Bowl Projections: Playoff Spot Opens After Oklahoma's First Loss
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The race for the College Football Playoff received a dose of intrigue on Saturday as Big 12 favorite and previously-undefeated Oklahoma lost at unranked Kansas State. The Sooners were a likely lock for the Playoff if they finished conference play undefeated, in the same boat as Clemson in the ACC. The winner of Penn State and Ohio State on Nov. 23 is a likely playoff team. Ditto for the survivor of LSU and Alabama’s battle on Nov. 9. We exited Week 8 with a fairly conventional Playoff picture.
Oklahoma’s loss tosses that outlook aside. LSU or Alabama could lose in early November and still reach the Playoff as a one-loss non-SEC champion. Oregon and the Pac-12 are suddenly alive once again, as are Florida and Georgia. We could be in line for a mad scramble down the stretch.
With chaos looming as we enter November, check out Sports Illustrated’s full slate of Bowl Projections below.
Dec. 20
Bahamas Bowl, Nassau (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. MAC
Western Kentucky vs. Toledo
Frisco Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
American vs. Sun Belt
Memphis vs. Appalachian State
Dec. 21
Celebration Bowl, Atlanta (12 p.m. ET, ABC)
MEAC vs. SWAC
Florida A&M vs. Alcorn State
New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. MWC
Florida Atlantic vs. Air Force
Cure Bowl, Orlando (2:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
American vs. Sun Belt
Temple vs. Louisiana Lafayette
Boca Raton Bowl (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
MAC vs. American
Central Michigan vs. UCF
Camellia Bowl, Montgomery (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Miami (OH) vs. Arkansas State
Las Vegas Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Pac-12 vs. SEC or Big Ten or MWC
Washington State vs. San Diego State
New Orleans Bowl (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern
Dec. 23
Gasparilla Bowl, Tampa (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. ACC or American
UAB vs. Boston College
Dec. 24
Hawai'i Bowl, Honolulu (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MWC or BYU vs. American
Hawaii vs. Cincinnati
Dec. 26
Independence Bowl, Shreveport (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Florida International vs. Duke
Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Illinois vs. North Carolina
Dec. 27
Military Bowl, Annapolis (12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
American vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Navy vs. Florida State
Pinstripe Bowl, Bronx (3:20 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Michigan State vs. Louisville
Texas Bowl, Houston (6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. SEC
Kansas State vs. Kentucky
Holiday Bowl, San Diego (8 p.m. ET, FS1)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Iowa vs. Washington
Cheez-It Bowl, Phoenix (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Oklahoma State vs. Boise State
Dec. 28
Camping World Bowl, Orlando (12 p.m. ET, ABC)
Big 12 vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Texas vs. Virginia
Dec. 30
First Responder Bowl, Dallas (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Conference USA
TCU vs. Louisiana Tech
Music City Bowl, Nashville (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC or Big Ten or Notre Dame
Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech
Redbox Bowl, Santa Clara (4 p.m. ET, FOX)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Indiana vs. Arizona State
Dec. 31
Belk Bowl, Charlotte (12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC
Mississippi State vs. Pitt
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, El Paso (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Pac-12 vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Stanford vs. Miami
Liberty Bowl, Memphis (3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. SEC
Iowa State vs. Tulane
Arizona Bowl, Tucson (4:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
MWC vs. Sun Belt
Utah State vs. Georgia State
Alamo Bowl, San Antonio (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Baylor vs. USC
Jan. 1
Citrus Bowl, Orlando (1 p.m. ET, ABC)
Big Ten vs. SEC
Wisconsin vs. Florida
Outback Bowl, Tampa (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten vs. SEC
Michigan vs. Auburn
Jan. 2
Birmingham Bowl (3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. American
Marshall vs. USF
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Jacksonville (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC or Big Ten or Notre Dame
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame
Jan. 3
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MAC vs. MWC
Western Michigan vs. San Jose State
Jan 4
Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth (11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MWC vs. Big Ten
Army vs. Wyoming
Jan. 6
Mobile Alabama Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Ohio vs. Louisiana Monroe
New Year's Six Bowls
Cotton Bowl Classic, Arlington (Dec. 28, noon, ESPN)
At-large vs. At-large
SMU vs. Utah
Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens (Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame
Wake Forest vs. Minnesota
Rose Bowl Game, Pasadena (Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Penn State vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl, New Orleans (Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m., ESPN)
SEC vs. Big 12
Georgia vs. Oklahoma
Fiesta Bowl, Glendale (Dec. 28, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
LSU vs. Ohio State
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Atlanta (Dec. 28, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
Alabama vs. Clemson
College Football Playoff National Championship, New Orleans (Jan. 13, 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinal winner vs. CFP semifinal winner
