Brett McMurphy’s College Football Bowl Projections After Week 3

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.