Just one weekend of college football stands between now and the 2022 bowl season, and our latest projections paint a picture of how the postseason could look. Of course, anything could happen on Championship Weekend to reshuffle the College Football Playoff, but let’s dive into some of the marquee matchups we could be treated to through December and into January.
2022 College Football Bowl Projections | New Year’s Six
Our 2022 CFB bowl projections are comprised of a combination of our own College Football Top 25, and the teams that fall outside of those are selected based on their current standing within their respective conferences.
If you don’t see your favorite team here, there’s a solid chance that they’re not going bowling in 2022. Let’s kick off with the Crown Jewel of the CFB bowl season, the College Football Playoff, and other New Year’s Six games.
Peach Bowl (College Football Playoff) | No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU
With Michigan dominantly vanquishing their bitter rival in “The Game,” the Wolverines appear set to secure second place in the College Football Playoff rankings, with only Purdue standing between them and a second successive Big Ten Championship and a place in the “final four” when Selection Sunday rolls around.
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In our latest college football bowl projections, the Wolverines’ reward for their imperious win over Ohio State is a Peach Bowl date with TCU. The Horned Frogs ended the season in spectacular style with a beatdown win over Iowa State. Only Kansas State stands between them and their first trip to the Peach Bowl since 2014 when they also ranked No. 3 in the final rankings.
Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff) | No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 USC
Georgia has an SEC Championship Game showdown with LSU before they can secure the No. 1 overall spot in the final CFP rankings. However, it would be a foolish man who bets against the Bulldogs this fall after finishing the regular season undefeated with a come-from-behind win in their “Clean Old Fashioned Hate” rivalry game against Georgia Tech.
Our 2022 college football bowl projections see the return of the Pac-12 conference to the College Football Playoff with the USC Trojans awaiting Georgia in the Fiesta Bowl. Caleb Williams put in a Heisman Trophy-worthy performance as USC swept aside Notre Dame, putting them in line to penetrate the final four for the first time this season. Win the Pac-12 title game on Friday and the Trojans are surely in.
Rose Bowl | Ohio State vs. Washington
For the second consecutive season, the Ohio State Buckeyes come up short against their bitter rivals. With no possibility of a conference championship, it feels unlikely that Ryan Day’s team can mount an assault on the College Football Playoff unless absolute chaos ensues next weekend. Instead, Ohio State settles for a place in Pasadena as the Big Ten’s representative against the Pac-12.
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Although the Utah Utes will contest the Pac-12 Championship Game, the second-ranked team in our College Football Top 25 — and the team with the second-best record in the conference — is the Washington Huskies. Michael Penix Jr. leads the Huskies to Pasadena in our 2022 college football bowl projections, rekindling a rivalry from when he played in the Big Ten with Indiana.
Cotton Bowl | Tulane vs. Penn State
After going 2-10 last season, Willie Fritz’s Tulane team has been one of the fairytale stories of the 2022 college football campaign. The Green Wave has rolled into the AAC Championship Game, and as the top-ranked Group of Five team in our College Football Top 25, they earn a spot in the Cotton Bowl for the first time in program history.
After losing to Michigan and Ohio State, Penn State has been a juggernaut down the stretch. As a result, they have a genuine chance of finishing the year in the top 10 of the CFP rankings.
The Nittany Lions’ matchup with Tulane in our college football bowl projections brings together two of the most impactful running backs in the nation in Tyjae Spears and true freshman Nicholas Singleton.
Sugar Bowl | Kansas State vs. Alabama
Kansas State stands between TCU and the College Football Playoff, but according to our 2022 bowl projections, the Wildcats won’t be a significant enough hurdle to prevent the Horned Frogs from leaping into the final four.
A place in the Sugar Bowl shouldn’t be sniffed at as a reward for the program’s best regular-season record since 2012.
With Alabama finishing on a high with an imperious performance in the Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide look set to play in the Sugar Bowl for the fourth time in Nick Saban’s highly successful tenure as head coach. However, he’s 1-3 in the New Orleans showcase, with defeats to Utah, Ohio State, and Oklahoma.
Alabama and Kansas State have never faced each other before, adding intrigue to this matchup.
Orange Bowl | Clemson vs. Tennessee
The final New Year’s Six game in our college football bowl projections sees two teams who had College Football Playoff aspirations meet in the Orange Bowl. Given the primary color of each team’s uniforms, there’s something poetic about seeing Clemson and Tennessee battle it out at Hard Rock Stadium.
The last time the Tigers and Volunteers met, it was in the 2004 Peach Bowl, where Clemson halted a seven-game losing streak to Tennessee. The Tigers will need to defend better against the Vols’ dynamic wide receiver duo of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman than they did against Spencer Rattler and the South Carolina Gamecocks if they’re to replicate that success in their 2022 season finale.
Projections for the Remaining 2022 College Football Bowl Games
Citrus Bowl
LSU vs. Purdue
ReliaQuest Bowl
South Carolina vs. Minnesota
Music City Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Iowa
Arizona Bowl
Wyoming vs. Toledo
Gator Bowl
Florida vs. North Carolina
Sun Bowl
Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Duke vs. Maryland
Alamo Bowl
Oregon vs. Texas
Cheez-It Bowl
Florida State vs. Texas Tech
Pinstripe Bowl
Syracuse vs. Wisconsin
Texas Bowl
Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State
Holiday Bowl
Utah vs. Notre Dame
Liberty Bowl
Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma
Military Bowl
NC State vs. Cincinnati
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Baylor vs. Illinois
Birmingham Bowl
Wake Forest vs. Missouri
First Responder Bowl
Memphis vs. Appalachian State
Camellia Bowl
Marshall vs. Liberty
Quick Lane Bowl
San Diego State vs. Bowling Green
Hawaii Bowl
Air Force vs. UConn
Gasparilla Bowl
UCF vs. Western Kentucky
Independence Bowl
Army vs. BYU
Armed Forces Bowl
Kansas vs. East Carolina
New Orleans Bowl
Middle Tennessee State vs. Troy
Boca Raton Bowl
North Texas vs. South Alabama
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Utah State vs. Eastern Michigan
Myrtle Beach Bowl
SMU vs. Southern Mississippi
Frisco Bowl
UTSA vs. Fresno State
Las Vegas Bowl
Kentucky vs. UCLA
Lending Tree Bowl
Louisiana vs. Buffalo
LA Bowl
Washington State vs. Boise State
New Mexico Bowl
Georgia Southern vs. San Jose State
Celebration Bowl
North Carolina Central vs. Jackson State
Fenway Bowl
Louisville vs. Houston
Cure Bowl
Coastal Carolina vs. Ohio
Bahamas Bowl
Miami (OH) vs. UAB