ten) vs. Florida (SEC)
New Year’s Six Bowl Projections
Orange Bowl
Date: Dec. 30
Location: Miami, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC vs. Big Ten/SEC/Notre Dame
Orange Bowl Projection: Louisville (ACC) vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Rose Bowl
Date: Jan. 2
Location: Pasadena, California
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Pac-12
Rose Bowl Projection: Ohio State (Big Ten) vs. Utah (Pac-12)
Sugar Bowl
Date: Jan. 2
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Tie-ins: Big 12/SEC
Sugar Bowl Projection: Oklahoma (Big 12) vs. Texas A&M (SEC)
Cotton Bowl
Date: Jan. 2
Location: Arlington, Texas
Tie-ins: At-Large/At-Large
Cotton Bowl Projection: Auburn (SEC) vs. Western Michigan (MAC)
College Football Playoff Projections
Semifinal No. 1 – Fiesta Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Tie-ins: CFP No. 2/CFP No. 3
Fiesta Bowl Projection: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Clemson
Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines were able to get receiver Jehu Chesson more involved in the offense, as he matched a season high with five receptions and had a season-high 112 yards receiving, in an easy win over Maryland.
The Tigers held Syracuse to 277 yards of offense, including just 172 yards through the air, in a shutout win over the Orange.
Semifinal No. 2 – Peach Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Tie-ins: CFP No. 1/CFP No. 4
Peach Bowl Projection: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Washington
Despite a strong effort from LSU, Nick Saban’s squad remained unbeaten because of stifling defense.
Jake Browning threw for 378 yards and six touchdowns to set Washington’s single-season record for touchdown passes in a 66-27 win over Cal.
College Football National Championship Game
Date: Jan. 9
Location: Tampa, FL
Tie-ins: Semifinal winners
Championship Game Projection: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Clemson