Bowl Projections 2020: Predictions for Oklahoma, Georgia and Top Teams
The Oklahoma Sooners and Georgia Bulldogs will not be back in the College Football Playoff this season, but they could finish their respective campaigns in high-profile bowl games.
Georgia is sitting comfortably at No. 8 in the latest CFB Playoff rankings, which sets it up for a spot in a New Year's Six bowl.
Oklahoma's continued improvement on the field landed it a second straight week at No. 11, and it may have a chance to avenge one of its losses in the Big 12 Championship Game, which would come with a New Year's Six berth.
The path to the New Year's Six bowls seems clear for most teams in the top half of the playoff rankings, but the postseason positions for teams beneath those spots will be harder to figure out.
As of now, 68 teams will participate in bowls after the cancellations of the Sun Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl in the last week.
Bowl Projections
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College Football Playoff
Sugar Bowl (January 1): No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
Rose Bowl (January 1): No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State
New Year's Six
Cotton Bowl (December 30): Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M
Peach Bowl (January 1): Cincinnati vs. Georgia
Fiesta Bowl (January 2): USC vs. Iowa State
Orange Bowl (January 2): Miami vs. Florida
Other Bowls
Frisco Bowl (December 19): UTSA vs. San Diego State
Myrtle Beach Bowl (December 21): Coastal Carolina vs. Marshall
Boca Raton Bowl (December 22): Liberty vs. Florida Atlantic
Idaho Potato Bowl (December 22): Buffalo vs. San Jose State
Montgomery Bowl (December 23): UAB vs. Western Michigan
New Orleans Bowl (December 23): Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana
New Mexico Bowl (December 24): Nevada vs. Houston
Camellia Bowl (December 25): Central Michigan vs. Georgia State
Cure Bowl (December 26): Appalachian State vs. Kent State
Gasparilla Bowl (December 26): Wake Forest vs. SMU
Lending Tree Bowl (December 26): Ball State vs. Arkansas State
First Responder Bowl (December 26): BYU vs. UCF
Independence Bowl (December 26): Army vs. Colorado
Guaranteed Rate Bowl (December 26): Maryland vs. Texas Tech
Military Bowl (December 28): Virginia Tech vs. Navy
Cheez-It Bowl (December 29): North Carolina vs. Kansas State
Alamo Bowl (December 29): Oklahoma State vs. Washington
Duke's Mayo Bowl (December 30): Boston College vs. Iowa
Music City Bowl (December 30): Tennessee vs. Wisconsin
Los Angeles Bowl (December 30): Boise State vs. Oregon
Arizona Bowl (December 31): Miami (Ohio) vs. Fresno State
Armed Forces Bowl (December 31): TCU vs. Tulsa
Liberty Bowl (December 31): West Virginia vs. Arkansas
Texas Bowl (December 31): Texas vs. Kentucky
Birmingham Bowl (January 1): LSU vs. Memphis
Citrus Bowl (January 1): Northwestern vs. Auburn
Gator Bowl (January 2): NC State vs. Missouri
Outback Bowl (January 2): Indiana vs. Ole Miss
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M
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Oklahoma needs to win its final two games to secure a position in the Big 12 Championship Game.
The Sooners hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who are also 5-2 in conference play. Iowa State is in the best position in the conference with a 7-1 league mark.
Lincoln Riley's team has to get past the Baylor Bears and West Virginia Mountaineers. Everything his squad has done in the last few weeks suggests that will happen.
Oklahoma won its last two games by a combined score of 103-22. Even though one of those victories came against the Kansas Jayhawks, the recent form is still worth noting with a conference title clash on the horizon.
If the Sooners defense continues to play well and Spencer Rattler develops more in the pocket, they should give Iowa State a tough test on December 19.
Oklahoma had a fourth-quarter lead over Iowa State on October 3 before the Cyclones charged back for two scores.
If it turns in a similar performance and receives backfield contributions from Rhamondre Stevenson, who missed the first Iowa State game, Oklahoma could put together some extended drives and close the game out with a win.
A Big 12 title would place the Sooners in the Cotton Bowl, where they may face an old Big 12 rival now in the SEC.
The Texas A&M Aggies are stalking the top four at No. 5, but if certain scenarios do not go their way, they could be stuck with a New Year's Six appearance.
If the Clemson Tigers beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the ACC Championship Game and the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes remain undefeated, the Aggies may remain at No. 5.
If that matchup comes to fruition, we could see plenty of points with Rattler and Kellen Mond engineering fast-paced scoring drives.
Peach Bowl: Georgia vs. Cincinnati
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Georgia should just be happy it sits in the Top 10 at the moment.
The Bulldogs have an underwhelming resume that is headlined by a win over the Auburn Tigers, who have been in and out of the bottom part of the AP Top 25 all season.
Kirby Smart's side did beat Auburn when it was ranked seventh, and it also has a victory over the then-No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers. After that, there is not much to support Georgia as a two-loss Top 10 program.
Georgia does have the best pair of losses in the FBS to Alabama and the Florida Gators, but in both matchups, it was overmatched for long stretches.
The Bulldogs failed to keep pace with Alabama in the second half on October 17, and they did not match Florida's offensive power three weeks later.
If Georgia blows out the Vanderbilt Commodores, they should hold on to a Top 10 position, which would earn it a New Year's Six position.
If anything, the Bulldogs' stock in the playoff rankings may rise since one of Iowa State and Oklahoma have to lose, Florida could fall in the SEC Championship Game to Alabama and the Indiana Hoosiers may not make the Big Ten Championship Game.
Georgia could be matched up with the best Group of Five team in the Peach Bowl, which would have to be its desired bowl because of location.
The Cincinnati Bearcats have an outside chance of qualifying for the playoff, but they need losses by Clemson and Florida combined with a way to jump Texas A&M.
A potential Peach Bowl showdown with Georgia would be an intriguing defensive battle, as the Bearcats held six of their eight opponents under 20 points.
Georgia limited Auburn and the Kentucky Wildcats to single digits and only let up 16 points in Saturday's win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
It may end up as the lowest-scoring New Year's Six game, but it could also be the most intriguing since Cincinnati would have a chance to prove itself against one of the top programs in the country.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com
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