College Football Bowl Projections: A New SEC Team in the CFP, and Illinois Moves Up

Alabama’s lackluster showing against Texas A&M means there’s a new SEC representative in our projected College Football Playoff. Plus, watch out for the Fighting Illini!

Well hello there, Illinois. Don't look now, but the Illini are playing their way up the Big Ten standings and, if the season ended today, would have serious consideration for a bowl game around New Year's Day. The Big Ten West is one of the division races that looks like it'll come down to the wire as will the entire Big 12.

All times are Eastern.

College Football Playoff

Peach Bowl, Atlanta (Dec. 31, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
Ohio State vs. Georgia

Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz. (Dec. 31, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN)
CFP semifinalist vs. CFP semifinalist
USC vs. Clemson

New Year’s Six

Orange Bowl, Miami (Dec. 30, 7:30 or 8 p.m., ESPN)
ACC vs. Big Ten/SEC/Notre Dame
Wake Forest vs. Tennessee

Sugar Bowl, New Orleans (Dec. 31, 12 p.m., ESPN)
SEC vs. Big 12
Alabama vs. Oklahoma State

Cotton Bowl, Arlington, Texas (Jan. 2, 1 p.m., ESPN)
At-large vs. at-large
Coastal Carolina vs. Penn State

Rose Bowl, Pasadena (Jan. 2, 5 p.m., ESPN)
Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Michigan vs. UCLA

Other key bowls

Dec. 30

Arizona Bowl, Tucson (4:30 p.m., Barstool)
Mountain West vs. MAC
Boise State vs. Buffalo

Dec. 31

Music City Bowl, Nashville (12 p.m., ABC)
Big Ten vs. SEC
Purdue vs. South Carolina

Jan. 2

ReliaQuest Bowl, Tampa (12 p.m., ESPN2)
Big Ten/ACC vs. SEC
Syracuse vs. Mississippi State

Citrus Bowl, Orlando (1 p.m., ABC)
SEC vs. Big Ten
Ole Miss vs. Illinois

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