Week 5 College Football Bowl Projections Spotlight Georgia and Notre Dame
The short version
- Week 5 projections were published September 27, with Georgia and Notre Dame cited as early dominant teams.
- The forecast expects some bowl-eligible teams to decline invitations, as occurred last season.
- The Cricket Celebration Bowl on December 12 opens the projected slate with South Carolina State vs Alabama State on ABC.
- Notable December 26 projections include Wisconsin vs West Virginia in the Cactus Bowl and Duke vs Nebraska in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
- The postseason schedule runs through at least December 29, with the Birmingham Bowl projecting North Texas against Auburn.
Yahoo Sports' Week 5 projections map out every bowl matchup, with Georgia and Notre Dame emerging as dominant forces shaping the early playoff picture.
Yahoo Sports released its Week 5 bowl projections on September 27, mapping the full postseason landscape for college football. The projection notes that Georgia and Notre Dame have been dominant early, giving the College Football Playoff picture an unusually settled look for late September.
The projection cautions that not every eligible team will land a spot. Some programs will need strong finishes just to reach the six-win threshold for bowl eligibility, and the forecast anticipates that several teams, as happened last season, may decline invitations altogether.
The Cricket Celebration Bowl opens the slate on Saturday, December 12, at noon on ABC from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with South Carolina State projected against Alabama State. A year ago, South Carolina State beat Prairie View A&M 50-38 in four overtimes.
Two games are set for Tuesday, December 15. The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, projects Kennesaw State against Old Dominion at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN, while the Frisco Football Classic at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN projects Western Kentucky against Louisiana Tech in Frisco, Texas.
Friday, December 18, brings a pair of games. Minnesota is projected to face Boise State in the Boca Raton Bowl at 11:00 a.m. on ESPN, followed by a Gasparilla Bowl matchup of USF and NC State at 3:30 p.m. from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. NC State won this game last season, beating Memphis 31-7.
The Monday, December 21, doubleheader features Jacksonville State against Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl at 11:00 a.m., then Western Michigan versus North Dakota State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at 2:30 p.m. Both air on ESPN.
A busy December 22 includes the Puerto Rico Bowl in Bayamón, projecting Toledo against Washington State at 1:30 p.m., the Cure Bowl with UCF facing App State at 5:00 p.m. in Orlando, and the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, where Tulane is projected against Oklahoma State at 8:30 p.m.
December 23 carries four more games: Liberty versus Troy in the New Orleans Bowl, Navy against Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl, Arizona State meeting New Mexico in the Poinsettia Bowl on The CW, and Tulsa facing Fresno State in the Frisco Bowl.
The December 26 lineup includes Virginia against Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, Memphis versus North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl, Duke meeting Nebraska in the Duke's Mayo Bowl, Miami University against Georgia State in the 68 Ventures Bowl, and Wisconsin facing West Virginia in the Cactus Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix. Further games on December 28 include Army versus Wake Forest in the Military Bowl and Louisville against USC in the Holiday Bowl, with North Texas projected to face Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl on December 29.
Games to watch
