Bowling Screenings: Florida and Penn State complete New Year’s Eve, Alabama vs. Michigan clash

The final bowl screenings of the 2020 college football season have arrived. On Sunday afternoon, we will know what the college football playoff selection committee has to say beyond the four-team playoff, which has been filled with LSU jumping to Ohio for No. 1 spot followed by Clemson and Oklahoma completing the top four spots.

Utah had a chance to become the club’s leader for that fourth playoff spot Friday night, but lost to Oregon 37-15 in the Pac-12 Championship Game. As such, the Utes finish the season without winning any team in the CFP rankings. They were a team that had passed the committee’s eye test, but didn’t have the quality wins to support it. Now they have also failed in the most important eye test. I’m projecting they’ll be out of contention for a New Year’s Eve six-a-side bowling game.

That loss opened the door to college football playoffs for Oklahoma, who won 30-23 overtime against Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Sooners took No. 4 seed and played SEC champion and LSU seed in the Peach Bowl CFP semifinals.

Georgia had a chance to thwart any Oklahoma chance by beating LSU in the SEC championship, but the Bulldogs suffered a series of injuries during the game and lost 37-10. The Tigers were going to win or lose the playoffs. With the win, LSU jumped to Ohio State, which will play in the Fiesta Bowl CFP semifinals against ACC champion Clemson. It’s a rematch of the 2016 game in the same spot, a game in which Clemson knocked out Ohio State 31-0.

College football playoffs

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Georgia is expected to represent the SEC in the Sugar Bowl for the second consecutive season. He will face Baylor, the second-placed Big 12. This would be the Bears’ first appearance in the Sugar Bowl since 1956.

At the Rose Bowl, I’m projecting that Wisconsin will represent the Big Ten against Pac-12 champion Oregon. The badgers knew the Buckeyes’ loss was likely and they were already placing Wisconsin above Penn State. I don’t think Wisconsin will be punished for losing a second time to the No. 2 team on the field.

The Orange Bowl will reach Virginia, ACC runners-up, against Florida. The Gators are expected to be the team with the best score available among the SEC grouping, Big Ten and Notre Dame.

Finally, the Cotton Bowl gets the top rated Group of Five conference champion. This is Memphis, who beat Cincinnati for the second week in a row, this time 29-24. The Tigers are the AAC champion and were the highest rated Group of Five team in the previous PCP ranking. Memphis is expected to face Penn State, the highest-scoring team that has yet to have a bowl in six years. The Nittany Lions moved to the location they had originally projected to the Utes.

Six New Year’s bowl games

Check out Jerry Palm’s full final projections.

That means Boise State is unlucky for the Six New Year’s offer, despite finishing 12-1 after winning 31-10 in Hawaii at the Mountain West Championship Game.

The Citrus Bowl has the first pick among the SEC teams after the New Year’s Six, and I anticipate Alabama being picked for the game over Auburn, despite the Tigers being ranked ahead of the Crimson Tide. The Big Ten may choose their rep and could choose Minnesota, but I think they will go with Michigan, creating a huge showdown on New Year’s Day. That would leave Auburn and Minnesota to meet in the Outback Bowl.

With 79 teams eligible for bowling, I am projecting that Toledo will be left out of the selection process. Check out my full final screenings here.