Preseason College Football Bowl Projections – 2016
Preseason college football bowl projections for 2016, including the New Year's Six, College Football Playoff and national championship game. A fresh
Preseason college football bowl projections for 2016, including the New Year’s Six, College Football Playoff and national championship game.
So with the new season near, it’s time to take a look at how the 2016-17 bowl season could shake out.
Below are the college football bowl projections of where I have your favorite program landing at the end of the year. Of course, these bowl projections are subject to change and will start to look a little different as the season progresses and we see the true makeup of these teams. But, as of now, this is how the 40-bowl (plus the national title game) postseason slate could look as we enter the third year of the College Football Playoff.
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: East Carolina (AAC) vs. Troy (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. Utah (Pac-12)
Camellia Bowl
Date: Dec. 17
Location: Montgomery, Alabama
Tie-ins: MAC/Sun Belt
Camellia Bowl Projection: NIU (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. Nevada (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. Marshall (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: Ohio (MAC) vs. Air Force (MW)
Bahamas Bowl
Date: Dec. 23
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Tie-ins: AAC/MAC
Bahamas Bowl Projection: UConn (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: Washington State* (Pac-12) vs. Navy
Dollar General Bowl
Date: Dec. 23
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Tie-ins: MAC/Sun Belt
Dollar General Bowl Projection: Western Michigan (MAC) vs. Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
Hawaii Bowl
Date: Dec. 24
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Tie-ins: Conference USA/Mountain West
Hawaii Bowl Projection: Middle Tennessee (C-USA) vs. Utah State (MW)
Quick Lane Bowl
Date: Dec. 26
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten
Quick Lane Bowl Projection: Boston College (ACC) vs. Indiana (Big Ten)
St. Petersburg Bowl
Date: Dec. 26
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC/AAC
St. Petersburg Bowl Projection: Georgia Tech (ACC) vs. Temple (AAC)
Independence Bowl
Date: Dec. 26
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana
Tie-ins: ACC/SEC
Independence Bowl Projection: Duke (ACC) vs. Mississippi State (SEC)
Military Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Tie-ins: ACC/AAC
Military Bowl Projection: NC State (ACC) vs. Cincinnati (AAC)
Holiday Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: San Diego, California
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Pac-12
Holiday Bowl Projection: Michigan State (Big Ten) vs. Washington (Pac-12)
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: Dallas, Texas
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Conference USA
Heart of Dallas Bowl Projection: Minnesota (Big Ten) vs. Southern Miss (C-USA)
Cactus Bowl
Date: Dec. 27
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Tie-ins: Big 12/Pac-12
Cactus Bowl Projection: Texas (Big 12) vs. Arizona (Pac-12)
Texas Bowl
Date: Dec. 28
Location: Houston, Texas
Tie-ins: Big 12/SEC
Texas Bowl Projection: Baylor (Big 12) vs. Arkansas (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: Pitt (ACC) vs. Northwestern (Big Ten)
Foster Farms Bowl
Date: Dec. 28
Location: Santa Clara, California
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Pac-12
Foster Farms Bowl Projection: Wisconsin (Big Ten) vs. UCLA (Pac-12)
Birmingham Bowl
Date: Dec. 29
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Tie-ins: AAC/SEC
Birmingham Bowl Projection: USF (AAC) vs. Kentucky (SEC)
Belk Bowl
Date: Dec. 29
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Tie-ins: ACC/SEC
Belk Bowl Projection: North Carolina (ACC) vs. Auburn (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. Georgia State (Sun Belt)
Sun Bowl
Date: Dec. 30
Location: El Paso, Texas
Tie-ins: ACC/Pac-12
Sun Bowl Projection: Virginia Tech (ACC) vs. Oregon (Pac-12)
Liberty Bowl
Date: Dec. 30
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Tie-ins: Big 12/SEC
Liberty Bowl Projection: Texas Tech (Big 12) vs. Vanderbilt (SEC)
Music City Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Music City Bowl Projection: Penn State (Big Ten) vs. Texas A&M (SEC)
TaxSlayer Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
TaxSlayer Bowl Projection: Louisville (ACC) vs. Tennessee (SEC)
Citrus Bowl
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Orlando, Florida
Tie-ins: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Citrus Bowl Projection: Iowa (Big Ten) vs. Ole Miss (SEC)
Outback Bowl
Date: Jan. 2
Location: Tampa, Florida
Tie-ins: Big Ten/SEC
Outback Bowl Projection: Nebraska (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: Clemson (ACC) vs. Notre Dame
Rose Bowl
Date: Jan. 2
Location: Pasadena, California
Tie-ins: Big Ten/Pac-12
Rose Bowl Projection: Michigan (Big Ten) vs. Stanford (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: Georgia (SEC) vs. Houston (AAC)
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 Florida State vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Despite Deshaun Watson returning for Clemson, the Seminoles will reclaim the throne atop the ACC. Dalvin Cook is going to run wild and will get the trip to New York he deserved last season.
Ohio State lost a ton of talent, but Urban Meyer has reloaded in a big way. With all the offseason love going to the Michigan Wolverines, it’ll be the Buckeyes who steal the spotlight yet again.
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 TCU
Sure, Alabama has a ton of questions entering the season after losing a lot of talent, just like Ohio State. But the one question they don’t have is at the sport’s most important position – head coach. Nick Saban will continue to roll the machine that is Crimson Tide football down the road to another College Football Playoff appearance.
This is the year that Gary Patterson finally breaks through. Oklahoma is viewed by many as the team to beat entering the season, but don’t sleep on the Horned Frogs.
College Football National Championship Game
Date: Jan. 9
Location: Tampa, FL
Tie-ins: Semifinal winners
Championship Game Projection: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Florida State
