College Football Bowl Projections 2019, Week 9: Big changes to NY6

December 20

Bahamas Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs. Toledo
2 p.m. ET, ESPN – Nassau, Bahamas

Frisco Bowl: Temple vs. North Texas*
7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 – Frisco, Texas

December 21

New Mexico Bowl: Air Force vs. Western Kentucky
2 p.m. ET, ESPN – Albuquerque, N.M.

Cure Bowl: Georgia State vs. East Carolina
2:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network – Orlando, Fla.

Boca Raton Bowl: Tulane vs. Ohio
3:30 p.m. ET, ABC – Boca Raton, Fla.

Camellia Bowl: Troy vs. Western Michigan
5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN – Montgomery, Ala.

Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Cal
7:30 p.m. ET, ABC – Las Vegas, Nev.

New Orleans Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Louisiana Tech
9 p.m. ET, ESPN – New Orleans, La.

The Skinny

Boise State is certainly still in contention to crack the New Year’s Six, but its hopes took a major dent on Saturday night in a stunning road loss to reeling BYU. The Broncos were 6-0 coming in, and BYU had lost three straight games since upsetting USC in Provo on Sept. 14.

The Cougars dropped games to the likes of Toledo and USF, and not many gave them much of a chance against Boise State. The loss drops Boise State out of the New Year’s Six for now, but the Broncos still project to win the Mountain West, which would in the very least come with an automatic bid into the Las Vegas Bowl.

It’s time we all started taking Western Kentucky seriously as a contender in the C-USA. The Hilltoppers were counted out after a season opening loss to FCS Central Arkansas. Since then, though, Western Kentucky has won five of its last six games, with the one loss coming to a much improved Louisville team. Tyson Helton’s team is 4-0 in conference, and while the schedule tightens up down the stretch, Western Kentucky is a near virtual lock for a bowl bid, and could ultimately win the C-USA title.