College football season 2019 predictions: SEC, playoff and Heisman picks

2019-2020 New Year’s Six Bowl Projections

Cotton Bowl – Dec. 28; Dallas, Texas; Noon; ESPN

Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Memphis Tigers (Group of Five bid)

Our top Group of Five team this college football season is the Memphis Tigers, who could go undefeated. So they’ll get the New Year’s Six invite. Meanwhile, the Penn State Nittany Lions will get a wildcard invite despite finishing third in their own division. That’s how loaded the Big Ten East will be this year.

Orange Bowl – Dec. 30; Miami, Fla.; 8 p.m.; ESPN

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Syracuse Orange

Although the Florida State Seminoles could threaten, this is the Syracuse Orange’s year to make a push, as Dino Babers may have his best team. So they’ll be a wildcard from the ACC. Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs will go 11-1 but not make the College Football Playoff because they will lose the East to the Florida Gators. So they’ll be the second wildcard SEC team here.

Rose Bowl – Jan. 1; Pasadena, Calif.; 5 p.m.; ESPN

Michigan State Spartans vs. Washington State Cougars (Pac-12 Champion)

Since the Big Ten champion will make the College Football Playoff, the second team in the East, the Michigan State Spartans, will go to the Rose Bowl. They’ll face Mike Leach’s Washington State Cougars. Despite losing Gardner Minshew, Leach has so much talent back that this is the year he finally breaks through and wins the Pac-12. It’ll be an epic clash of styles in the Rose Bowl.

Sugar Bowl – Jan. 1; New Orleans, La.; 8:45 p.m.; ESPN

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Texas Longhorns

Yes, the Alabama Crimson Tide will finally miss out on the College Football Playoff. Like the Georgia Bulldogs, they’ll only have one loss. But they will get that loss in the SEC Championship game, getting them the Sugar Bowl invite. The same will hold true with the Texas Longhorns on the other side, who will be back in the Sugar Bowl and once again just miss a title.