ESPN releases update 2023 College Football Playoff, full bowl projections after Week 13
With the final weekend of the regular season complete , the layout for this year’s bowl games is looking clearer and clearer. Now, with all but a few teams left to play during championship weekend , ESPN has released their latest projections for the upcoming postseason.
Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura shared their latest predictions for bowl selections in an article on Sunday. They started with their picks for the College Football Playoff and continued to go through every game set for mid-December through the national championship in Houston.
CFP National Championship
NRG Stadium (Houston)
Monday, Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: vs.
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Michigan
With Michigan’s win over Ohio State, the Bulldogs and Wolverines should be No. 1 and No. 2 in the next rankings for the College Football Playoff. That’s why it’s no surprise that both Bonagura and Schlabach are going chalk with them meeting up to play for the national title. It has been a fairly common pick for the two analysts and didn’t change following the maize and blue’s latest victory.
CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
Monday, Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Michigan vs.
Schlabach: Michigan vs.
In order to make the national championship, Bonagura and Schlabach disagree on who Michigan will face. However, they agree that it’ll be the winner of the Pac-12 Championship on Friday. For Bonagura, that means an undefeated Washington while, for Schlabach, it means the Oregon Ducks after sneaking in with a win in their conference championship.
CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
Monday, Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Florida State
Schlabach: Georgia vs.
Georgia will likely enter the playoff as the No. 1 seed. Even so, Bonagura and Schlabach disagree on which conference champion that the two-time defending champs will meet. In Bonagura’s opinion, he has Florida State remaining undefeated and making it in – even without Jordan Travis. Meanwhile, according to Schlabach, it will be the Texas Longhorns after they win the Big 12 Championship.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Friday, Dec. 29
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Bonagura: Penn State vs. Texas
Schlabach: Alabama vs. Florida State
Bonagura and Schlabach’s opposite picks for the Sugar Bowl are who they have making the Cotton Bowl. Still, they differ again on who the Longhorns or Seminoles would face. Schlabach has the Crimson Tide going to Arlington after falling short in the SEC Championship while Bonagura has the Nittany Lions out of the Big Ten making it to AT&T Stadium.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 30
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: vs.
Schlabach: Missouri vs. Tulane
For the first pick since the national championship, both analysts agreed on who will be in Atlanta on December 30th. As one of the best teams in the SEC, they each have the Missouri Tigers in a spot where they could win their first bowl game since 2014. They both also have Tulane, their likely champion out of the American, going for their second straight postseason win over a Top-10 team out of the Power Five.
Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Bonagura: vs. Ohio State
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Ohio State
Bonagura and Schlabach are also in unison on the Orange Bowl. First, out of the ACC, they have Louisville as a 10-3 runner up from their league. Then, at a playoff worthy record of 11-1, Ohio State will end up in Miami due to their lack of division or conference titles in the Big Ten.
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Monday, Jan. 1
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
Bonagura: Oregon vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Washington vs. Penn State
Bonagura and Schlabach’s leftover picks from the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl will then close things out in the desert. For Bonagura, that means Oregon, his Pac-12 runner up, will meet up with Penn State after their 10-2 regular season. As for Schlabach, he has his second-place finisher in the Pac-12, the Washington Huskies, meeting his runner up from out of the SEC in Alabama.
Remaining Bowl Projections:Saturday, Dec. 16
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
Bonagura: South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Georgia State vs. Western Kentucky
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Florida A&M vs.
Schlabach: Florida A&M vs. Howard
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion
Schlabach: Arkansas State vs. New Mexico State
Cure Bowl
FBC Mortgage Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Bonagura: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. Jacksonville State
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Texas State
Schlabach: Air Force vs.
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
Bonagura: vs.
Schlabach: UCLA vs. UNLV
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
Bonagura: UCF vs.
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. Cal
Monday, Dec. 18
Famous Toastery Bowl
Jerry Richardson Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Jacksonville State
Schlabach: Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia Southern
Tuesday, Dec. 19
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
Bonagura: Arkansas State vs. Utah State
Schlabach: Texas State vs. Old Dominion
Thursday, Dec. 21
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
Bonagura: Georgia State vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Marshall vs. San José State
Friday, Dec. 22
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Bonagura: Memphis vs. James Madison
Schlabach: South Florida vs. James Madison
Saturday, Dec. 23
Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Liberty vs.
Schlabach: Liberty vs. Troy
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia Southern vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: South Alabama vs. Northern Illinois
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
Bonagura: Kansas vs.
Schlabach: Kansas vs.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
Bonagura: Ohio vs. San José State
Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. Utah State
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
Bonagura: Louisiana vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Coastal Carolina vs.
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
Bonagura: Maryland vs.
Schlabach: Maryland vs. Utah
EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
Bonagura: Rice vs. Wyoming
Schlabach: Rice vs. Fresno State
Tuesday, Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
Bonagura: vs. Toledo
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Ohio
Servpro First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. New Mexico State
Schlabach: UCF vs. Syracuse
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Iowa State
Schlabach: Northwestern vs. West Virginia
Wednesday, Dec. 27
Military Bowl presented by GoBowling.com
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
Bonagura: Miami vs.
Schlabach: Miami vs. Memphis
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs.
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky
DirecTV Holiday Bowl
Petco Park (San Diego)
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Oregon State
TaxAct Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Texas A&M
Thursday, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
Bonagura: Boston College vs. UTSA
Schlabach: Boston College vs. SMU
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Bonagura: Clemson vs.
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Rutgers
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State
Schlabach: NC State vs. Oklahoma State
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
Bonagura: Oklahoma vs.
Schlabach: Oklahoma vs. Arizona
Friday, Dec. 29
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: NC State vs.
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Tennessee
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
Bonagura: North Carolina vs.
Schlabach: Duke vs. USC
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
Bonagura: West Virginia vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. UTSA
Saturday, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
Bonagura: Northwestern vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs.
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
Bonagura: Bowling Green vs. Boise State
Schlabach: Miami (Ohio) vs. Boise State
Monday, Jan. 1
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs.
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. LSU
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Ole Miss
