Bowl Projections 2023: Predictions for Top Games to Watch
Bowl season always gives college football fans a handful of intriguing matchups to build up to the College Football Playoff.
Some of the potential bowl matchups are fascinating in 2023 because of conference realignment and the transfer portal.
Old rivals could square off throughout December, or players may face their former teams.
One of those instances is a potential matchup between the Clemson Tigers and Oregon State Beavers in which D.J. Uiagelelei would lead the Pac-12 side against his former program.
One of the other intriguing factors is a clash of teams with high-powered offenses. No one wants to see a low-scoring bowl game, so a battle of two high-scoring teams is always welcomed.
Clemson vs. Oregon State
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ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and Action Network's Brett McMurphy each have Clemson facing Oregon State in the Holiday Bowl.
That potential matchup would pit Uiagelelei and the Beavers against his former team in San Diego in one of the must-watch games of bowl season.
Clemson would not be happy about playing in the Holiday Bowl since it is used to contending for the College Football Playoff title.
However, a trip to San Diego is one of the better bowl season destinations and the Tigers could embrace that trip to get better for next season.
Oregon State would relish the opportunity not just for its quarterback, but because the Pac-12's Holiday Bowl berth usually goes to one of its better teams.
A third-or-fourth-place finish in the league is something Oregon State should be proud of and it will be plenty motivated to end its season with a win in any bowl matchup.
Oregon State might move up the bowl hierarchy if it beats the Oregon Ducks on Friday, but if not, the Holiday Bowl should be waiting for it.
UCF vs. South Florida
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McMurphy and Schlabach each project that the "War on I-4" will be renewed in the Gasparilla Bowl.
The UCF Knights ended their rivalry with the South Florida Bulls when they moved from the AAC to Big 12 before this season.
The two sides have the potential to meet in Tampa in one of the more fascinating potential bowl matchups.
Casual college football fans may pass over this matchup if it is finalized, but it could produce some of the most heated play in a two-week span dominated by opt-outs, transfers and coaching changes.
UCF won the last six meetings with USF. The Knights scored at least 34 points in five of those wins. Three of those matchups featured over 75 points.
Both programs enter Week 13 at 5-6. USF plays the Charlotte 49ers, while UCF takes on the Houston Cougars.
Each team has a good chance to win its respective games to become bowl eligible, but even if they lose a matchup is possible because there may not be enough six-win teams to fill all the bowl spots.
Oklahoma vs. Arizona
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The Arizona Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners combined to score 521 points in conference play.
Oklahoma sits second in the Big 12 thanks to its Dillon Gabriel-led offense, while Arizona has developed into one of the best stories in the country.
The two sides are currently projected to play in the Alamo Bowl by both McMurphy and Schlabach.
The matchup has the potential for a ton of points because of how each offense played over the last few weeks.
Arizona would have more motivation as a team to win the bowl game since it is not used to being in this position.
That could help the buzz around this potential matchup because a good amount of people would root for the Wildcats against the future SEC team.
Oklahoma could still win the Big 12 Championship Game and leap up into the New Years' Six bowls, but for now, a clash with Arizona would be an exciting reward to end the season.
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