Projecting every bowl and playoff games for 2019-20
College football's 2019 season is less than 50 days away, but it’s never too early to make projections and predictions on how the bowl games and playoff pairings may look by the time the CFB Playoff selection committee meets in December. Alabama and Clemson are once again the favorites to win it all this season, and Athlon Sports projects another meeting between these two teams in the national championship. Georgia and Michigan are Athlon's picks to join the Crimson Tide and Tigers in the CFB Playoff this season. However, Ohio State, Oklahoma and LSU aren't far behind. Notre Dame is also in the mix, but the Fighting Irish have to navigate tough road trips to Georgia and Michigan.
The 2019-20 bowl schedule features 40 overall games including the national championship. Additionally, the semifinals will take place on Dec. 28 this season. The Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl will host the semifinals, while the national championship will be held in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Jan. 13.
How will the postseason matchups look by December? According to Athlon's projections, California, Arizona, Arizona State, Wyoming, MTSU, Liberty and Eastern Michigan will be eligible. However, there are not enough spots (according to our projections) for the eligible teams. Below are Athlon Sports' predictions for every bowl and playoff game in 2019:
2019 College Football Conference Predictions
Power 5: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | Pac-12 | SEC
Group of 5: American | C-USA | MAC | Mountain West | Sun Belt
College Football Bowl Projections for 2019-20
Bahamas Bowl
Dec. 20, ESPN at 2 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Conference USA vs. MAC
Projection: FAU vs. Northern Illinois
Frisco Bowl
Dec. 20, ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: American vs. At-Large
Projection: SMU vs. Army
New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 21, ESPN at 2 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Conference USA vs. Mountain West
Projection: UAB vs. Fresno State
Cure Bowl
Dec. 21, CBS Sports Network at 2:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: American vs. Sun Belt
Projection: USF vs. Georgia Southern
Boca Raton Bowl
Dec. 21, ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: American vs. MAC
Projection: Tulane vs. Ohio
Camellia Bowl
Dec. 21, ESPN at 5:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Western Michigan vs. Troy
Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 21, ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Mountain West vs. Pac-12
Projection: Boise State vs. Stanford
New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 21, ESPN at 9 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Marshall vs. Appalachian State
Gasparilla Bowl
Dec. 23, ESPN at 2:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: American vs. Conference USA
Projection: Cincinnati vs. FIU
Hawaii Bowl
Dec. 24, ESPN at 8 p.m. ET
Tie-In: BYU vs. Mountain West/American
Projection: BYU vs. Hawaii
Independence Bowl
Dec. 26, ESPN at 4 p.m. ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Boston College vs. Louisiana Tech*
Quick Lane Bowl
Dec. 26, ESPN at 8 p.m. ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten
Projection: Wake Forest vs. Northwestern
Military Bowl
Dec. 27, ESPN at Noon ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. American
Projection: Pitt vs. Temple
Pinstripe Bowl
Dec. 27, ESPN at 3:20 p.m. ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten
Projection: NC State vs. Michigan State
Texas Bowl
Dec. 27, ESPN at 6:45 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi State
Holiday Bowl
Dec. 27, FS1 at 8 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Iowa vs. Oregon
Cheez-It Bowl
Dec. 27, ESPN at 10:15 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection: Baylor vs. USC
Camping World Bowl
Dec. 28, ABC at Noon ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. Big 12
Projection: Virginia vs. Iowa State
First Responder Bowl
Dec. 30, ESPN at 12:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Conference USA
Projection: TCU vs. North Texas
Music City Bowl
Dec. 30, ESPN at 4 p.m. ET
Tie-In: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Miami vs. Kentucky
Redbox Bowl
Dec. 30, FOX at 4 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Minnesota vs. Washington State
Belk Bowl
Dec. 31, ESPN at Noon ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Sun Bowl
Dec. 31, CBS at 2 p.m. ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Florida State vs. UCLA
Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31, ESPN at 3:45 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: West Virginia vs. Memphis*
Arizona Bowl
Dec. 31, CBS Sports Network at 4:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Mountain West vs. Sun Belt
Projection: San Diego State vs. Louisiana
Alamo Bowl
Dec. 31, ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection: Texas vs. Utah
Citrus Bowl
Jan. 1, ABC at 1 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1, ESPN at 1 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Penn State vs. Auburn
Birmingham Bowl
Jan. 2, ESPN at 3 p.m. ET
Tie-In: American vs. SEC
Projection: Houston vs. Southern Miss*
Gator Bowl
Jan. 2, ESPN at 7 p.m. ET
Tie-In: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Wisconsin vs. South Carolina
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Jan. 3, ESPN at 3:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Buffalo vs. Utah State
Armed Forces Bowl
Jan. 4, ESPN at 11:30 a.m. ET
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Mountain West
Projection: Purdue vs. Air Force
Mobile Alabama Bowl
Jan. 6, ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET
Tie-In: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Toledo vs. Arkansas State
New Year's Six
Cotton Bowl
Dec. 28, ESPN at Noon ET
Tie-In: At-Large vs. At-Large
Projection: UCF vs. Notre Dame
Orange Bowl
Dec. 30, ESPN at 8 p.m. ET
Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten/SEC/Notre Dame
Projection: Syracuse vs. Florida
Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, ESPN at 5 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Ohio State vs. Washington
Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1, ESPN at 8:45 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: LSU vs. Oklahoma
College Football Playoff
Fiesta Bowl (Semifinal)
Dec. 28, ESPN, 4 or 8 p.m. ET
Tie-In: National Semifinal
Projection: Clemson vs. Georgia
Peach Bowl (Semifinal)
Dec. 28, ESPN, 4 or 8 p.m. ET
Tie-In: National Semifinal
Projection: Alabama vs. Michigan
National Championship
Jan. 13, ESPN at 8 p.m. ET
Tie-In: Fiesta Bowl Winner vs. Peach Bowl Winner
Projection: Alabama vs. Clemson
* According to our projections, the SEC will fail to fill its allotted slots.
