2023-10-09 18:04:44
After Week 6, the College Football Playoff race is starting to take shape. With about half of the season behind everyone, there are a couple of clear favorites. There are also several exciting conference races that could break several different ways and put several different teams in the College Football Playoff.
In Week 6, Red River between Texas and Oklahoma could prove to have massive ramifications for the College Football Playoff. At the same time, the two teams may meet again in the Big 12 Championship Game, which would likely carry more weight for the Playoff than the regular season game would. Still, it’s hard to deny that it was the game of the week and arguably one of the games of the season.
Also among college football’s top teams, Georgia dominated an unbeaten Kentucky team while Notre Dame dropped a road game to Louisville, effectively taking the Irish out of any College Football Playoff conversation.
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The Georgia Bulldogs have been the top-ranked team in college football since the start of the season. The Bulldogs are coming off two straight national championships and seeking a third. It seems like they’re in as good of a chance as any to get to that point, especially after dominating unbeaten Kentucky over the weekend.
There’s no denying that Georgia has played a relatively easy non-conference schedule to this point. However, as long as the Bulldogs keep winning, they shouldn’t have an issue making the College Football Playoff. To this point, that doesn’t seem like an issue.
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The Michigan Wolverines have made the College Football Playoff for the last two seasons. In its own right, that was a step over the hump for the Wolverines. However, now Jim Harbaugh and Michigan want to take the net step and win a game once they get there, but they’ve got to get there first.
Like Georgia, Michigan has not had a particularly difficult schedule to this point in the season. However, the Wolverines do have two major tests coming up in Big Ten play against Penn State and Ohio State. Win those and Michigan should be in good shape.
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Florida State opened the season with a marquee win in Week 1 against LSU. A couple of weeks later, the Seminoles got the monkey off their back and beat Clemson. Since then, Florida State has been able to take care of business and keep on winning.
There is a smaller margin for error for Florida State than there is for either Georgia or Michigan. The Seminoles’ good wins are against teams with multiple losses at this point. So, games like the ACC Championship down the stretch are going to be vital for the Seminoles to make the College Football Playoff.
Texas QB Quinn Ewwers (© Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Texas just lost to Oklahoma in Red River. Despite that, these particular College Football Playoff and bowl projections are still ranking the Longhorns as a top four team while the Sooners are just on the outside looking in. That’s likely due to Texas’ win on the road against Alabama and how close the Oklahoma loss was. Besides that, Texas will likely get a shot to beat Oklahoma down the line in the Big 12 Championship Game.
One thing that the loss to Red River did was remove any margin for error for the Longhorns. In a four-team Playoff format, there’s no room for two-loss teams historically. So, Texas needs to play clean and avoid costly upsets from this point onward.
© Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
Through Week 6, Washington has one of the most explosive offenses in the season behind the arm of quarterback Michael Penix. The Huskies are unblemished to this point in the season and will likely make a push for both the Pac-12 Championship and a prestigious bowl. That could very well end up being the Fiesta Bowl.
In this case, Washington would be playing Tulane. The Green Wave do have a loss this season to Ole Miss, but that game they were without starting quarterback Michael Prattand otherwise the defending Cotton Bowl Champions have been one of the best AAC teams. They could easily be of the G5 representative in the New Year’s Six again this season.
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The North Carolina Tar Heels have one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Drake Maye. It’s behind him that the Tar Heels have found incredible success to this point in the season. However, beyond Maye, a much improved defense and the return of Tez Walker have given North Carolina a boost to this point in the season.
As of now, it looks like North Carolina is heading to the Orange Bowl. There, the Tar Heels look like they’d run into the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes have seemed to be a step behind Michigan in the Big Ten. However, Ohio State will get its shot at the Wolverines later this season to prove that they’re deserving of a Playoff spot too.
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By the standard of the Nick Saban era, the 2023 Alabama Crimson Tide have had issues, especially at the quarterback position. Still, Alabama is excellent and competing to win the SEC West this year. It also looks like the Crimson Tide will likely play for a New Year’s Six bowl again this season.
As of now, Alabama’s opponent in the Peach Bowl looks to be Penn State. The Nittany Lions are as talented as they’ve ever been in the James Franklin era and are unbeaten through Week 6. Penn State will also get its shot at Ohio State and Michigan down the stretch to try and impact the race for the College Football Playoff in their own right.
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The Cotton Bowl could easily become the Lincoln Riley Bowl with USC and Oklahoma potentially playing one another in the game. Riley, of course, left Oklahoma to become the head coach at USC following the 2021 season. He immediately got the Trojans going on offense alongside Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams.
To replace Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma brought in Brent Venables. Year one had some growing pains, but the Sooners seem to have figured things out in year two and now are one of the best teams in the country. Getting to the Cotton Bowl to take on USC would be a huge second season and an incredibly emotional game for everyone involved.
Remaining bowl game projections
SATURDAY, Dec. 16
Bahamas Bowl: FIU vs. Eastern Michigan
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
11 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Liberty vs. Appalachian State
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Cure Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Marshall
Exploria Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
New Mexico Bowl: San Diego State vs. New Mexico State
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
5:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
LA Bowl: Utah vs. Fresno State
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
7:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Baylor vs. Colorado
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
9:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
MONDAY, Dec. 18
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Troy vs. Toledo
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
2:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
TUESDAY, Dec. 19
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: SMU vs. Texas State
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
THURSDAY, Dec. 21
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl: South Alabama vs. Florida
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
FRIDAY, Dec. 22
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: NC State vs. Ohio
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
6:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
SATURDAY, Dec. 23
Birmingham Bowl: UCF vs. South Carolina
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Camellia Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. James Madison
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: BYU vs. Army
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
3:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Wyoming
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
68 Ventures Bowl: UTSA vs. Georgia Southern
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
7 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Iowa vs. UCLA
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl: Boise State vs. FAU
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
10:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
TUESDAY, Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota vs. Miami (OH)
Ford Field (Detroit)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Louisiana vs. Western Kentucky
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Michigan State
Chase Field (Phoenix)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 27
Military Bowl: Air Force vs. Memphis
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Duke vs. Kentucky
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
5:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Holiday Bowl: Syracuse vs. Washington State
Petco Park (San Diego)
8 p.m., Fox
TaxAct Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M
NRG Stadium (Houston)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
THURSDAY, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl: Boston College vs. USF
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Rutgers
Yankee Stadium (New York)
2:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Pop-Tarts Bowl: Our Lady vs. Kansas
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Valero Alamo Bowl: West Virginia vs. Oregon
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
FRIDAY, Dec. 29
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Louisville vs. Tennessee
TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Florida)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Miami vs. Oregon State
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs. Auburn
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
SATURDAY, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl: Maryland vs. Missouri
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl: UNLV vs. Central Michigan
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m.
MONDAY, Jan. 1
ReliaQuest Bowl: Clemson vs. LSU
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Be Miss
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
1 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
The College Football Playoff picture is starting to take shape. However, in Week 7 and the second half of the season going forward, it will take even greater shape. Perhaps no bigger game will happen during the week than the Pac-12 matchup between Oregon and Washington, which could easily catapult the winner moving forward.
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