No College Football Playoff chairman has it easier than Boo Corrigan. The CFP looks set no matter what happens this weekend. Unbeatens Georgia, Michigan and TCU all could take a mulligan Saturday and still likely end up in the Playoff. If USC beats Utah — which beat the Trojans by one point earlier this season — the CFP is set.
But there’s much more to the committee’s job than determining the four Playoff teams. How it ranks and structures the remaining New Year’s Six games determines which teams are available to each conference’s contract bowls. If the Rose Bowl prefers Penn State to Ohio State, for instance, the Buckeyes could end up in the Orange Bowl, which means the Big Ten forfeits its ReliaQuest (formerly Outback) Bowl spot to the ACC. The ReliaQuest then selects first among available ACC teams, which alters the bowl lineups for two conferences.
The Hawaii and Bahamas bowls already have filled their slots. On Sunday, all bowl selections become official, and there are 79 eligible teams for 82 spots. Buffalo can become No. 80 with a win against Akron this week. New Mexico State (5-6) has applied for a bowl waiver, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, because its game with San Jose State was postponed after running back Camdan McWright was killed in an automobile accident one day before kickoff. If Buffalo wins and New Mexico State successfully appeals, that would leave one opening.
To become bowl eligible, teams must win six games, and five of those must come against FBS competition. Appalachian State (6-6) and Army (5-6 before facing Navy on Dec. 10) each have two victories against FCS opponents. If there aren’t enough eligible teams, the five-win team with the best Academic Progress Rate (APR) becomes a fill-in opponent. Rice has the best APR among teams with 5-7 records, followed by UNLV, Michigan State and Auburn.
Reminders:
• Most bowls do not have to select in strict order of conference standings. “Big 12 No. 3” means third choice, not third place. The SEC office plays matchmaker with its bowls and schools.
• Notre Dame can fill one of the ACC’s bowl spots.
• ESPN Events owns and operates 16 of the 41 FBS bowls, most of them involving the Group of 5 conferences. It has the latitude to move teams around to create interesting matchups. One we came up with: A Birmingham Bowl matchup of UCF and Coastal Carolina.
• Bowls’ priorities range from TV audiences to maximizing attendance. A team like Texas could generate sizable ratings, but a motivated fan base like Kansas could swarm to a location in droves and help boost ticket sales and the local economy.
All times Eastern.
New Year’s Six
| BOWL | DATE | TEAM | CITY | VIEWING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange |
Dec. 30 |
Clemson (ACC) vs. Tennessee (SEC/B1G/ND) |
Miami |
8 p.m. ESPN |
|
Sugar |
Dec. 31 |
Kansas State (Big 12) vs. Alabama (SEC) |
New Orleans |
Noon, ESPN |
|
Fiesta |
Dec. 31 |
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU |
Glendale, Ariz. |
4 p.m./8 p.m. ESPN |
|
Peach |
Dec. 31 |
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 USC |
Atlanta |
4 p.m./8 p.m. ESPN |
|
Cotton |
Jan. 2 |
Penn State (at-large) vs. Tulane (at-large/G5) |
Arlington, Texas |
1 p.m. ESPN |
|
Rose |
Jan. 2 |
Ohio State (B1G) vs. Washington (Pac-12) |
Pasadena, Calif. |
5 p.m. ESPN |
Remaining bowls
| BOWL | DATE | TEAMS | CITY | VIEWING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bahamas |
Dec. 16 |
Miami-OH (MAC) vs. UAB (C-USA) |
Nassau, Bahamas |
11:30 a.m. ESPN |
|
Cure |
Dec. 16 |
Coastal Carolina (ESPN) vs. BYU (ESPN) |
Orlando, Fla. |
3 p.m. ESPN |
|
Fenway |
Dec. 17 |
Wake Forest (ACC No. 9) vs. East Carolina (AAC) |
Boston |
11 a.m. ESPN |
|
New Mexico |
Dec. 17 |
San Jose State (MWC) vs. New Mexico State (ESPN) |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
2:15 p.m. ESPN |
|
LA Bowl |
Dec. 17 |
Washington State (Pac-12 No. 6) vs. Boise State (MWC No. 1) |
Inglewood, Calif. |
3:30 p.m. ABC |
|
Lendingtree |
Dec. 17 |
Southern Miss (Sun Belt No. 5) vs. Bowling Green (C-USA/MAC) |
Mobile, Ala. |
5:45 p.m. ESPN |
|
Vegas |
Dec. 17 |
Oregon (Pac-12 No. 3) vs. Ole Miss (SEC Nos. 3-8) |
Las Vegas |
7:30 p.m. ABC |
|
Frisco |
Dec. 17 |
Oklahoma State (ESPN) vs. Fresno State (ESPN) |
Frisco, Texas |
9:15 p.m. ESPN |
|
Myrtle Beach |
Dec. 19 |
South Alabama (ESPN) vs. Liberty (ESPN) |
Myrtle Beach, S.C. |
2:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Idaho Potato |
Dec. 20 |
Utah State (MWC) vs. Buffalo (MAC) |
Boise, Idaho |
3:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Boca Raton |
Dec. 20 |
Marshall (ESPN) vs. Connecticut (ESPN) |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
7:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
New Orleans |
Dec. 21 |
Troy (Sun Belt No. 2) vs. North Texas (C-USA) |
New Orleans |
8 p.m. ESPN |
|
Armed Forces |
Dec. 22 |
Air Force (ESPN) vs. Georgia Southern (AAC) |
Fort Worth, Texas |
7:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Independence |
Dec. 23 |
Louisiana* (Army) vs. Memphis (AAC) |
Shreveport, La. |
3 p.m. ESPN |
|
Gasparilla |
Dec. 23 |
Pittsburgh (ESPN) vs. Cincinnati (ESPN) |
Tampa, Fla. |
6:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Hawaii |
Dec. 24 |
San Diego State (MWC) vs. Middle Tennessee (C-USA) |
Honolulu |
8 p.m. ESPN |
|
Quick Lane |
Dec. 26 |
Rice* (Big Ten No. 8) vs. Eastern Michigan (MAC) |
Detroit |
2:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Camellia |
Dec. 27 |
UTSA (ESPN) vs. Ohio (ESPN) |
Montgomery, Ala. |
Noon ESPN |
|
First Responder |
Dec. 27 |
Houston (ESPN) vs. Western Kentucky (ESPN) |
University Park, Texas |
3:15 p.m./6:45 p.m. ESPN |
|
Birmingham |
Dec. 27 |
SMU (AAC) vs. Florida (SEC No. 9) |
Birmingham, Ala. |
3:15 p.m./6:45 p.m. ESPN |
|
Guaranteed Rate |
Dec. 27 |
Wisconsin (Big Ten No. 7) vs. Baylor (Big 12 No. 6) |
Phoenix |
10:15 p.m. ESPN |
|
Military |
Dec. 28 |
UCF (AAC) vs. Duke (ACC No. 8) |
Annapolis, Md. |
2 p.m. ESPN |
|
Liberty |
Dec. 28 |
Kansas (Big 12 No. 5) vs. Missouri (SEC Nos. 3-8) |
Memphis, Tenn. |
5:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Holiday |
Dec. 28 |
North Carolina (ACC Nos. 2-4) vs. Utah (Pac-12 No. 4) |
San Diego |
8 p.m. Fox |
|
Texas |
Dec. 28 |
Texas Tech (Big 12 No. 4) vs. Arkansas (SEC Nos. 3-8) |
Houston |
9 p.m. ESPN |
|
Pinstripe |
Dec. 29 |
Minnesota (Big Ten No. 5) vs. Syracuse (ACC Nos. 5-7) |
Bronx, N.Y. |
2 p.m. ESPN |
|
Cheez-It |
Dec. 29 |
Oklahoma (Big 12 No. 3) vs. Florida State (ACC Nos. 2-4) |
Orlando, Fla. |
5:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Alamo |
Dec. 29 |
Texas (Big 12 No. 2) vs. UCLA (Pac-12 No. 2) |
San Antonio, Texas |
9 p.m. ESPN |
|
Duke’s Mayo |
Dec. 30 |
Maryland (Big Ten No. 6) vs. NC State (ACC Nos. 5-7) |
Charlotte, N.C. |
Noon ESPN |
|
Sun |
Dec. 30 |
Louisville (ACC Nos. 5-7) vs. Oregon State (Pac-12 No. 5) |
El Paso, Texas |
2 p.m. CBS |
|
Gator |
Dec. 30 |
Notre Dame (ACC Nos. 2-4) vs. Mississippi State (SEC Nos. 3-8) |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
3:30 p.m. ESPN |
|
Arizona |
Dec. 30 |
Wyoming (MWC) vs. Toledo (MAC) |
Tucson, Ariz. |
4:30 p.m. Barstool |
|
Music City |
Dec. 31 |
Iowa (Big Ten No. 4) vs. Kentucky (SEC Nos. 3-8) |
Nashville |
Noon ABC |
|
ReliaQuest |
Jan. 2 |
Illinois (Big Ten No. 3) vs. LSU (SEC Nos. 3-8) |
Tampa, Fla. |
Noon ESPN2 |
|
Citrus |
Jan. 2 |
Purdue (Big Ten No. 2) vs. South Carolina (SEC No.2 ) |
Orlando, Fla. |
1 p.m. ABC |
(Photo: Kevin Abele / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
