College Football Playoff, 2022 New Year’s Six bowl projections after Week 4

Sugar Bowl

Kentucky v Oklahoma

Previous: Georgia v Texas

Some big changes in our projections for the Sugar Bowl.

As Georgia continues their march toward another playoff berth, and with Texas losing again at Texas Tech, we project the Sugar Bowl to turn into the Stoops bowl. The younger brother of Oklahoma legend Bob Stoops, Mark Stoops would become a legend in Lexington if he can get his Wildcats to a NY6 bowl for the first time since 1976.

The 8th-ranked Wildcats survived a trap game against Northern Illinois 31-23, setting up a huge road showdown at Ole Miss next week.

As for Oklahoma, this is a step back from the week before, when everyone was talking up the Sooners. As has been the case for the past decade, it was the defense of Oklahoma that let them down. Giving up 41 points to Kansas State after the Wildcats scored just 10 the week before against Tulane is prime Riley Sooners era.

Venables still has a chance to lead his team to a Big 12 championship, but they will likely need to run the table. I’m not betting against Venables, and I still project the Sooners to win the conference and head to New Orleans.

No doubt the Stoops v Stoops angle will be fun, but a matchup between two fantastic quarterbacks in Kentucky’s Will Levis and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel is the draw here. Both have been fantastic this season, and will each hear their name called in next year’s NFL draft.