Bowl Projections: Playoff Spot Opens After Oklahoma's First Loss

What's our latest forecast for all 40 bowl matchups of the 2019 college football season?

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The race for the College Football Playoff received a dose of intrigue on Saturday as Big 12 favorite and previously-undefeated Oklahoma lost at unranked Kansas State. The Sooners were a likely lock for the Playoff if they finished conference play undefeated, in the same boat as Clemson in the ACC. The winner of Penn State and Ohio State on Nov. 23 is a likely playoff team. Ditto for the survivor of LSU and Alabama’s battle on Nov. 9. We exited Week 8 with a fairly conventional Playoff picture.

Oklahoma’s loss tosses that outlook aside. LSU or Alabama could lose in early November and still reach the Playoff as a one-loss non-SEC champion. Oregon and the Pac-12 are suddenly alive once again, as are Florida and Georgia. We could be in line for a mad scramble down the stretch.

With chaos looming as we enter November, check out Sports Illustrated’s full slate of Bowl Projections below.

Dec. 20

Bahamas Bowl, Nassau (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. MAC
Western Kentucky vs. Toledo

Frisco Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
American vs. Sun Belt
Memphis vs. Appalachian State

Dec. 21

Celebration Bowl, Atlanta (12 p.m. ET, ABC)
MEAC vs. SWAC
Florida A&M vs. Alcorn State

New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. MWC
Florida Atlantic vs. Air Force

Cure Bowl, Orlando (2:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
American vs. Sun Belt
Temple vs. Louisiana Lafayette

Boca Raton Bowl (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
MAC vs. American
Central Michigan vs. UCF

Camellia Bowl, Montgomery (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Miami (OH) vs. Arkansas State

Las Vegas Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Pac-12 vs. SEC or Big Ten or MWC
Washington State vs. San Diego State

New Orleans Bowl (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern

Dec. 23

Gasparilla Bowl, Tampa (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Conference USA vs. ACC or American
UAB vs. Boston College

Dec. 24

Hawai'i Bowl, Honolulu (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MWC or BYU vs. American
Hawaii vs. Cincinnati

Dec. 26

Independence Bowl, Shreveport (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Florida International vs. Duke

Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Illinois vs. North Carolina

Dec. 27

Military Bowl, Annapolis (12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
American vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Navy vs. Florida State

Pinstripe Bowl, Bronx (3:20 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Michigan State vs. Louisville

Texas Bowl, Houston (6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. SEC
Kansas State vs. Kentucky

Holiday Bowl, San Diego (8 p.m. ET, FS1)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Iowa vs. Washington

Cheez-It Bowl, Phoenix (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Oklahoma State vs. Boise State

Dec. 28

Camping World Bowl, Orlando (12 p.m. ET, ABC)
Big 12 vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Texas vs. Virginia

Dec. 30

First Responder Bowl, Dallas (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Conference USA
TCU vs. Louisiana Tech

Music City Bowl, Nashville (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC or Big Ten or Notre Dame
Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech

Redbox Bowl, Santa Clara (4 p.m. ET, FOX)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Indiana vs. Arizona State

Dec. 31

Belk Bowl, Charlotte (12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC
Mississippi State vs. Pitt

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, El Paso (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Pac-12 vs. ACC or Notre Dame
Stanford vs. Miami

Liberty Bowl, Memphis (3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. SEC
Iowa State vs. Tulane

Arizona Bowl, Tucson (4:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
MWC vs. Sun Belt
Utah State vs. Georgia State

Alamo Bowl, San Antonio (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Baylor vs. USC

Jan. 1

Citrus Bowl, Orlando (1 p.m. ET, ABC)
Big Ten vs. SEC
Wisconsin vs. Florida

Outback Bowl, Tampa (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten vs. SEC
Michigan vs. Auburn

Jan. 2

Birmingham Bowl (3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. American
Marshall vs. USF

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Jacksonville (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
SEC vs. ACC or Big Ten or Notre Dame
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame

Jan. 3

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MAC vs. MWC
Western Michigan vs. San Jose State

Jan 4

Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth (11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MWC vs. Big Ten
Army vs. Wyoming

Jan. 6

Mobile Alabama Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Ohio vs. Louisiana Monroe

New Year's Six Bowls

Cotton Bowl Classic, Arlington (Dec. 28, noon, ESPN)
At-large vs. At-large
SMU vs. Utah

Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens (Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame
Wake Forest vs. Minnesota

Rose Bowl Game, Pasadena (Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Penn State vs. Oregon

Sugar Bowl, New Orleans (Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m., ESPN)
SEC vs. Big 12
Georgia vs. Oklahoma

Fiesta Bowl, Glendale (Dec. 28, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
LSU vs. Ohio State

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Atlanta (Dec. 28, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
Alabama vs. Clemson

College Football Playoff National Championship, New Orleans (Jan. 13, 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinal winner vs. CFP semifinal winner