College football bowl projections: LSU raises profile as Clemson, Oklahoma State, Oregon survive challenges

Three extra groups took their first losses of the season this week as Ole Miss, UCLA and Syracuse fell from the ranks of the unbeaten. However, amongst them, solely the Orange now not management their very own path to a convention championship sport.

Six undefeated groups stay, all in Power Five conferences, together with two every within the Big Ten and SEC. That means there generally is a most of 4 undefeated Power Five groups when the common season involves an finish. The most undefeated main convention applications in a single season within the BCS/College Football Playoff period is three, completed twice in 2004 and 2018.

None of the groups within the College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six projections misplaced this week, although there have been a few shut calls beginning with Clemson needing to storm again within the second half to take down Syracuse. The Tigers stay projected as the ACC champion and the third seed within the CFP.

College Football Playoff

Oklahoma State scored the final 17 factors of its sport towards Texas to select up a key house victory. The Cowboys presently sit second within the Big 12 behind undefeated TCU, which upended Kansas State on Saturday evening.

Oregon handed UCLA its first lack of the season. The Ducks are the final Pac-12 crew that’s undefeated in league play; nevertheless, that season-opening blowout to top-ranked Georgia will make it tough for Oregon to get severe CFP consideration even when it wins out.

Cincinnati held on to beat SMU, surviving a 2-point conversion try to win 29-27 after coming into the fourth quarter with a 15-point lead. The Bearcats are simply certainly one of three Group of Five groups with just one loss this season. The different two are AAC mate Tulane and Coastal Carolina. The Green Wave go to the Bearcats on the final week of the common season in what may very well be a battle for house subject benefit within the convention title sport the next week.

New Year’s Six bowl video games

LSU outscored Mississippi 42-3 over the past three quarters to throttle the visiting Rebels, 45-20. The Tigers have moved as much as the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 2 after the win and are actually projected to face North Carolina, which had a productive week off. The Tar Heels sat on their couches and watched Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and Miami every lose, giving UNC a two-game lead within the ACC Coastal.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M has virtually fallen out of the bowl projections fully following its loss to South Carolina. The Aggies are actually projected to the Birmingham Bowl towards Georgia Southern. Texas A&M might want to win three extra video games to make sure bowl eligibility.

There are presently 27 bowl-eligible groups, which suggests we nonetheless want 55 extra. This week’s projection expects that three 5-7 groups might be wanted to fill the bowls this season. Those groups are Iowa State, Louisville and Michigan State.

Don’t see your team? Check out the rest of Jerry Palm’s bowl projections after Week 8.