College Football: Way-too-early bowl projections for 2020 season
Power Five bowls
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Kansas State vs. Ole Miss)
- TBA — Houston, Texas
Ole Miss was already trending in the right direction and with an improved Lane Kiffin taking over, the program should find themselves back in a bowl game. There, a matchup with Kansas State would be fun to watch as there’d be plenty of points scored.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Iowa State vs. Tennessee)
- TBA — Memphis, Tenn.
The Vols are on their way back to the top of the SEC, but they likely are still a year away. Thus a trip to the Liberty Bowl inside Volunteer State lines would be like a home game, but an opponent with an elite offense like Iowa State would still make for a great challenge.
Belk Bowl (Pittsburgh vs. Missouri)
- TBA — Charlotte, N.C.
Pittsburgh has more than enough talent to win six games in the ACC, while Missouri under first-year head coach Eli Drinkwitz should be back in a bowl after a one-year ban. Last year’s Belk Bowl ended up being one of the best games of the postseason, a matchup between the Panthers and Tigers would likely provide for another great matchup.
Camping World Bowl (Florida State vs. TCU)
- TBA — Orlando, Fla.
A trip to the Camping World Bowl would be a step forward for a Florida State program that missed a bowl bid in 2018 and snuck into one last season. Here they’d get a quality challenge from a Big 12 opponent such as TCU.
Cheez-It Bowl (Texas Tech vs. Purdue)
- TBA — Phoenix, Ariz.
The direction of Texas Tech’s program seems to be trending towards bowl eligibility. In the Cheez-It Bowl, they would get a chance to take on a Big Ten opponent. Purdue seems like a logical choice as they quietly have one of the best group of playmakers in the conference.
Fenway Bowl (Michigan State* vs. Memphis)
- TBA — Boston Mass.
The first-ever Fenway Bowl may have trouble finding an ACC program to fill the slot. Thus, we give the bid to the Big Ten’s Michigan State against American Athletic foe Memphis who won the conference a year ago but will likely take a step back in 2020.
LA Bowl (Stanford vs. Air Foce)
- TBA — Inglewood, Calif.
The brand new SoFi Stadium will play host to the first-ever LA Bowl, where it only makes sense to project a California team such as Stanford to represent the Pac-12. Here the Cardinal could matchup with a foe such as Air Force in what would make for a nail biter.
Military Bowl (Virginia Tech vs. Navy)
- TBA — Annapolis, Md.
No program in the nation has a longer bowl streak than Virginia Tech (27). They should make it 28 next season where a bid to the Military Bowl would give them an opportunity to take on Navy.
Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl (California vs. Auburn)
- TBA — Las Vegas, Nev.
The Las Vegas Bowl will now offer a bid to an SEC program. Auburn could be a logical fit given the holes they need to fill on defense. While they’d likely prefer a bigger bowl game, Cal would still provide a great challenge and highly-competitive game.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Illinois vs. Louisville)
- TBA — Bronx, N.Y.
The Pinstripe Bowl has provided some outstanding games since its debut in 2010. A matchup of a stingy Illinois defense and high-flying Louisville offense could make for another all-time classic.
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (La. Tech vs. Syracuse)
- TBA — Shreveport, La.
Louisiana Tech would get somewhat of a home game here against a Syracuse team looking to rebound after a horrid 2019 campaign.
Redbox Bowl (Utah vs. Nebraska)
- TBA — Santa Clara, Calif.
Utah is losing much of their division-winning roster from a year ago but should still find their way to six wins, while Nebraska needs at least a six-win season for Scott Frost to avoid the hot seat. This matchup makes all-too much sense for a Redbox Bowl showdown in Santa Clara.
SDCCU Holiday Bowl (North Carolina vs. Washington)
- TBA — San Diego, Calif.
North Carolina is a program on the rise under Mack Brown and a trip to the Holliday Bowl would prove that. Washington will be under new leadership in 2020 but should still find its way near the top of the Pac-12, earning them a spot in this highly-respected game.
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Virginia vs. Baylor)
- TBA — Dallas, Texas
Baylor won 11 games in 2019, but it will be hard to replicate that with the talent they lost and head coach Matt Rhule in the NFL. Thus, a trip to the First Responder Bowl to take on another improving program in Virginia would still be welcomed.
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Duke vs. South Carolina)
- TBA — Jacksonville, Fla.
Duke missed out on a bowl-bid by just one game last season but should find their way to six in 2020. Here they’d draw an SEC foe in South Carolina where Will Muschamp must find wins in order to save his job.
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl (Miami vs. Mississippi State)
- TBA — Birmingham, Ala.
Miami and Mississippi State in the Birmingham Bowl? It might happen as the Hurricanes program continues its downward slide while Mike Leach is entering his first season in Starkville and may need some time to turn things fully around.
TransPerfect Music City Bowl (Indiana vs. Texas A&M)
- TBA — Nashville, Tenn.
Indiana is a program on the rise and nearly took down Tennessee in the Gator Bowl last season. They’d get another SEC challenger this time around in Texas A&M.
Valero Alamo Bowl (Arizona State vs. West Virginia)
- TBA — San Antonio, Texas
Herm Edwards is building something special in Tempe and the Alamo Bowl would be yet another step forward for the program. On the other hand, this is a West Virginia team poised to break out in year two under Neal Brown.
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (Wake Forest vs. Oregon State)
- Dec. 31 — El Paso, Texas
Not many realize Oregon State finished second in the second in the Pac-12 North with a 4-5 conference record a year ago. They should be able to break their bowl drought next season and head to El Paso to take on an ACC foe such as Wake Forest.
Outback Bowl (Wisconsin vs. Kentucky)
- Jan. 1 — Tampa Fla.
The Kentucky Wildcats continue to be the most underrated program in the SEC as they’ve gone 18-8 the last two seasons. An Outback Bowl bid would help show the nation they’re for reel and could provide a fun matchup with their basketball rival Wisconsin.
Vrbo Citrus Bowl (Minnesota vs. Georgia)
- Jan. 1 — Orlando, Fla.
The most prestigious non-New Year’s Six games is the Citrus Bowl. Last season it was Alabama representing the SEC and in 2020 and it may be another typical powerhouse in Georgia as they have lost nearly their entire starting lineup on offense from the past three seasons. Here they’d get a chance to take on PJ Fleck and a Minnesota program on the rise.