Bowl projections: Ohio State into Faculty Soccer Playoff after USC falls as Georgia, Michigan, TCU clinch
We knew there wouldn’t be a lot drama getting into Championship Week, at the least because it pertained to the 4 groups that will in the end take part within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. It was merely a matter of which crew would wind up within the No. 4 spot, USC or Ohio State.
Properly, Utah beat USC for the second time this season, 47-24 in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game, to knock the Trojans out of playoff competition. The truth is, USC will most probably be ranked behind Utah when the ultimate CFP Rankings come out Sunday afternoon.
Ohio State will due to this fact again into the College Football Playoff for the third time within the final 4 seasons, most probably because the No. 4 seed. That can make the Massive Ten simply the second convention in CFP historical past to place two groups in a singular four-team subject, becoming a member of the SEC.
The Buckeyes’ positioning solely comes into some query as a result of Kansas State handed TCU its first defeat of the season within the Big 12 Championship Game with the Jayhawks avenging their regular-season loss to the Horned Frogs in additional time.
I consider TCU will remain ahead of Ohio State within the CFP, however even when it doesn’t, neglect any notion of Alabama transferring up together with Ohio State and supplanting TCU. That might be fully unwarranted. If TCU’s jerseys learn “Oklahoma” or Alabama’s stated “Ole Miss,” nobody would even entertain this dialogue level.
Filling out the highest of the four-team subject, Georgia locked up the primary seed within the playoff and its first SEC Championship Game victory since 2017 in a rout of No. 14 LSU, and Michigan clinched the second seed by successful its second straight Big Ten Championship Game, this season over Purdue.
Faculty Soccer Playoff
Jan. 9 | Nationwide Championship | Title sport | Semifinal winners |
Dec. 31 | Peach Bowl | Semifinal | (1) Georgia vs. (4) Ohio State |
Dec. 31 | Fiesta Bowl | Semifinal | (2) Michigan vs. (3) TCU |
The Rose Bowl will function Pac-12 champion Utah, which is making a repeat look within the Granddaddy of Them All after successful a second straight league crown. Penn State will symbolize the Massive Ten rather than league champion Michigan because the highest-ranked Massive Ten crew not taking part in within the CFP.
USC ought to keep excessive sufficient within the CFP Rankings to earn a spot within the Cotton Bowl. That chance arises as a result of the Massive Ten put a second crew within the CFP. Ohio State being out of the at-large pool for the New 12 months’s Six opens the door for the Trojans.
Like Kansas State earlier within the day, Tulane additionally avenged a regular-season loss within the AAC Championship Sport. The Inexperienced Wave throttled UCF 45-28 to win the league crown and advance to their first major bowl game since 1939 when undefeated Tulane confronted equally undefeated Texas A&M within the 1940 Sugar Bowl. Tulane will symbolize the Group of 5 on this 12 months’s Cotton Bowl towards USC.
Talking of the Wildcats, their Massive 12 championship clinches a berth within the Sugar Bowl. Kansas State will face Alabama, the substitute for SEC champion Georgia.
The Orange Bowl will get ACC champion Clemson, which dealt with North Carolina 39-10 in the ACC Championship Game. Tennessee would be the opponent for Clemson because the highest-ranked crew remaining from the SEC, Massive Ten or Notre Dame. A Clemson-Tennessee matchup appears applicable for an Orange Bowl.
New 12 months’s Six bowl video games
Buffalo and New Mexico State have been the final groups to grow to be bowl eligible this week, albeit in numerous methods. Buffalo beat Akron 23-22 to select up its sixth win and earn a bowl berth. NMSU acquired a waiver from the NCAA to take part as a five-win crew.
New Mexico State went out and picked up a sixth win anyway over FCS Valparaiso in a sport added late this weekend, but it surely doesn’t depend towards the six wanted the Aggies wanted as a result of just one FCS opponent will be counted and NMSU beat Lamar earlier this season. The waiver put the Aggies in a bowl anyway.
With the remainder of the sector set, solely Rice will take part as a 5-7 crew this season. Which may be simply in addition to given subsequent crew in line, UNLV, fired its coach this week and was contemplating declining a bowl bid if provided.
Do not see your crew? Try Jerry Palm’s updated bowl projections in addition to the CBS Sports bowl eligibility tracker with all 82 spots now stuffed for the 2022-23 bowl video games.
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