College football: ESPN updates 2021 bowl projections
With Week 0 in the books and the first full slate of college football now a week away, ESPN has re-evaluated its 2021 bowl projections. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach gave projections for the matchups in all 44 bowl games, including the College Football Playoff semifinals and CFP National Championship game.
The two experts disagree on the CFP field and make some bold predictions about the New Year’s Six bowls this season. See the full list of ESPN’s bowl projections below.
College Football Playoff
Capital One Orange Bowl (Semifinal)
Bonagura: Alabama vs. Ohio State
Schlabach: Alabama vs. Clemson
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Semifinal)
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Oklahoma
CFP National Championship game
Bonagura: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Alabama vs. Georgia
Bowl Season
Dec. 17
Bahamas Bowl
Bonagura: Toledo vs. FAU
Schlabach: Ball State vs. FAU
Cure Bowl
Bonagura: Charlotte vs. Houston
Schlabach: Tulane vs. Western Kentucky
Dec. 18
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Bonagura: East Carolina vs. Miami (OH)
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. Memphis
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Bonagura: Alcorn State vs. South Carolina State
Schlabach: Alcorn State vs. South Carolina State
New Mexico Bowl
Bonagura: Wyoming vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: San Jose State vs. Kent State
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Bonagura: Marshall vs. BYU
Schlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. BYU
LendingTree Bowl
Bonagura: Arkansas State vs. Western Michigan
Schlabach: Georgia State vs. Western Michigan
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
Bonagura: Colorado vs. San Jose State
Schlabach: UCLA vs. Boise State
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Bonagura: UTSA vs. Coastal Carolina
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. Marshall
Dec. 20
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Bonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. Kent State
Schlabach: Tulsa vs. Coastal Carolina
Dec. 21
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. San Diego State
Schlabach: Toledo vs. San Diego State
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Bonagura: SMU vs. North Texas
Schlabach: SMU vs. Wyoming
Dec. 22
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Bonagura: Army vs. Middle Tennessee
Schlabach: Army vs. UTEP
Dec. 23
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Louisville
Schlabach: Virginia vs. Troy
Dec. 24
EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl
Bonagura: Nevada vs. Stanford
Schlabach: Fresno State vs. California
Dec. 25
Camellia Bowl
Bonagura: Southern Miss. vs. Fresno State
Schlabach: Southern Miss. vs. Liberty
Dec. 27
Quick Lane Bowl
Bonagura: Purdue vs. Ball State
Schlabach: Maryland vs. Ohio
Military Bowl presented by Peraton
Bonagura: NC State vs. UCF
Schlabach: Navy vs. Louisville
Dec. 28
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulsa
Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. UAB
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Bonagura: West Virginia vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Houston vs. Air Force
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Bonagura: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: Arkansas vs. West Virginia
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Bonagura: Arizona State vs. Pitt
Schlabach: Stanford vs. NC State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Michigan State
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Minnesota
Dec. 29
Fenway Bowl
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Memphis
Schlabach: Florida State vs. UCF
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Boston College
Schlabach: Northwestern vs. Virginia Tech
Cheez-It Bowl
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. Miami
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. North Carolina
Valero Alamo Bowl
Bonagura: Texas vs. Washington
Schlabach: Texas vs. Washington
Dec. 30
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Bonagura: Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech
Schlabach: Kentucky vs. Pittsburgh
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Bonagura: Auburn vs. Northwestern
Schlabach: Auburn vs. Indiana
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Bonagura: Utah vs. Indiana
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Arizona State
Dec. 31
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Bonagura: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina
Schlabach: Ole Miss vs. Miami
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Bonagura: UCLA vs. Wake Forest
Schlabach: Utah vs. Boston College
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Bonagura: Central Michigan vs. Boise State
Schlabach: Miami (Ohio) vs. Nevada
Jan. 1
Outback Bowl
Bonagura: LSU vs. Iowa
Schlabach: LSU vs. Penn State
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Bonagura: Florida vs. Penn State
Schlabach: Florida vs. Iowa
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Bonagura: USC vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Oregon vs. Cincinnati
Rose Bowl Game
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Ohio State vs. USC
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Georgia
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. Texas A&M
Jan. 4
Texas Bowl
Bonagura: TCU vs. Missouri
Schlabach: TCU vs. Missouri
TBD
Redbox Bowl
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. California
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Colorado