Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Week 12

2021 College Football News bowl projections, predictions and possible matchups for the College Football Playoff: Week 12


CFN 1-130 Rankings | Week 12 scoreboard
Week 13 opening lines | AP | Coaches
College Football Playoff Top 25 Prediction
Big Game Reaction: Utah, OSU, OU, Bama
Bowl Bubble: Who still has a shot?

Bowl Projections: Week 12

Okay, now this gets really, really funky – there probably won’t be enough bowl eligible teams.

As we said last week, this goes off of the Academic Progress Rate, and the latest edition came out last year. So with that in mind – everyone thinks the 2020 list is the right on – here are the potential teams that could be bowl eligible based on their APR if they finish 5-7. In order, it goes …

– Middle Tennessee – if it doesn’t beat Florida Atlantic
– Rutgers (So, if you’re a fan of one of the teams below this, root for Rutgers to beat Maryland this weekend.)
– Cal – if it wins once against UCLA and/or USC
– Texas – if it beats Kansas State
– Florida – if it doesn’t beat Florida State
– Illinois – if it beats Northwestern

Key Bubble Teams Projected In & Out
Need 6 wins to be bowl eligible

Projected In
– Charlotte vs Old Dominion winner
– Florida State at Florida winner
– Maryland at Rutgers winner

Projected Out
– Charlotte at Old Dominion loser
– Florida State at Florida loser
– LSU (5-6: Texas A&M)
– Maryland at Rutgers loser
– San Jose State (5-6: Fresno State)
– South Alabama (5-6: Coastal Carolina)
– USC (4-6: BYU, at Cal)
– Virginia Tech (5-6: at Virginia)

All times Eastern

Bahamas Bowl

Friday, December 17
ESPN, 12:00 pm
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
Bowl Tie-Ins: Conference USA vs. MAC
Bowl Projection: Old Dominion vs Toledo
Last Year: Canceled

Cure Bowl

Friday, December 17
ESPN2, 6:00 pm
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: Group of Five vs. Group of Five (or Army)
Bowl Projection: Memphis vs UAB
Last Year: Liberty 37, Coastal Carolina 34

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl

Saturday, December 18
ESPN, 11:00 am
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: Group of Five vs. Group of Five (or Army)
Bowl Projection: Florida Atlantic vs Appalachian State
Last Year: BYU 49, UCF 23

Cricket Celebration Bowl

Saturday, December 18
ABC, 12:00 pm
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Bowl Tie-Ins: MEAC vs. SWAC
Bowl Projection: South Carolina State vs Jackson State
Last Year: Canceled

New Mexico Bowl

Saturday, December 18
ESPN, 2:15 pm
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Bowl Tie-Ins: C-USA vs. Mountain West
Bowl Projection: WKU vs Nevada
Last Year: Hawaii 28, Houston 14

CFN Rankings of All 130 Teams

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

Saturday, December 18
ABC, 3:30 pm
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Bowl Tie-Ins: C-USA vs. BYU
Bowl Projection: UTSA vs BYU
Last Year: Canceled

LendingTree Bowl

Saturday, December 18
ESPN, 5:45 pm
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Western Michigan vs Liberty*
*No Sun Belt team projected available
Last Year: Georgia State 39, WKU 21

Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl

Saturday, December 18
ABC, 7:30 pm
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Bowl Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: San Diego State vs Oregon State
Last Year: Canceled

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Saturday, December 18
ESPN, 9:15 pm
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Bowl Tie-Ins: C-USA vs. Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Marshall vs Louisiana
Last Year: Georgia Southern 38, Louisiana Tech 3

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Monday, December 20
ESPN, 2:30 pm
Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
Bowl Tie-Ins: Sun Belt vs. AAC or MAC or Group of 5
Bowl Projection: Coastal Carolina vs Kent State
Last Year: Appalachian State 56, North Texas 28

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Tuesday, December 21
ESPN, 3:30 pm
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Mountain West
Bowl Projection: Eastern Michigan vs Boise State
Last Year: Nevada 38, Tulane 27

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

Tuesday, December 21
ESPN, 7:30 pm
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Group of Five vs. Group of Five (or Army)
Bowl Projection: UTEP vs Utah State
Last Year: Canceled

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Wednesday, December 22
ESPN, 7:30 pm
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 or C-USA or Pac-12 or Army
Bowl Projection: Middle Tennessee vs Air Force
Last Year: Mississippi State 28, Tulsa 26

Union Home Mortgage Bowl

Thursday, December 23
ESPN, 7:00 pm
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or ACC or Pac-12 or SEC
Bowl Projection: Cal vs Florida
Last Year: Canceled

EasyPost Hawaii Bowl

Friday, December 24
ESPN, 8:00 pm
Clarence TC Ching Complex, Honolulu, HI
Bowl Tie-Ins: American Athletic vs. Mountain West
Bowl Projection: SMU vs Wyoming
Last Year: Canceled

Camellia Bowl

Saturday, December 25
ESPN, 2:30 pm
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Sun Belt (or C-USA)
Bowl Projection: Ball State vs Georgia State
Last Year: Memphis 25, Florida Atlantic 10

NEXT: More Bowl Projections: Week 12

Bowl Projections: Week 12

Quick Lane Bowl

Monday, December 27
ESPN, 11:00 am
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. MAC
Bowl Projection: Rutgers vs Central Michigan
Last Year: Canceled

Military Bowl presented by Peraton

Monday, December 27
ESPN, 2:30 pm
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
Bowl Tie-Ins: American vs. ACC
Bowl Projection: East Carolina vs Louisville
Last Year: Canceled

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

Tuesday, December 28
ESPN, 12:00 pm
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Bowl Tie-Ins: American Athletic vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: UCF vs Missouri
Last Year: Canceled

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

Tuesday, December 28
ESPN, 3:15 pm
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC or ACC or Big 12 or Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Miami University vs Army
Last Year: Louisiana 31, UTSA 24

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Tuesday, December 28
ESPN, 6:45 pm
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: West Virginia vs Auburn
Last Year: West Virginia 24, Army 21

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Tuesday, December 28
FOX, 8:00 pm
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: NC State vs Arizona State
Last Year: Canceled

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Tuesday, December 28
FOX, 10:15 pm
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Big 12 (or Mountain West)
Bowl Projection: Maryland vs Texas Tech
Last Year: Canceled

Wasabi Fenway Bowl

Wednesday, December 29
ESPN, 11:00 am
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Bowl Tie-Ins: AAC vs. ACC (or C-USA)
Bowl Projection: Houston vs Boston College

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Wednesday, December 29
ESPN, 2:15 pm
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big Ten
Bowl Projection: Virginia vs Penn State
Last Year: Canceled

Cheez-It Bowl

Wednesday, December 29
ESPN, 5:45 pm
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big 12
Bowl Projection: Clemson vs Kansas State
Last Year: Oklahoma State 37, Miami 34

Valero Alamo Bowl

Wednesday, December 29
ESPN, 9:15 pm
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Oklahoma vs Utah
Last Year: Texas 55, Colorado 23

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Thursday, December 30
ESPN, 11:30 am
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: North Carolina vs South Carolina
Last Year: Wisconsin 42, Wake Forest 28

TransPerfect Music City Bowl

Thursday, December 30
ESPN, 3:00 pm
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Minnesota vs Tennessee
Last Year: Canceled

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl

Thursday, December 30
ESPN, 10:30 pm
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Purdue vs UCLA
Last Year: Canceled

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Friday, December 31
ESPN, 11:00 am
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Wake Forest vs Mississippi State
Last Year: Kentucky 23, NC State 21

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Friday, December 31
CBS, 12:30 pm
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Miami vs Washington State
Last Year: Canceled

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl

Friday, December 31
Barstool Sports, 2:00 pm
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Bowl Tie-Ins: MAC vs. Mountain West
Bowl Projection: Northern Illinois vs Fresno State
Last Year: Ball State 34, San Jose State 13

Outback Bowl

Saturday, January 1
ESPN2, 12:00 pm
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Iowa vs Kentucky
Last Year: Ole Miss 26, Indiana 20

Vrbo Citrus Bowl

Saturday, January 1
ABC, 1:00 pm
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Wisconsin vs Texas A&M
Last Year: Northwestern 35, Auburn 19

Mercari Texas Bowl

Tuesday, January 4
ESPN, Time TBA
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Iowa State vs Arkansas
Last Year: Canceled

NEXT: New Year’s Six Bowl Projections, Week 12

New Year’s Six Bowl Projections: Week 12

The College Football Playoff committee wants to create the best matchups possible. Geography will matter a wee bit, but it’s all about creating the best matchups possible.

All Power Five conferences get a team into either the New Year’s Six or the College Football Playoff. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC all get a top team into one of the big games, and the top-ranked Group of Five champion is in, too.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Thursday, December 30
ESPN, 7:00 pm
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Bowl Tie-Ins: At-Large vs. At-Large
Bowl Projection: Ole Miss vs Pitt
Last Year: Georgia 24, Cincinnati 21

The winner of the ACC Championship will be here – don’t be shocked it we’re getting Clemson vs Notre Dame. The Irish could be here no matter what, but the best guess will be that the Atlanta bowl will get the highest-ranked SEC team possible. Besides, Matt Corral vs Kenny Pickett – it would be the most fun bowl o the season.

Playstation Fiesta Bowl

Saturday, January 1
ESPN, 1:00 pm
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Bowl Tie-Ins: At-Large vs. At-Large
Bowl Projection: Michigan State vs Notre Dame
Last Year: Iowa State 34, Oregon 17

The Irish will be really, really close to getting into the College Football Playoff, but will come up just short. Again, they could be in the Peach, but the idea of Michigan State vs Notre Dame would be cool. This only happens if the Spartans beat Penn State.

Rose Bowl Game

Saturday, January 1
ESPN, 5:00 pm
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Michigan vs Oregon
Last Year: Alabama 31, Notre Dame 14

There are several ways Michigan doesn’t go to the Rose Bowl – most involve the Big Ten West winning the Big Ten championship – but as long as the date with Ohio State isn’t a total wipeout, Jim Harbaugh should be in Pasadena.

It’s very, very possible a dinged up Oregon loses to Oregon State, but we know how the narrative goes. Oregon loses November road game, Oregon gets to Pac-12 Championship, Oregon wins Pac-12 Championship, Oregon beats random Big Ten team in Rose Bowl.

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Saturday, January 1
ESPN, 8:45 pm
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Baylor vs Alabama
Last Year: Ohio State 49, Clemson 28

Nah, a two-loss Alabama isn’t getting in … maybe. It’s almost certainly here with a loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship. Baylor is the more interesting case.

A Big 12 team has to be here. The call is that Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma this weekend, Baylor takes care of Texas Tech, and it’s Cowboys – Bears for the Big 12 title. The committee will still rank Baylor over OU for the head-to-head win.

NEXT: 2021-2022 College Football Playoff Projections

2021-2022 College Football Playoff Projections

Capital One Orange Bowl

Friday, December 31
ESPN, Time TBA
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: CFP vs. CFP
Bowl Projection: Georgia vs Cincinnati
Last Year: Texas A&M 41, North Carolina 27

No reason to change the call now.

Utah did its part to knock out Oregon, Ohio State did its part to knock out Michigan State, and the only barrier standing in the way of Cincinnati should be Alabama – and sneaky-tough dates against East Carolina and Houston. Those two remaining games for the Bearcats aren’t givens if they go back to the underwhelming performances before the SMU wipeout.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Friday, December 31
ESPN, Time TBA
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: CFP vs. CFP
Bowl Projection: Oklahoma State vs Ohio State
Last Year: Oklahoma 55, Florida 20

The only thing now that can screw this up for the Big Ten would be the West champ taking the conference title. Assume the Michigan-Ohio State winner gets by – most likely – Wisconsin.

Oklahoma State is the more interesting call. It’s a belief that this amazing defense is for real.

Don’t get caught up on whatever the latest rankings are. A 12-1 Big 12 Champion will not only get in – most likely – but it would probably get the 3 seed with Cincinnati being 4 thanks to its awful schedule. This goes for a 12-1 Oklahoma if it wins twice, by the way.

College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T

Monday, January 10
ESPN, 8:00 pm
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Bowl Tie-Ins: CFP vs. CFP
Bowl Projection: Ohio State vs Georgia
Last Year: Alabama 52, Ohio State 24

CFN 1-130 Rankings | Week 12 scoreboard
Week 13 opening lines | AP | Coaches
College Football Playoff Top 25 Prediction
Big Game Reaction: Utah, OSU, OU, Bama
Bowl Bubble: Who still has a shot?