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