All for Tennessee
Fansided

All for Tennessee Official SEC, New Year’s Six, and College Football Playoff Bowl Projections Following Week 13 of the Season

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 26, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers receiver Josh Malone (3) celebrates after a touchdown reception during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers receiver Josh Malone (3) celebrates after a touchdown reception during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 9
Next
Dec 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the Leishman trophy at media day for the 2015 Rose Bowl at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the Leishman trophy at media day for the 2015 Rose Bowl at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

New Year’s Six Bowl Projections Part II

Rose Bowl: Monday, Jan. 2 at 5 p.m.; Rose Bowl; Pasadena, Calif.

Wisconsin Badgers vs Colorado Buffaloes

Now this is where the real scandal begins. Our projected Big Ten champion is not going to reach the College Football Playoff in our bowl projections because they won’t be the Penn State Nittany Lions. Paul Chryst’s Wisconsin Badgers are projected to win in our model. That will catapult a non-Big Ten champion into the College Football Playoff and keep the Badgers out since they, unlike Penn State, did not beat that non-Big Ten champion. As a result, they’ll get the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Buffaloes remain our No. 2 team in the Pac-12. We still project Mike MacIntyre’s team to finish 10-3, and that will make them the second best team in the conference. Even with a projected loss this weekend, they need to go ahead of the USC Trojans, since their loss will have come in the Pac-12 Championship game and should not count against them as much.

Sugar Bowl: Monday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m.; Mercedez-Benz Superdome; New Orleans, La.

Auburn Tigers vs Oklahoma Sooners

Clearly, no SEC team wants this spot in the Sugar Bowl. First the LSU Tigers blew it. Then the Texas A&M Aggies blew it. Then the Auburn Tigers blew it, but the Tennessee Vols blew it a little bit later. Once the Florida Gators blow it with a loss this weekend, the Auburn Tigers will be the team that the SEC has to put up in the Sugar Bowl. At 8-4, they will deserve to go over other SEC teams. But it will force people to re-think these automatic bowl tie-ins.

The Oklahoma Sooners remain our projected Big 12 champion, although they will have to face a tough test against the Oklahoma State Cowboys this weekend. The winner of that game will be going to the Sugar Bowl since no Big 12 champion can get into the College Football Playoff. So Auburn-Oklahoma, Gus Malzahn vs Bob Stoops, is the likely scenario here in our bowl projections.

Home/Vols Football