Bowl projections and College Football Playoff predictions after Week 13 of the 2022 season.
Just when this was all supposed to clear up before the big weekend of championship games, everything got more bizarre.
The College Football Playoff picture, though, actually became easier. The problem over the next week will be figuring out the bowl spots without enough teams to fill the games.
82 teams need to be eligible to play in the bowl games, and at the moment there aren’t enough with six wins. Only one of those can be against an FCS team.
Buffalo plays Akron this Friday – that should be a sixth win if all goes well. That’s one hole likely filled.
Appalachian State has six wins but two of them came against FCS teams. Without enough eligible teams, the call is that the rule gets blown off. That’s another – maybe. Flip a coin between App State and UNLV – next behind Rice in the APR rankings.
We still need a few more options.
5-6 New Mexico State might try to pick up a game to get eligible, but it already has a win over Lamar from the FCS. Army has two FCS wins, but its problem is timing. The bowls need to get going after next weekend, and the 5-6 Knights don’t play Navy until December 10th.
And then there’s APR.
For a full explanation and a ranking of all the teams according to their Academic Progress Report, check it out here.
If the bowls need 5-7 teams, APR determines the pecking order. Rice is the top APR-ranked 5-7 team, UNLV is second. If more teams are needed, Michigan State and Auburn – tied in APR behind the Owls and Rebels – would be possibilities.
This will all be updated on the fly as more news and rumors come in, so please forgive how fluid this is. For now, the bowl projections are …
Bowl Projections College Football Playoff Predictions
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CFN 1-131 Rankings | Rankings by Conference
College Football Playoff Top 25 Prediction: Nov 29
Bowl Eligibility: Every School’s Bowl Situation
2022-2023 conference bowl tie-ins
Bowl Projections: Week 13 2022-2023
Bowl Projections, Part 2 | New Year’s Six
College Football Playoff Prediction
Teams that accepted bowl bid are in red.
All Times Eastern
HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl
Friday, December 16, 2022
11:30 am, ESPN
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
Last Year: Middle Tennessee 31, Toledo 24
Bowl Ties: Conference USA vs MAC
Bowl Projection: UAB vs Miami University
Duluth Trading Cure Bowl
Friday, December 16, 2022
3:00, ESPN
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Last Year: Coastal Carolina 47, Northern Illinois 41
Bowl Ties: Group of Five vs Group of Five or Army
Bowl Projection: UConn vs Coastal Carolina
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Saturday, December 17, 2022
11:00 am, ESPN
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Last Year: Canceled
Bowl Ties: ACC vs American Athletic (Conference USA)
Bowl Projection: Syracuse vs Memphis
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Saturday, December 17, 2022
12:00, ABC
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Last Year: South Carolina State 31, Jackson State 10
Bowl Ties: MEAC vs SWAC
Bowl Projection: North Carolina Central vs Jackson State
New Mexico Bowl
Saturday, December 17, 2022
2:15, ESPN
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Last Year: Fresno State 31, UTEP 24
Bowl Ties: Mountain West vs AAC, C-USA, MAC or Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Air Force vs North Texas
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
Saturday, December 17, 2022
3:30, ABC
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Last Year: Utah State 24, Oregon State 13
Bowl Ties: Mountain West vs Pac-12
Bowl Projection: Boise State vs Washington State
LendingTree Bowl
Saturday, December 17, 2022
5:45, ESPN
Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
Last Year: Liberty 56, Eastern Michigan 20
Bowl Ties: MAC vs Sun Belt (C-USA)
Bowl Projection: Bowling Green vs Louisiana
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Saturday, December 17, 2022
7:30, ABC
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Last Year: Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 13
Bowl Ties: Pac-12 vs SEC
Bowl Projection: UCLA vs Arkansas
Frisco Bowl
Saturday, December 17, 2022
9:15, ESPN
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Last Year: San Diego State 38, UTSA 24
Bowl Ties: Group of Five vs Group of Five or Army
Bowl Projection: Troy vs Fresno State
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Monday, December 19, 2022
2:30, ESPN
Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
Last Year: Tulsa 30, Old Dominion 17
Bowl Ties: C-USA, MAC, Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: Liberty vs Georgia Southern
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
3:30 ESPN
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
Last Year: Wyoming 52, Kent State 38
Bowl Ties: MAC vs Mountain West
Bowl Projection: Buffalo vs Utah State
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
7:30, ESPN
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Last Year: WKU 59, Appalachian State 38
Bowl Ties: Group of Five vs Group of Five
Bowl Projection: Southern Miss vs Houston
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
9:00, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Last Year: Louisiana 36, Marshall 21
Bowl Ties: Conference USA vs Sun Belt
Bowl Projection: WKU vs South Alabama
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Thursday, December 22, 2022
7:30, ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Last Year: Army 24, Missouri 22
Bowl Ties: American Athletic vs Conference USA (Big 12, Pac-12)
Bowl Projection: SMU vs UTSA
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Friday, December 23, 2022
TBA, ESPN
Independence Bowl, Shreveport, LA
Last Year: UAB 31, BYU 28
Bowl Ties: American Athletic vs Army
Bowl Projection: UCF vs BYU
Union Home Gasparilla Bowl
Friday, December 23, 2022
TBA, ESPN
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Last Year: UCF 29, Florida 17
Bowl Ties: ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC (AAC, C-USA)
Bowl Projection: Marshall vs Duke
Easyport Hawaii Bowl
Saturday, December 24, 2022
8:00, ESPN
Clarence TC Ching Complex, Honolulu, HI
Last Year: Canceled
Bowl Ties: Conference USA vs Mountain West
Bowl Projection: Middle Tennessee vs San Jose State
Bowl Projections: Week 13 2022-2023
Bowl Projections, Part 2 | New Year’s Six
College Football Playoff Prediction