2017 Bowl Projections: How the Full 40-Game Schedule Took Shape
One final Saturday. That was all that was left until college football’s one-of-a-kind postseason is set, with unique bowl games around the nation leading up to the fourth edition of the College Football Playoff. Oklahoma, Clemson, Miami, Auburn, Georgia and Wisconsin entered their conference title games knowing they should make the final four with a win, while Ohio State harbored hopes it could still cause havoc and Alabama watched it all nervously from a distance.
Below, you’ll find our Sunday morning projections for all 39 bowl games leading up to the College Football Playoff national championship in Atlanta on Jan. 8, along with the finalized matchups (in bold). Three teams—UTSA, Buffalo and Western Michigan—reached the six-win threshold but were not selected for a bowl game.
2017 Bowl Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 16
R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, New Orleans (1 p.m., ESPN)
Sun Belt vs. C-USA
Prediction: Troy vs. Southern Mississippi
Matchup: Troy vs. North Texas
AutoNation Cure Bowl, Orlando, Fla. (2:30 p.m., CBSSN)
AAC vs. Sun Belt
Prediction: Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia State
Matchup: Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State
Las Vegas Bowl, Las Vegas (3:30 p.m., ABC)
MWC vs. Pac-12
Prediction: Boise State vs. Arizona
Matchup: Boise State vs. Oregon
Gildan New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque (4:30 p.m., ESPN)
C-USA vs. MWC
Prediction: UTSA vs. Utah State
Matchup: Marshall vs. Colorado State
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, Montgomery, Ala. (8 p.m., ESPN)
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Prediction: Akron vs. Arkansas State
Matchup: Middle Tennessee vs. Arkansas State
Tuesday, Dec. 19
Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, Fla. (7 p.m., ESPN)
AAC vs. C-USA
Prediction: SMU vs. Florida Atlantic
Matchup: Akron vs. Florida Atlantic
Wednesday, Dec. 20
Frisco Bowl, Frisco, Texas (8 p.m., ESPN)
AAC vs. C-USA/MAC/MWC/BYU
Prediction: Houston vs. San Diego State
Matchup: SMU vs. Louisiana Tech
Thursday, Dec. 21
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, St. Petersburg, Fla. (8 p.m., ESPN)
C-USA vs. AAC
Prediction: Marshall vs. Temple
Matchup: Florida International vs. Temple
Friday, Dec. 22
Bahamas Bowl, Nassau, Bahamas (12:30 p.m., ESPN)
C-USA vs. MAC
Matchup: UAB vs. Ohio
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise (4 p.m., ESPN)
MAC vs. MWC
Prediction: Northern Illinois vs. Colorado State
Matchup: Central Michigan vs. Wyoming
Saturday, Dec. 23
Birmingham Bowl, Birmingham, Ala. (12 p.m., ESPN)
AAC vs. SEC
Prediction: Memphis vs. Duke
Matchup: USF vs. Texas Tech
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, Texas (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Army vs. C-USA
Prediction: Army vs. Western Kentucky
Matchup: Army vs. San Diego State
Dollar General Bowl, Mobile, Ala. (7 p.m., ESPN)
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Prediction: Toledo vs. Appalachian State
Matchup: Toledo vs. Appalachian State
Sunday, Dec. 24
Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu, (8:30 p.m., ESPN)
AAC vs. MWC
Prediction: Navy vs. Fresno State
Matchup: Houston vs. Fresno State
Tuesday, Dec. 26
Heart of Dallas Bowl, Dallas (1:30 p.m., ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Big Ten
Prediction: Texas Tech vs. North Texas
Matchup: West Virginia vs. Utah
Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big Ten
Prediction: Virginia vs. Central Michigan
Matchup: Duke vs. Northern Illinois
Cactus Bowl, Phoenix (9 p.m., ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Prediction: Kansas State vs. Oregon
Matchup: Kansas State vs. UCLA
Wednesday, Dec. 27
Walk-On's Independence Bowl, Shreveport, La. (1:30 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. SEC
Prediction: Florida International vs. UCLA
Matchup: Florida State vs. Southern Miss
New Era Pinstripe Bowl, New York (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big Ten
Prediction: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue
Matchup: Boston College vs. Iowa
Foster Farms Bowl, Santa Clara, Calif. (8 p.m., FOX)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Prediction: Iowa vs. Washington State
Matchup: Purdue vs. Arizona
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, Houston (9 p.m., ESPN)
Big 12 vs. SEC
Prediction: Texas vs. Utah
Matchup: Texas vs. Missouri
Thursday, Dec. 28
Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md. (1:30 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. AAC
Prediction: Florida State vs. South Florida
Matchup: Virginia vs. Navy
Camping World Bowl, Orlando, Fla. (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big 12
Prediction: NC State vs. Iowa State
Matchup: Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
Valero Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Pac-12 vs. Big 12
Prediction: Stanford vs. Oklahoma State
Matchup: Stanford vs. TCU
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, San Diego (9 p.m., FS1)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Prediction: Michigan vs. Washington
Matchup: Michigan State vs. Washington State
Friday, Dec. 29
Belk Bowl, Charlotte, N.C. (1 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. SEC
Prediction: Wake Forest vs. Kentucky
Matchup: Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M
Hyundai Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas (2 p.m., CBS)
ACC vs. Pac-12
Prediction: Boston College vs. Arizona State
Matchup: NC State vs. Arizona State
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Nashville, Tenn. (4:30 p.m., ESPN)
SEC vs. Big Ten or ACC
Prediction: Texas A&M vs. Northwestern
Matchup: Kentucky vs. Northwestern
Arizona Bowl, Tucson, Ariz. (5:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Sun Belt vs. MWC
Prediction: New Mexico State vs. Wyoming
Matchup: New Mexico State vs. Utah State
Saturday, Dec. 30
TaxSlayer Bowl, Jacksonville, Fla. (12 p.m., ESPN)
SEC vs. Big Ten or ACC
Prediction: LSU vs. Louisville
Matchup: Mississippi State vs. Louisville
AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tenn. (12:30 p.m., ABC)
Big 12 vs. SEC
Prediction: West Virginia vs. Missouri
Matchup: Iowa State vs. Memphis
Monday, Jan. 1, 2018
Outback Bowl, Tampa, Fla. (12 p.m., ESPN2)
Big Ten vs. SEC
Prediction: Michigan State vs. South Carolina
Matchup: Michigan vs. South Carolina
Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla. (1 p.m., ABC)
SEC vs. ACC/Big Ten
Prediction: Mississippi State vs. Notre Dame
Matchup: LSU vs. Notre Dame
New Year's Six Bowls
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Arlington, Texas (Dec. 29, 8:30 p.m., ESPN)
At-large vs. At-large
Prediction: Ohio State vs. TCU
Matchup: Ohio State vs. USC
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz. (Dec. 30, 4 p.m., ESPN)
At-large vs. At-large
Prediction: USC vs. Wisconsin
Matchup: Penn State vs. Washington
Capital One Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens, Fla. (Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame
Prediction: Miami vs. Penn State
Matchup: Miami vs. Wisconsin
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Atlanta (Jan. 1, 12:30 p.m., ESPN)
At-large vs. At-Large
Prediction: UCF vs. Auburn
Matchup: UCF vs. Auburn
Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual, Pasadena, Calif. (Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
Prediction: Oklahoma vs. Georgia
Matchup: Oklahoma vs. Georgia
Allstate Sugar Bowl, New Orleans (Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
Prediction: Clemson vs. Alabama
Matchup: Clemson vs. Alabama
College Football Playoff National Championship, Atlanta (Jan. 8, 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinal winner vs. CFP semifinal winner
