College Football Bowl Projections for 2019-20

College football's 2019 bowl season is less than two months away, but with 12 weeks in the books, 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. With Tua Tagovailoa sidelined for the rest of the year due to injury, Alabama has slipped out of the top four in this week's playoff projection. LSU remains the projected No. 1 seed, with Ohio State and Clemson up next. The No. 4 spot is a toss up between Oklahoma, Utah, Georgia, Oregon and Alabama. For now, a slight edge goes to the Sooners. Baylor, Minnesota and Penn State also remain contenders for a playoff spot after Week 12.

 

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? Below are Athlon Sports' predictions for every bowl and playoff game in 2019:

 

Note: Bold indicates team has accepted bid to bowl

 

College Football Bowl Projections for 2019-20

 

Bahamas Bowl

Dec. 20, ESPN at 2 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Conference USA vs. MAC

Projection: Charlotte vs. Miami (Ohio)

 

Frisco Bowl

Dec. 20, ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: American vs. At-Large

Projection: Tulane vs. Toledo*

 

New Mexico Bowl

Dec. 21, ESPN at 2 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Conference USA vs. Mountain West

Projection: WKU vs. San Diego State

 

Cure Bowl

Dec. 21, CBS Sports Network at 2:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: American vs. Sun Belt

Projection: Liberty* vs. Arkansas State

 

Boca Raton Bowl

Dec. 21, ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: American vs. MAC

Projection: Temple vs. Central Michigan

 

Camellia Bowl

Dec. 21, ESPN at 5:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: MAC vs. Sun Belt

Projection: Ohio vs. Georgia State

 

Las Vegas Bowl

Dec. 21, ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Mountain West vs. Pac-12

Projection: Boise State vs. California

 

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. FAU

 

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: North Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech*

 

Quick Lane Bowl

Dec. 26, ESPN at 8 p.m. ET

Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten

Projection: Florida State vs. Michigan State

 

Military Bowl

Dec. 27, ESPN at Noon ET

Tie-In: ACC vs. American

Projection: Louisville vs. Navy

 

Pinstripe Bowl

Dec. 27, ESPN at 3:20 p.m. ET

Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten

Projection: Pitt vs. Illinois

 

Texas Bowl

Dec. 27, ESPN at 6:45 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC

Projection: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

 

Holiday Bowl

Dec. 27, FS1 at 8 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Iowa vs. USC

 

Cheez-It Bowl

Dec. 27, ESPN at 10:15 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Pac-12

Projection: Air Force* vs. Kansas State

 

Camping World Bowl

Dec. 28, ABC at Noon ET

Tie-In: ACC vs. Big 12

Projection: Notre Dame vs. Iowa State

 

First Responder Bowl

Dec. 30, ESPN at 12:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Conference USA

Projection: UAB vs. Fresno State*

 

Music City Bowl

Dec. 30, ESPN at 4 p.m. ET

Tie-In: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC

Projection: Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest

 

Redbox Bowl

Dec. 30, FOX at 4 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Indiana vs. Arizona State

 

Belk Bowl

Dec. 31, ESPN at Noon ET

Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC

Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky

 

Sun Bowl

Dec. 31, CBS at 2 p.m. ET

Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12

Projection: Miami vs. Washington State

 

Liberty Bowl

Dec. 31, ESPN at 3:45 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC

Projection: TCU vs. UCF*

 

Arizona Bowl

Dec. 31, CBS Sports Network at 4:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Mountain West vs. Sun Belt

Projection: Wyoming vs. Georgia Southern

 

Alamo Bowl

Dec. 31, ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Pac-12

Projection: Texas vs. Washington

 

Citrus Bowl

Jan. 1, ABC at 1 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC

Projection: Wisconsin vs. Florida

 

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: SMU vs. Southern Miss*

 

Gator Bowl

Jan. 2, ESPN at 7 p.m. ET

Tie-In: ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC

Projection: Michigan vs. Tennessee

 

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: North Texas* vs. Nevada

 

LendingTree Bowl

Jan. 6, ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

Tie-In: MAC vs. Sun Belt

Projection: Western Michigan vs. Louisiana

 

New Year's Six

 

Cotton Bowl

Dec. 28, ESPN at Noon ET

Tie-In: At-Large vs. At-Large

Projection: Memphis vs. Oregon

 

Orange Bowl

Dec. 30, ESPN at 8 p.m. ET

Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten/SEC/Notre Dame

Projection: Virginia vs. Alabama

 

Rose Bowl

Jan. 1, ESPN at 5 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Minnesota vs. Utah

 

Sugar Bowl

Jan. 1, ESPN at 8:45 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC

Projection: Georgia vs. Baylor

 

College Football Playoff

 

Fiesta Bowl (Semifinal)

Dec. 28, ESPN, 4 or 8 p.m. ET

Tie-In: National Semifinal

Projection: Clemson vs. Ohio State

 

Peach Bowl (Semifinal)

Dec. 28, ESPN, 4 or 8 p.m. ET

Tie-In: National Semifinal

Projection: LSU vs. Oklahoma

 

National Championship

Jan. 13, ESPN at 8 p.m. ET

Tie-In: Fiesta Bowl Winner vs. Peach Bowl Winner

Projection: LSU vs. Ohio State 

 

* According to our projections, the SEC and Big 12 will fail to fill its allotted slots.