Bowl Projections: The SEC may not get two in the CFP but should get three in big bowl games
The SEC should be well represented in the New Year’s Six Bowl games after the 2018 season.
With Georgia at No. 5 and LSU at No. 7 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, the conference is positioned to get three teams into the six games. That would be the most of any conference by our first bowl projections of the season.
Based on this week’s top four in the rankings, No. 1 Alabama would meet No. 4 Michigan in the Cotton Bowl while No. 2 Clemson would face No. 3 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl in the other playoff semifinal.
Georgia, assuming a loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game, could head to the Sugar Bowl to play Big 12 champion Oklahoma but we think the Bulldogs will stay home and play in Atlanta. That leaves LSU to play in its backyard against the Sooners. Our full bowl projections are below.
BOWL PROJECTIONS
New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 15)
Florida Atlantic vs. Utah State
Cure Bowl (Dec. 15)
Tulane vs. Arkansas State
Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 15)
Fresno State vs. USC
Camellia Bowl (Dec. 15)
Northern Illinois vs. Appalachian State
New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 15)
Louisiana Tech vs. Troy
Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 18)
Memphis vs. Florida International
Frisco Bowl (Dec. 19)
Houston vs. Eastern Michigan
Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 20)
South Florida vs. Wake Forest
Bahamas Bowl (Dec. 21)
Marshall vs. Buffalo
Potato Bowl (Dec. 21)
Western Michigan vs. Boise State
Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 22)
Army vs. Cincinnati
Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 22)
SMU vs. Utah
Dollar General Bowl (Dec. 22)
Ohio vs. Georgia Southern
Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 22)
UAB vs. Hawaii
First Responder Bowl (Dec. 26)
North Texas vs. TCU
Quick Lane Bowl (Dec. 26)
Miami vs. Purdue
Cheez-It Bowl (Dec. 26)
Baylor vs. Arizona State
Independence Bowl (Dec. 27)
Georgia Tech vs. Middle Tennessee State
Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 27)
Pitt vs. Northwestern
Texas Bowl (Dec. 27)
Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M
Music City Bowl (Dec. 28)
Iowa vs. Mississippi State
Camping World Bowl (Dec. 28)
Boston College vs. Texas Tech
Arizona Bowl (Dec. 28)
San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Alamo Bowl (Dec. 28)
Texas vs. Washington
Belk Bowl (Dec. 29)
Duke vs. Auburn
RedBox Bowl (Dec. 31)
Maryland vs. Cal
Military Bowl (Dec. 31)
Temple vs. Virginia Tech
Liberty Bowl (Dec. 31)
Missouri vs. Iowa State
Holiday Bowl (Dec. 31)
Penn State vs. Stanford
Gator Bowl (Dec. 31)
Syracuse vs. South Carolina
Sun Bowl (Dec. 31)
Virginia vs. Oregon
Outback Bowl (Jan. 1)
Michigan State vs. Florida
Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1)
Wisconsin vs. Kentucky
NEW YEAR’S SIX
Peach Bowl (Dec. 29)
UCF vs. Georgia
Orange Bowl (Dec. 29) [CFP semifinal]
Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Cotton Bowl (Dec. 29) [CFP semifinal]
Alabama vs. Michigan
Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1)
NC State vs. West Virginia
Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)
Washington State vs. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1)
Oklahoma vs. LSU
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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