Even though we are eleven weeks into the college football season, that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead to the future. There are still a few weeks left ahead of us, but it is never too early to start thinking about the postseason.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm recently released his latest college football bowl projections. It is always interesting to see how things change from week to week, but here is what he has listed for the Big 12.
Sugar Bowl (CFP Quarterfinals)
BYU vs. First-Round Winner
For the first time in a long time, BYU has taken the top spot on this list. Jerry has the Cougars finishing as the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff behind Ohio State, which I have a hard time seeing due to the committee’s lack of respect for BYU. The Cougars would play the winner of (7) Texas vs. (10) Tennessee in this projection.
Texas Bowl
Kansas State vs. South Carolina
This is one of those sneaky good matchups, and as always, I will take any chance the Big 12 can get a win against an SEC team.
Alamo Bowl
Iowa State vs. Colorado
A Big 12 vs. Big 12 matchup in a bowl game? Yes, please! As weird as it sounds, this is possible since the Alamo Bowl still has ties to the Pac-12, which is no longer. And for selfish reasons, with me being close by, I would love this.
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Texas Tech vs. SMU
If you aren’t in the Playoff, the next best bowl game to play in is in the Pop-Tarts bowl. I know this season hasn’t gone as expected for Red Raiders fans but this is a darn good consolation prize.
Holiday Bowl
Arizona State vs. Pitt
This would be a big test for Arizona State because Pitt is a solid football team coming out of the ACC. Plus, the Panthers have beaten two Big 12 schools this season, and we need some payback.
Liberty Bowl
TCU vs. Vanderbilt
Anytime a Big 12 team has a chance to play a team from the almighty SEC, I am all for it, even if it is against Vanderbilt, who will be amped up for this game because they haven’t been to a bowl game in six years.
Armed Forces Bowl
Baylor vs. Charlotte
This is not Baylor’s most exciting matchup, but at least they are in a bowl game. I also find it funny that the last time the Bears went to a bowl game, it was in this exact bowl game where they lost to Air Force 30-15.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
West Virginia vs. Nebraska
Bowl game or not, the one thing Neal Brown needs is wins, and what better way to do that than against a former Big 12 school like Nebraska? It’s also been a while since the Huskers were in a bowl game. I guess the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Gasparilla Bowl
Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech
The Bearcats had a chance to become bowl-eligible last weekend, but they lost to West Virginia. Now Cincinnati needs to win just one of their final three games against Iowa State, Kansas State, and TCU, which is an arduous task.
