College Football Bowl Projections 2018: Chaos averted in Week 11
December 15
New Mexico Bowl: *California vs. Marshall
2 pm ET, ESPN – Albuquerque, New Mexico
AutoNation Cure Bowl: Tulane vs. UL Monroe
2:30 pm ET, CBSSN – Orlando, Florida
Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl: Utah State vs. USC
3:30 pm ET, ABC – Las Vegas, Nevada
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan
5:30 pm ET, ESPN – Montgomery, Alabama
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy vs. Louisiana Tech
9 pm ET, ESPN – New Orleans, Louisiana
December 18
Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl: FAU vs. Ohio
7 pm ET, ESPN – Boca Raton, Florida
December 19
DXL Frisco Bowl: SMU vs. Western Michigan
8 pm ET, ESPN – Frisco, Texas
December 20
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl: USF vs. FIU
8 pm ET, ESPN – Tampa, Florida
The skinny
California ended a 14 year losing streak to USC, besting the Trojans for the first time since 2004 thanks to their customary suffocating defense. Justin Wilcox has now gotten his Golden Bears bowl eligible. It’s been a Jekyll and Hyde season for Cal as they started 3-0, lost three straight (including a 37-7 loss to then winless UCLA), and have now won three of their last four games with their lone loss coming by six points on the road at Washington State. Don’t be surprised if they rocket up the projections in the next few weeks into a more prestigious bowl game.
SMU, after looking dead in the water starting the season 0-3, has gone 5-2 since then and seized control of the AAC West. They knocked off Houston last week, and then the Cougars fell to Temple this week to put the division in the Mustangs’ hands. SMU takes on Memphis at home before finishing up the season on the road at Tulsa. If they win both, they’ll find themselves in the AAC title game with a potential crack at UCF.
In order to win the Mountain West, Utah State will have to do what Fresno State couldn’t do this week: go on the road and knock off the bully of the Mountain West playground in Boise State. The Aggies have boasted one of the best offenses in the country this season and have won nine games in a row since a seven-point season-opening loss to Michigan State. If Utah State can win out and capture the Mountain West crown, they have the potential to usurp UCF in the New Year’s Six if the Knights drop a game.