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College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six Bowl projections after Week 7

By Michael Thompson

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 15: Linebacker Jeremy Banks #33 of the Tennessee Volunteers gets a cigar from a fan after the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2022 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 52-49. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 15: Linebacker Jeremy Banks #33 of the Tennessee Volunteers gets a cigar from a fan after the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2022 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 52-49. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Week seven of the college football season saw major changes to the College Football Playoff and bowl landscape. Not only did Tennessee finally slay Alabama, but we also saw USC take its first defeat in a thriller at Utah. So how does it impact the playoff and New Year’s Six landscape?

Here are week 7 projections for the New Year’s Six, including the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Cotton Bowl

Cincinnati v USC

The Cincinnati Bearcats enjoyed a much-needed bye, and will now travel to SMU in an interesting AAC conference matchup. A team many thought was a NY6 contender, SMU finds themselves at just 3-3, but hoping to spring the ultimate upset. If Cincinnati takes care of business, they’ll then have a major test at UCF the following week. Look to the Knights as a team capable of still making a run at the NY6 if they can spring the upset. Until that happens, we continue to project them as the Group of Five rep for the Cotton Bowl.

The Bearcats projected opponent, the USC Trojans, suffered their first loss of the Lincoln Riley era in a heartbreaking 43-42 loss. The Utes, who trailed the majority of the game, scored and went for the win in the final minute.

We talked last week about how difficult this game would be for USC. An impressive win and the College Football Playoff was likely right there for them. Instead, a tough loss, and we’re projecting the Trojans to end up at the Cotton Bowl.

Can Luke Fickell get over the big bowl hump, or will Lincoln Riley and Trojans send him to 0-3 in the NY6/CFP?

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