Bowl Predictions 2019

[Armyirish47]

Another year, another round of weekly projections to plan your family Christmas destinations around.

ESPN.com has two prognosticators giving their opinions as usual:
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27569957/college-football-bowl-projections-week-2

They both agree on bowl but not opponent.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Dec. 28., noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Notre Dame
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Boise State

I'm guessing Mr. Bonagura has neglected to look at schedules this year so not sure how much weight to put into his projections.

Collegefootballnews.com hasn't update yet but....
https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/09/bowl-projections-college-football-playoff-predictions-week-1

Belk Bowl
Tuesday, December 31
12:00 ET, ESPN
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Tennessee
Last Season: Virginia 28, South Carolina 0

I'm guessing that one doesn't happen.

 

[zelezo vlk]

How the hell is Tennessee gonna make a bowl?

 

[ACamp1900]

How the hell is Tennessee gonna make a bowl?

SEC


They'd be favored...

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

SEC


They'd be favored...

The SEC only has to win 4 games for bowl eligibility.

 

[BGIF]

How the hell is Tennessee gonna make a bowl?

Divine Right.

 

[phork]

Bonagura has several repeat matches in bowls as well. Texas/LSU is one. Lol.

 

[calvegas04]

Would be down to smack Tenn around again

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Would be down to smack Tenn around again

I wouldn't; barring a miraculous turnaround by the Vols, that would have to result in us hovering around .500 for that pairing to make sense.

BK would probably then be fired and in turn we would deny our bowl invitation. All the bad things.

 

[loomis41973]

Orange.... unless we make the playoffs or really suck.


Book it

 

[BGIF]

Notre Dame proves it can play with the SEC and the best college football has to offer
The College Football Playoff is not out of the conversation for the Fighting Irish
Dennis Dodd @dennisdoddcbs 1 hr ago

If the question is whether Notre Dame can play in the SEC … this team, right now, can.

If the question is whether the Irish are still in the College Football Playoff hunt … the answer is absolutely, yes.

Beyond that, if you wanted clarity four weeks into the season, you got little Saturday night between the hedges. No. 3 Georgia beat No. 7 Notre Dame 23-17 before the biggest crowd ever at Sanford Stadium.

The result was expected, but so was Georgia running Notre Dame out of the building. That didn't happen. The Dawgs, a 16-point favorite, certainly didn't run up the score. They absolutely had to earn everything they got in a defensive slugfest.

The lingering feeling from a tasty, early-season nonconference showdown: I'd love to see this game again on a neutral field. (Meaning, in a CFP semifinal.)

Admit it, it could happen. If we've learned anything in the first five years of the CFP, it's that schedule strength matters. Notre Dame played a top-five team to its knees on the road. That will be remembered when the time comes by the CFP Selection Committee.

Saturday night's result doesn't guarantee Georgia is on some rocket ride to a national championship. It also doesn't eliminate Notre Dame, either.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart was right earlier this week when he said the loser wasn't necessarily out of it. Notre Dame's schedule is strong enough that, if the right planets align, Saturday's result will come to be known as a "good loss."

The Irish matched up physically. D'Andre Swift had to bang for every one of his 98 yards on the ground. Maybe that was the difference.

But it was inspirational -- at least to Notre Dame -- that the Irish were driving for the potential game-winning touchdown with less than 2 minutes left.

The truth is that the Dawgs couldn't run the Irish out of Sanford because the Irish wouldn't let them. Brian Kelly had a plan because he knew his team couldn't run -- period. At least not consistently against the Georgia defense.

Ian Book threw a career-high 47 times. Tight end Cole Kmet made his season debut, returning from a broken collarbone. For a while, when not false starting, was the best player on the field. Kmet caught nine passes for 108 yards. His fourth-down catch put Notre Dame ahead.

This might not go over well in northeastern Georgia, but Notre Dame looked like the gutty underdog worthy of our further interest.

We can't quit you, Irish. Certainly not in a season where it looks like maybe a half-dozen teams have a sniff at a national championship. That's also hard to believe now that the Irish are 1-18 against top five teams since 2000.

But Notre Dame showed us some personality, some gumption, some guts.

Georgia was supposed to win. Saturday's result showed us the Notre Dame still has a chance.

 

[Armyirish47]

Post week 4 Georgia glow has us firming up in projections to a NY6 bowl.

The ESPN.com double dips with their prognosticators sending us to the Cotton Bowl for a tilt with Boise St.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27675084/college-football-bowl-projections-week-4

Collegefootballnews.com agrees.

https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/09/bowl-projections-college-football-playoff-predictions-week-4/2

Brett Mcmurphy has less faith but still has us in a solid matchup at the Citrus Bowl with Texas A&M.

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-bowl-projections-after-week-4-09-23-2019/

 

[condoms SUCk]

Post week 4 Georgia glow has us firming up in projections to a NY6 bowl.

The ESPN.com double dips with their prognosticators sending us to the Cotton Bowl for a tilt with Boise St.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27675084/college-football-bowl-projections-week-4

Collegefootballnews.com agrees.

https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/09/bowl-projections-college-football-playoff-predictions-week-4/2

Brett Mcmurphy has less faith but still has us in a solid matchup at the Citrus Bowl with Texas A&M.

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-bowl-projections-after-week-4-09-23-2019/

I'm fine with a solid Cotton Bowl or other NY 6 bowl, get a chance to get the big bowl win off our back and continue to show program progress.

 

[beryirish]

Post week 4 Georgia glow has us firming up in projections to a NY6 bowl.

The ESPN.com double dips with their prognosticators sending us to the Cotton Bowl for a tilt with Boise St.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27675084/college-football-bowl-projections-week-4

Collegefootballnews.com agrees.

https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/09/bowl-projections-college-football-playoff-predictions-week-4/2

Brett Mcmurphy has less faith but still has us in a solid matchup at the Citrus Bowl with Texas A&M.

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-bowl-projections-after-week-4-09-23-2019/

ELKO!

 

[zelezo vlk]

ELKO!

Facing Elko would definitely be a little troubling, but beating the Aggies would be sooooooooooooooo worth it

 

[Crazy Balki]

Post week 4 Georgia glow has us firming up in projections to a NY6 bowl.

The ESPN.com double dips with their prognosticators sending us to the Cotton Bowl for a tilt with Boise St.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27675084/college-football-bowl-projections-week-4

Collegefootballnews.com agrees.

https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/09/bowl-projections-college-football-playoff-predictions-week-4/2

Brett Mcmurphy has less faith but still has us in a solid matchup at the Citrus Bowl with Texas A&M.

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-bowl-projections-after-week-4-09-23-2019/

I don't see Boise State making a NY6 bowl game. However, if that were to happen, I'd expect no worse result than a complete blowout.

Boise is just not that good a team, certainly not the giant slayers they once were under Petersen. They have been to one NY6 bowl since 2010, and that was the Fiesta Bowl. While they did win, it was against a decent, not overly good Arizona team.

 

[ulukinatme]

I have faith we would beat Aggy in a bowl game. It would be some sweet revenge, but honestly I think A&M will lose more games and I hope we run the table now. They're already 2-2 and could easily drop 3 more to Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. Not a great matchup comparing records if that happens, but a win over SEC again would be just fine anyway.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I also don't see A&M in a NY6 bowl game. I think right now 9-3 is a best case scenario for them. That indicates they upset one of Alabama or LSU, which I don't see happening.

I think Auburn and LSU/Alabama will be higher in the pecking order for the NY6 bowls if they fail to make the playoffs.

 

[Armyirish47]

Interesting new trend on the bowl projections as a familiar foe begins to emerge...

The USAToday.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2019/10/15/college-football-bowl-projections-see-shakeup-below-playoff-field/3983681002/

Orange Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame

ESPN Dueling Projections: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27835820/college-football-bowl-projections

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Dec. 28., noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Boise State vs. Notre Dame

Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Notre Dame

SI.com: https://www.si.com/college/2019/10/15/bowl-projections-ncaa-schedule-playoff-oklahoma

Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens (Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame
Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame

 

[zelezo vlk]

I'm down for any of those matchups

 

[IrishLion]

I honestly hope we get Boise State.

They have a frosh QB that is legit... but they can't protect him. They can survive against Mountain West teams that way, but ND would treat their OL worse than they treated Virginia's OL.

I'd also take a matchup against Pitt, because BK has Narduzzi's number big time.

 

[ACamp1900]

I'm down for any of those matchups

Yeah pretty much... it would be nice to get a major bowl game that isn't against one of the best teams in the country. Every other 'elite' program has had games like this in the last 20 years,... except ND.

 

[rtrn2glory]

I honestly hope we get Boise State.

They have a frosh QB that is legit... but they can't protect him. They can survive against Mountain West teams that way, but ND would treat their OL worse than they treated Virginia's OL.

I'd also take a matchup against Pitt, because BK has Narduzzi's number big time.

Narduzzi gave us trouble last year. Prolly our toughest or most stressful at least regular season game.

 

[koonja]

I think a matchup against PSU, Texas, or Oregon would be fun and winnable.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

I want to beat an SEC team. Give me Florida or Auburn.

 

[ulukinatme]

Narduzzi gave us trouble last year. Prolly our toughest or most stressful at least regular season game.

This isn't directed at you, but t's like that every year with Pitt...and every year we play them people come in expecting to blow Pitt out. Then people come back and act in disbelief when Pitt gives us a close game. They love the spoiler role, playing Notre Dame is basically their bowl game any year we're on the schedule. Drives me crazy, I'd love to be done with them.

 

[KizerWilhelm]

I haven't seen addressed in this thread and I only learned this today, so I thought I'd give an explainer: if ND makes a NY6 bowl but misses the playoffs it would ONLY be against an ACC or G5 opponent, due to a quirk in the playoff scheduling.

You have three NY6 bowls with conference affiliations and three without. So in good years, two of the conference-affiliated bowls are the playoff games and there are five at-large spots up for grabs (since the best G5 school always gets a spot). But in years where both playoff bowls are non-affiliated, that leaves only one at-large spot for us to grab. This year it's the Cotton Bowl (against the best G5).

But the Orange Bowl is also the best non-playoff ACC team vs. the highest rated team of either ND, the SEC non-champ, and the Big Ten non-champ. So if we're #6, we're in, but if 11-1 LSU ends up #5, we're out. Also, if the match-up is a rematch the Orange Bowl reserves the right to pass us over, so if Virginia is the next best ACC team, we could be out.

So as much as I like the suggestions of Auburn, Texas, etc., that'd actually mean playing in a lesser bowl than it would for Wake Forest or Hawaii. Go figure.

 

[IrishLax]

I haven't seen addressed in this thread and I only learned this today, so I thought I'd give an explainer: if ND makes a NY6 bowl but misses the playoffs it would ONLY be against an ACC or G5 opponent, due to a quirk in the playoff scheduling.

You have three NY6 bowls with conference affiliations and three without. So in good years, two of the conference-affiliated bowls are the playoff games and there are five at-large spots up for grabs (since the best G5 school always gets a spot). But in years where both playoff bowls are non-affiliated, that leaves only one at-large spot for us to grab. This year it's the Cotton Bowl (against the best G5).

But the Orange Bowl is also the best non-playoff ACC team vs. the highest rated team of either ND, the SEC non-champ, and the Big Ten non-champ. So if we're #6, we're in, but if 11-1 LSU ends up #5, we're out. Also, if the match-up is a rematch the Orange Bowl reserves the right to pass us over, so if Virginia is the next best ACC team, we could be out.

So as much as I like the suggestions of Auburn, Texas, etc., that'd actually mean playing in a lesser bowl than it would for Wake Forest or Hawaii. Go figure.

There was some discussion of this in another thread, not sure which one. There is an exception, if the ACC #2 isn't ranked... but otherwise: yes, this is a unique situation for ND to not end up playing the best "at large" team like most years due to bowl tie-ins. Weird year for sure.

 

[ulukinatme]

I haven't seen addressed in this thread and I only learned this today, so I thought I'd give an explainer: if ND makes a NY6 bowl but misses the playoffs it would ONLY be against an ACC or G5 opponent, due to a quirk in the playoff scheduling.

Sounds like a very good year to go and win a NY6 bowl then. Short of Clemson missing the playoffs, no one in the ACC or G5 worries me in a bowl matchup.

 

[stpeteirish]

There was some discussion of this in another thread, not sure which one. There is an exception, if the ACC #2 isn't ranked... but otherwise: yes, this is a unique situation for ND to not end up playing the best "at large" team like most years due to bowl tie-ins. Weird year for sure.

right now the ACC #2 is not ranked. That could hold, none of them look capable of avoiding at least one more loss.

So if this happens can they pick anyone out there who isn't already in the playoff or NY6?
That would give us a strong opponent, probably from the SEC (Florida?) that would be way stronger than Boise St. If we did play, and beat, Boise St I wonder how the anti Kelly crowd would spin the Cotton Bowl not being a "major" bowl since "he's never won a major bowl seems to be their last bunker to defend.

 

[KizerWilhelm]

right now the ACC #2 is not ranked. That could hold, none of them look capable of avoiding at least one more loss.

For most of those teams, only one more loss would still mean ending the year 10-2 or 9-3, which likely means being ranked. So what we're talking about is the entire non-Clemson ACC going 8-4 or worse, which is insanely unlikely.

To give an illustration, remember that year an 8-4 UConn was the Big East champ, the single worst season from a power conference, ever? Even that year there was two ranked Big East teams going into the postseason: 8-4 WVU was ranked too.