College Football Bowl Projections – Week 12

    College football bowl projections for Week 12 of the 2016 season. Chaos reigned throughout Saturday, although how shaken up did the postseason really get?


    College football bowl projections for Week 12 of the 2016 season. Chaos reigned throughout Saturday, although how shaken up did the postseason really get?


    That was some Saturday of college football.

    The College Football Playoff picture received a big dose of chaos, as Clemson, Michigan and Washington all fell in Week 11, proving once again that projecting anything in this sport is a very trying endeavor.

    However, even with the losses by the top teams, the CFP may not look entirely different when the new rankings are released on Tuesday night because the Tigers, Wolverines and Huskies all have a solid body of work with chances to win their conferences and end up atop the final rankings when they are released on the first Sunday of December.

    So, for now, my CFP bowl projections have not changed. While U-Dub has a lot of work to do, do not discount a potential 12-1 Pac-12 champion in the semifinals.

    Where does your favorite team slot in this week?

    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: Boise State (MW) vs. Arizona State (Pac-12)

    Camellia Bowl

    Date: Dec. 17
    Location: Montgomery, Alabama
    Tie-ins: MAC/Sun Belt
    Camellia Bowl Projection: Eastern Michigan (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. Louisiana-Lafayette (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: Akron (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. UNLV (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. UTSA* (Conference USA)

    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: Colorado State* (MW) 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: New Mexico (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. Auburn (SEC)

    Citrus Bowl

    Date: Dec. 31
    Location: Orlando, Florida
    Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
    Citrus Bowl Projection: Nebraska (Big Ten) vs. Texas A&M (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. LSU (SEC)

    Cotton Bowl

    Date: Jan. 2
    Location: Arlington, Texas
    Tie-ins: At-Large/At-Large
    Cotton Bowl Projection: Tennessee (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

    Entering this week’s game in Iowa City, Iowa hadn’t beaten an AP Top 25 team since 1985, when the top-ranked Hawkeyes slipped by No. 2 Michigan. The starting quarterback for Michigan in that game was Jim Harbaugh, whose team suffered its first loss of the year against Kirk Ferentz’s bunch on Saturday evening. Michigan is still a very strong candidate to make the CFP by taking care of business the rest of the way, though.

    Meanwhile, the Tigers had played with fire all year long, and it finally caught up with them in a loss to Pitt. Dabo Swinney’s squad had been able to get away with turnovers and mistakes throughout the year, but the Panthers were able to take advantage of them and steal a win at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. If Clemson wins the ACC title, though, expect the Tigers to get back to the CFP.

    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

    With a 51-3 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, Nick Saban joined Ohio State’s Woody Hayes and Florida State’s Bobby Bowden in a tie for the most victories with a top-ranked team by any head coach. He’s 40-5, matching Bowden, while Hayes went 40-4-1 with No. 1 squads. Expect that number to rise, because the Crimson Tide are not going anywhere.

    Meanwhile, Chris Petersen’s Huskies suffered their first loss of the year, a home setback to a red-hot USC team that is playing some of the best football in the country. The Huskies can still win a Pac-12 title, but how will the CFP selection committee view a one-loss Pac-12 champ? It should view U-Dub highly despite the loss to the Trojans.

    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

    MORE: Projected AP Top 25 Rankings – Week 12

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