Bowl projections: 24 teams enter Week 13 a win away from bowl eligibility

More than 20 teams face a win-and-in scenario for bowl eligibility during the final week of the regular season.

Entering Week 13, 68 bowl-eligible teams had at least six wins and were guaranteed a spot in a postseason game. That number doesn’t include both James Madison and Jacksonville State. The two teams transitioning from the FCS level to the top level of college football each have more than six wins but aren’t fully bowl-eligible.

Not counting James Madison and Jacksonville State, there are 15 bowl spots up for grabs with 24 teams sitting at five wins after Eastern Michigan's win at Buffalo. And it’s extremely unlikely that all 24 of those teams will get a victory.

Six of the five-win teams are double-digit underdogs and just 12 of them are favorites. That group of favorites includes a Nebraska team that’s a 1.5-point favorite at home against Iowa and 2.5-point favorites in both Old Dominion and Syracuse.

If all the favorites win in Week 13 and Navy beats Army on Dec. 9, there will be 80 bowl-eligible teams. Add in JMU and JSU — they’re first up if there aren’t enough six-win teams for all 82 bowl spots — and the bowl field will be filled without any five-win teams.

Will that happen as neatly as we’ve laid out? Heck no. But we can dream. Here are our latest bowl projections with every five-win favorite winning except Nebraska. In the Huskers’ place, we have Minnesota pulling a slight home upset against Wisconsin.

New Year's Six BowlsCotton Bowl (Dec. 29)Texas vs. Florida State

Peach Bowl (Dec. 30)Penn State vs. Alabama

Orange Bowl (Dec. 30)Louisville vs. Missouri

Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1)Tulane vs. Oregon

Rose Bowl [CFP semifinal] (Jan. 1)Michigan vs. Washington

Sugar Bowl [CFP semifinal] (Jan. 1)Georgia vs. Ohio State

Other BowlsMyrtle Beach Bowl (Dec. 16)Coastal Carolina vs. Western Kentucky

New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 16)New Mexico State vs. Troy

Cure Bowl (Dec. 16)Colorado State vs. Old Dominion

New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 16)Air Force vs. Liberty

LA Bowl (Dec. 16)Fresno State vs. Arizona

Independence Bowl (Dec. 16)Iowa State vs. San Jose State

Famous Toastery Bowl (Dec. 18)Jacksonville State vs. Georgia Southern

Frisco Bowl (Dec. 19)Navy vs. Illinois

Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 21)Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia State

Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 22)South Florida vs. South Alabama

Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 23)Rice vs. Louisiana

Camellia Bowl (Dec. 23)Toledo vs. James Madison

Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 23) Texas Tech vs. Syracuse

Potato Bowl (Dec. 23)Northern Illinois vs. Boise State

Ohio vs. Appalachian State

Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 23)Minnesota vs. Utah

Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 23)SMU vs. Wyoming

Quick Lane Bowl (Dec. 26)Northwestern vs. Marshall

First Responder Bowl (Dec. 26)Utah State vs. Texas State

Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Dec. 26)West Virginia vs. Rutgers

Military Bowl (Dec. 27)NC State vs. UTSA

Duke's Mayo Bowl (Dec. 27)Duke vs. Kentucky

Holiday Bowl (Dec. 27)Clemson vs. UCLA

Texas Bowl (Dec. 27)Kansas vs. Texas A&M

Fenway Bowl (Dec. 28)Boston College vs. Memphis

Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 28)Virginia Tech vs. Maryland

Pop-Tarts Bowl (Dec. 28)North Carolina vs. Oklahoma State

Alamo Bowl (Dec. 28)Oklahoma vs. Oregon State

Gator Bowl (Dec. 29)Miami vs. Tennessee

Sun Bowl (Dec. 29)Georgia Tech vs. USC

Liberty Bowl (Dec. 29)Kansas State vs. Auburn

Music City Bowl (Dec. 30)Wisconsin vs. UCF

Arizona Bowl (Dec. 30)Miami (Ohio) vs. UNLV

ReliaQuest Bowl (Jan. 1)Notre Dame vs. LSU

Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1)Iowa vs. Ole Miss