College Football Bowl Projections 2022: Ohio State Buckeyes Are College Football Playoff Bound

With the final games of the 2022 college football season in the rear view mirror, our latest bowl projections attempt to predict how the postseason dominos will fall when the College Football Playoff Selection Committee announce their final CFP rankings. We know all the teams that are going bowling, but where are they headed during the most wonderful season of them all?

Note: Are you looking for the confirmed bowl games? These are being announced throughout the day, and we’re keeping track of them as they come in. For the full list of confirmed bowl games, click here.

2022 College Football Bowl Projections | New Year’s Six

Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff) | No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU

Michigan booked their ticket to the College Football Playoff when they destroyed Ohio State in “The Game” rivalry in the final week of the regular season. A Big Ten Championship-securing win over Purdue just sealed second place The Wolverines’ defense is too good, their offensive line is too strong, and whatever form of offense lines up behind it can thrive.

This is where our 2022 college football bowl projections become a little contentious. TCU’s loss in the Big 12 Championship shouldn’t cost them a spot in the College Football Playoff, especially considering it was against the 10th-ranked team in the nation. They could slip behind Ohio State, but there’ll be a desire to keep Big Ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State apart in the Fiesta Bowl.

Peach Bowl (College Football Playoff) | No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State

Georgia’s rampant win over LSU in the SEC Championship Game was the cherry on top of a dominant season that will see the Bulldogs enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 team in the nation. Their defense is undeniably the best in the country, and their offense can run with any other unit in the nation. They take their place in the Peach Bowl in our college football bowl projections with an eye on winning an unprecedented consecutive national title.

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With USC losing in the Pac-12 Championship Game, there are some more contentious issues to wade through. Should the Trojans be punished for playing an extra game? No. Will they be? I suspect so. Ohio State is the beneficiary of the Trojans’ downfall, backing into the “final four” while sitting on the sofa watching the action unfold on the television.

Rose Bowl | Utah vs. Penn State

There had been rumors all week that the Rose Bowl didn’t want Ohio State representing the Big Ten in their game. With our college football bowl projections, they get their wish. Penn State heads Pasadena to contest the conference’s annual matchup with the Pac-12 for the fifth time in program history.

USC’s loss to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game knocks them not just out of the CFP, but also the conference’s marquee event in Pasadena. Can Utah get the job done this year?

Cotton Bowl | Tulane vs. USC

USC does still land in a New Year’s Six game, with an at-large bid to the Cotton Bowl as the highest-ranked remaining team in our 2022 college football bowl projections. They face a Tulane team that has completed a remarkable, fairytale-like, turnaround from a two-win campaign last year to being the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the nation.

Green Wave running back Tyjae Spears versus a disastrous USC ground game defense would be worth the admission fee alone.

Sugar Bowl | Kansas State vs. Alabama

Big 12 champion Kansas State heads to the Sugar Bowl after an enthralling title game tussle with TCU. They’ll meet Alabama in New Orleans after the Crimson Tide miss out on the CFP in our 2022 college football bowl projections.

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The two teams have never met, but Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is 1-3 in the New Year’s Six showcase. With a number of Alabama players likely to be missing — including QB Bryce Young — the Wildcats might emerge from New Orleans with a win.

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 would be 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.

Projections for the Remaining 2022 College Football Bowl Games

Citrus Bowl
LSU vs. Purdue

ReliaQuest Bowl
South Carolina vs. Illinois

Music City Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Minnesota

Arizona Bowl
Boise State vs. Toledo

Gator Bowl
Florida vs. North Carolina

Sun Bowl
UCLA vs. Duke

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
North Carolina State vs. Iowa

Alamo Bowl
Texas vs. Washington

Cheez-It Bowl
Texas Tech vs. Florida State

Pinstripe Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Maryland

Texas Bowl
Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State

Holiday Bowl
Oregon vs. Notre Dame

Liberty Bowl
Baylor vs. Ole Miss

Military Bowl
UCF vs. Syracuse

Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Oklahoma vs. Wisconsin

Birmingham Bowl
East Carolina vs. Missouri

First Responder Bowl
Kansas vs. Wake Forest

Camellia Bowl
Marshall vs. Buffalo

Quick Lane Bowl
Ohio vs. San Jose State

Hawaii Bowl
Middle Tennessee State vs. San Diego State

Gasparilla Bowl
Memphis vs. UConn

Independence Bowl
Houston vs. BYU

Armed Forces Bowl
SMU vs. Air Force

New Orleans Bowl
UTSA vs. Coastal Carolina

Boca Raton Bowl
North Texas vs. Georgia Southern

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Eastern Michigan vs. Wyoming

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Southern Mississippi vs. Rice

Frisco Bowl
Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama

Las Vegas Bowl
Oregon State vs. Kentucky

Lending Tree Bowl
Louisiana vs. Bowling Green

LA Bowl
Washington State vs. Fresno State

New Mexico Bowl
Utah State vs. New Mexico State

Celebration Bowl
North Carolina Central vs. Jackson State

Fenway Bowl
Louisville vs Cincinnati

Cure Bowl
Troy vs. Liberty

Bahamas Bowl
Miami (OH) vs. UAB