(Auburn, Ala) What a time to be alive for all you SEC teams and fans out there; outside of maybe Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Mississippi State. Bowl season although still months away, what not a better time than to start predicting a team’s fate this 2018-19 season based upon only 5 weeks of play thus far! Am I full of it? Maybe.. but do you have the crystal ball that can pick’em any better than I can?
Let’s start easy. Unless Auburn or LSU can pull off the upset late in the season, Georgia and Alabama have secured their spot in the playoffs playing in either the Goodyear Cotton Bowl or the Orange Bowl. Nothing like same ole same ole to end the three-week bowl season with none other than these two juggernauts.
With 41 total bowl games, college football fans get to enjoy their relaxing holiday break with lots of food and too many hours spent watching teams play in bowl games they never even knew existed like The Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl which was played in St. Petersburg just last year. Like come ‘on, is that extra ‘thousand’ dollars made really worth it to the TV networks to broadcast a game sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers; never the less I feel sorry for the teams who had to be stuck playing that one.. sorry Mississippi State.
The (3-2) Vanderbilt Commodores led by Kyle Shurmur who is Vandys best quarterback since Jay Cutler look to have a date with Cincinnati at the Birmingham Bowl on the 22nd. Let’s hope those Commodores rally since their last bowl win over 5 years ago giving head coach Derek Mason his first ever bowl win.
Moving up the ranks and about 800 miles west of Birmingham is the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas bowl where the (3-2) Texas A&M Aggies are projected to play an instate rival in Texas Tech. Two words- Jimbo Fisher. The Aggies two losses coming from the number 1 and 2 ranked teams in the country which were not even bad beats. I would expect Texas A&M to continue their climb in the ranks in the latter half of the season.
It’s the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl up next… what a mouth full. Missouri is projected to take her home on the 28th against Boston College if the season were to end today. But of course it’s not; the Tigers having played only one conference game against the powerhouse that Georgia is, haven’t had much to show yet. With their steady offensive production and facing one of the toughest schedules in the SEC, a bowl game looks to be in Missouri’s future.
This next bowl game should have no problem getting either team dressed to impress where South Carolina is projected to play Virginia Tech… You guessed it, it’s the Belk Bowl. With a 1-2 conference record, it’s looking tough for these Gamecocks to turn things around now with a big question mark at their quarterback position. On the bright side, with Georgia now out of the way the only top 10 team they need to worry about is their game against Clemson.
Did I hear a cowbell? Because Mississippi State looks like they’re going to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. With a powerful O-line to compliment Nick Fitzgerald, the coast is clear for the Bulldogs outside a couple top 10 matchups to compete in their 9th consecutive bowl game against TCU.
The Florida Gators who have edged their way in to the top 25 with their win over Mississippi State this past week are projected to play in none other than the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. On New Year’s Eve the formidable Michigan State Spartans look to come into town and see if they can edge out the currently 4-1 Gators. Things have really turned around since last year when Florida had finished 4-7 and did not attend the big dance.
Last time I checked this team was a basketball school, but now might I say hold that thought. The Wildcats are off to a 4-0 start beating Florida, Mississippi State, and South Carolina earning them the 13th ranked team in the country along side a projected spot in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day. The tides have turned this year with some shocking upsets by yours truly and are set to play off against Iowa in Tampa.
It’s Auburn’s turn once again to turn some heads. Although maybe not as many this year with already earning their first loss against LSU early on. The offensive line has had a tough time protecting Jarrett Stidham along with an inability to run the ball, but that won’t stop them from getting a shot to play in the Citrus Bowl against Wisconsin. Let’s just hope those Tigers can win a bowl game this year with Malzahn at the helm.
Who are we forgetting? Oh that’s right, it’s the still undefeated LSU Tigers sitting at 5-0 getting a projected spot in the Sugar Bowl vs West Virginia. With still three more games against top 25 teams including ‘Bama and Georgia, the Tigers future stands very unknown, but hey you might as well celebrate while you’re on top.
With over half the season still to be played, the chance I picked them correctly would be a miracle. Look at it this way, as long as you’re not a Tennessee or Arkansas fan, you can’t disagree with me that your team is going to a bowl game.
