The CollegeFootballNews.com bowl projections, picks and predictions for the College Football Playoff after the December 3rd College Football Playoff Rankings

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– Future College Football Playoff Sites & Dates

Welcome to the last bowl projections before the final big ones roll out after all of the games are played on Championship Saturday. We’ve changed these up following the latest round of rankings from the College Football Playoff committee.

So here’s what we know …

– BYU is in the Hawaii Bowl, and Buffalo and Charlotte are in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl. They announce the Bahamas Bowl early to allow more time for travel arrangements.

– Barring a total meltdown of epic proportions, Ohio State and LSU are going to be in the College Football Playoff even if they lose their respective championship games. Clemson is probably in even if it loses to Virginia, but that’s not a guarantee.

If Georgia beats LSU in the SEC Championship, both teams will be in, and the Big 12 champion and Utah – if it wins the Pac-12 Championship – will almost certainly be out.

And now for the big calls, with the caveat that this can – and possibly will – all change on the fly on Saturday as the results roll in.

– It’s been our call for weeks that Cincinnati and Memphis split their final two games, with UC winning the American Athletic Conference Championship. That would likely put Boise State in the Cotton Bowl if it beats Hawaii in the Mountain West Championship.

However, if Memphis beats Cincinnati, it’s in the Cotton, and this entire puzzle gets changed with all of the Mountain West and American Athletic Conference bowls being reworked.

– Thanks to the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night that put Wisconsin at 8, Florida 9, Penn State 10, Auburn 11 and Alabama 12, we’re projecting that Wisconsin loses to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship and drops behind Penn State in the final rankings. The higher-ranked team between the two will end up in the Rose Bowl, and the other will go to the Cotton Bowl, because we also project that the Badgers finish ranked ahead of Auburn.

As the highest-ranked available team on the board, we’re projecting that Florida will get a New Year’s Six bowl bid, and based off the committee’s rankings, Auburn and Alabama won’t make the NY6. That means that three of the CFP/New Year’s Six bowl bids will go to the SEC, and three will go to the Big Ten.

For right now, here’s the best guess …

2019-2020 Bowl Projections: After December 3 College Football Playoff Rankings

Teams in underline have accepted bids

Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl

Friday, December 20

2:00 ET, ESPN

Thomas Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas

MAC vs. Conference USA

Projection: Buffalo vs. Charlotte

Last Season: FIU 35, Toledo 32

Bet on this with BetMGM

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

Friday, December 20

7:30 ET, ESPN2

Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX

American Athletic vs. at-large

Secondary: MAC, and if not, Conference USA

Projection: SMU vs. UAB

Last Season: Ohio 27, San Diego State 0

CFN Podcast: CFP Rankings Reaction

Cure Bowl

Saturday, December 21

1:30 ET, CBS Sports Network

Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL

American Athletic vs. Sun Belt

Projection: FIU* vs. Georgia State

Last Season: Tulane 41, Louisiana 24

*No AAC team projected available

New Mexico Bowl

Saturday, December 21

2:00 ET, ESPN

Branch Field at Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM

Conference USA vs. Mountain West

Projection: Southern Miss vs. Nevada

Last Season: Utah State 52, North Texas 13

Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl

Saturday, December 21

3:30 ET, ABC

Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL

American Athletic vs. MAC

Projection: Temple vs. Ohio

Last Season: UAB 37, Northern Illinois 13

Camellia Bowl

Saturday, December 21

5:30 ET, ESPN

Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL

MAC vs. Sun Belt

Projection: Kent State vs. Arkansas State

Last Season: Georgia Southern 23, Eastern Michigan 21

Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl

Saturday, December 21

7:30 ET, ABC

Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

Mountain West (champion) vs. Pac-12

Projection: Hawaii vs. Washington State

Last Season: Fresno State 31, Arizona State 20

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Saturday, December 21

9:00 ET, ESPN

Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Conference USA vs. Sun Belt (champion)

Projection: Louisiana Tech vs. Louisiana

Last Season: Appalachian State 45, Middle Tennessee 13

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl

Monday, December 23

2:30 ET, ESPN

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

American Athletic vs. Conference USA

Secondary: ACC

Projection: Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic

Last Season: Marshall 38, USF 20

– 2019-2020 College Football Conference Bowl Tie-Ins

SoFi Hawai’i Bowl

Tuesday, December 24

8:00 ET, ESPN

Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union Field at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

BYU vs. American Athletic or Mountain West

Projection: BYU vs. Wyoming

Last Season: Louisiana Tech 31, Hawaii 14

Walk-On’s Independence Bowl

Thursday, December 26

4:00 ET, ESPN

Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA

ACC vs. SEC

Secondary: American Athletic, Conference USA

Projection: Miami vs. UCF

Last Season: Duke 56, Temple 27

Quick Lane Bowl

Thursday, December 26

8:00 ET, ESPN

Ford Field, Detroit, MI

ACC vs. Big Ten

Secondary: MAC

Projection: Boston College vs. Toledo

Last Season: Minnesota 34, Georgia Tech 10

Military Bowl Presented By Northrup Grumman

Friday, December 27

12:00 ET, ESPN

Navy-Marine Corps. Stadium, Annapolis, MD

ACC vs. American Athletic

Projection: North Carolina vs. Navy

Last Season: Cincinnati 35, Virginia Tech 31

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Friday, December 27

3:20 ET, ESPN

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

ACC vs. Big Ten

Projection: Louisville vs. Michigan State

Last Season: Wisconsin 35, Miami 3

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl

Friday, December 27

6:45 ET, ESPN

NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Big 12 vs. SEC

Projection: Kansas State vs. Texas A&M

Last Season: Baylor 45, Vanderbilt 38

*No SEC team projected available

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Friday, December 27

8:00 ET, FS1

SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, CA

Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Michigan vs. USC

Last Season: Northwestern 31, Utah 20

Cheez-It Bowl

Saturday, December 28

10:15 ET, ESPN

Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

Big 12 vs. Pac-12

Secondary: Mountain West

Projection: Texas vs. San Diego State

Last Season: TCU 10, Cal 7 OT

Camping World Bowl

Saturday, December 28

12:00 ET, ABC

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

ACC vs. Big 12

Projection: Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State

Last Season: Syracuse 34, West Virginia 18

SERVPRO First Responders Bowl

Monday, December 30

12:30 ET, ESPN

Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX

Big 12 vs. Conference USA

Projection: Western Michigan* vs. Marshall

Last Season: Boise State vs. Boston College cancelled

*No Big 12 team projected available

Redbox Bowl

Monday, December 30

4:00 ET, FOX

Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Illinois vs. Cal

Last Season: Oregon 7, Michigan State 6

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Monday, December 30

4:00 ET, ESPN

Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN

SEC vs. (likely) ACC, or Big Ten

Projection: Mississippi State vs. Virginia Tech

Last Season: Auburn 63, Purdue 14

*No SEC team projected available

Belk Bowl

Tuesday, December 31

12:00 ET, ESPN

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

ACC vs. SEC

Projection: Pitt vs. Cincinnati*

Last Season: Virginia 28, South Carolina 0

*No SEC team projected available

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Tuesday, December 31

2:00 ET, CBS

Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX

ACC vs. Pac-12

Projection: Wake Forest vs. Arizona State

Last Season: Stanford 14, Pitt 13

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Tuesday, December 31

3:45 ET, ESPN

Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN

Big 12 vs. SEC

Secondary: American Athletic

Projection: Iowa State vs. Tennessee

Last Season: Oklahoma State 38, Missouri 33

NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl

Tuesday, December 31

4:30 ET, CBS Sports Network

Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ

Sun Belt vs. Mountain West

Projection: Georgia Southern vs. Liberty*

Last Season: Nevada 16, Arkansas State 13 OT

*No Mountain West team projected available

Valero Alamo Bowl

Tuesday, December 31

7:30 ET, ESPN

Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

Big 12 vs. Pac-12

Projection: Baylor vs. Washington

Last Season: Washington State 28, Iowa State 26

VRBO Citrus Bowl

Wednesday, January 1

1:00 ET, ABC

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

SEC vs. Big Ten or ACC

Projection: Auburn vs. Iowa

Last Season: Kentucky 27, Penn State 24

Outback Bowl

Wednesday, January 1

1:00 ET, ESPN

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Big Ten vs. SEC

Projection: Minnesota vs. Alabama

Last Season: Iowa 27, Mississippi State 22

Birmingham Bowl

Thursday, January 2

3:00 ET, ESPN

Legion Field, Birmingham, AL

American Athletic vs. SEC

Secondary: ACC

Projection: Tulane vs. Florida State

Last Season: Wake Forest 37, Memphis 34

*No SEC or ACC teams projected available

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Thursday, January 2

7:00 ET, ESPN

EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL

SEC vs. (likely) Big Ten, or ACC

Projection: Kentucky vs. Indiana

Last Season: Texas A&M 52, NC State 13

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Friday, January 3

3:30 ET, ESPN

Lyle Smith Field at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID

MAC vs. Mountain West

Projection: Miami University vs. Utah State

Last Season: BYU 49, Western Michigan 18

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Saturday, January 4

11:30 am ET, ESPN

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX

Big Ten vs. Mountain West

Projection: WKU* vs. Air Force

Last Season: Army 70, Houston 14

*No Big Ten team projected available

LendingTree Bowl

Monday, January 6

7:30 ET, ESPN

Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL

MAC vs. Sun Belt

Projection: Central Michigan vs. Appalachian State

Last Season: Troy 42, Buffalo 32

– 2019-2020 College Football Conference Bowl Tie-Ins

NEXT: New Year’s Six Bowls & College Football Playoff