Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Week 8
2021 College Football News bowl projections, predictions and possible matchups for the College Football Playoff: Week 7
Bowl Projections: Week 8
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: Florida Atlantic vs Kent State
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: UAB vs Liberty
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: Louisiana Tech 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: Norfolk 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: Charlotte vs Nevada
Last Year: Hawaii 28, Houston 14
– CFN Week 8 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: Ball State vs ULM
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 USC
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 East Carolina
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: Toledo 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: Air Force vs UTEP
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: Stanford vs Army
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: SMU vs LSU
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: Tulsa vs Air Force
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: Miami University vs South Alabama
Last Year: Memphis 25, Florida Atlantic 10
NEXT: More Bowl Projections: Week 8
Bowl Projections: Week 8
Quick Lane Bowl
Monday, December 27
ESPN, 11:00 am
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. MAC
Bowl Projection: San Jose State* vs Northern Illinois
*No Big Ten team projected available
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: Memphis vs Miami
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 Virginia Tech*
*No SEC team projected available
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: WKU vs Utah State
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: Kansas State vs Mississippi State
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 UCLA
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
Bowl Projection: Maryland vs Texas Tech
Last Year: Canceled
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: Clemson vs Purdue
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: Wake Forest vs Baylor
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: Texas vs Arizona State
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 Tennessee
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 Auburn
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: Wisconsin vs Oregon State
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: Virginia vs Texas A&M
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: Louisville vs Utah
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: Western Michigan 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: Penn State vs Florida
Last Year: Ole Miss 26, Indiana 20
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Saturday, January 1
ESPN2, 1:00 pm
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Bowl Projection: Michigan State vs Ole Miss
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 8
New Year’s Six Bowl Projections: Week 8
– The College Football Playoff committee wants to create the best matchups possible. Geography will matter a wee bit.
– 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: Kentucky vs Iowa
Last Year: Georgia 24, Cincinnati 21
While the SEC West will keep beating itself up, Kentucky should keep on rolling through a relatively easy finishing kick. It should be at worst 10-2, but it could be 11-1 and more in the College Football Playoff discussion than it might seem.
Iowa doesn’t have a bad final five games. As long as the defense can start forcing takeaways, it should get by Wisconsin and Nebraska to take the West and get to the Big Ten Championship.
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: Pitt vs Notre Dame
Last Year: Iowa State 34, Oregon 17
The Fiesta Bowl would LOVE to get a Big Ten team vs. Notre Dame, but the ACC champion vs. Notre Dame would work, too. An SEC team will almost certainly get into the Peach, and then it comes down to how good the matchups might look. If Iowa gets to the Rose Bowl, Michigan vs. Notre Dame would be massive.
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
The call is that Michigan loses once – to Ohio State. That’s enough to get the Wolverines to the Rose – not a horrible consolation prize – against the Pac-12 champion. Oregon will probably drop one more game but still get to the conference title game. However, if the Ducks are the 12-1 Pac-12 champions, they’re in the College Football Playoff.
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: Oklahoma State vs Alabama
Last Year: Ohio State 49, Clemson 28
If Alabama beats Georgia in the SEC Championship, they’re both in the College Football Playoff – at least as they’re both 12-1. Oklahoma State might have lost this weekend to Iowa, State, but it still has the right path to get to the Big 12 Championship, likely against Oklahoma.
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, the schedule isn’t worthy of a College Football Playoff spot, but Cincinnati will get everything going its way. It’ll start with Notre Dame continuing to win – making the UC victory in South Bend that much more impressive. The ACC will eat itself up, Oregon will lose once more, and Georgia will beat Alabama in the SEC Championship.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Friday, December 31
ESPN, Time TBA
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Bowl Tie-Ins: CFP vs. CFP
Bowl Projection: Oklahoma vs Ohio State
Last Year: Oklahoma 55, Florida 20
Let’s not get too freaked out by Oklahoma just yet. It can still afford a loss somewhere, but as long as it wins the Big 12 Championship and finishes 12-1, it will find its way into the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State hasn’t played anyone great lately, but it’s ripping through everyone and looking like the team we’ve been waiting for. It’ll work its way through all the nasty Big Ten East games on the way to win the Big Ten Championship.
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: Oklahoma vs Georgia
Last Year: Alabama 52, Ohio State 24
