Bowl Projections Week 2: Will There Be Too Many SEC Teams?

It’s really early, but one of the key aspects to Week 1 of the college football season was an SEC that went 16-0.

From Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma down to Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Florida, the whole league – at least for one week – looked better. That means there should be a tougher league to get through with just two losses, which means there should be fewer SEC teams in the College Football Playoff than last year.

(There’s no rule that says 9-3 teams can’t get in over 10-2 teams, but the CFP committee has always defaulted to power teams that go 10-2 or better, and there should be more than enough of them.)

So with ten projected teams from the SEC, not including the three we have in the CFP, where do they all go? We try to find homes for them in our Week 2 Bowl Projections.
– Week 2 College Football Playoff Projections
– Week 2 CFN Top 25 Rankings

Cricket Celebration Bowl

Projection: South Carolina State vs Alabama State 
Saturday, December 12, 2026 
Game Time: 12:00, ABC 
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA 
Last Season: South Carolina State 50, Prairie View A&M 38 4OT
Bowl Affiliations: MEAC, SWAC

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl

Projection: Louisiana vs Auburn 
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN 
Location: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL 
Last Season: Jacksonville State 17, Troy 13
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt

Frisco Football Classic

Projection: Liberty vs Arkansas State 
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN 
Location: Ford Center at the Star, Frisco, TX 
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, Sun Belt

Boca Raton Bowl

Projection: Nebraska vs Florida State 
Friday, December 18, 2026 
Game Time: 11:00 am, ESPN 
Location: Flagler Credit Union Stadium, Boca Raton, FL 
Last Season: Louisville 27, Toledo 22
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl

Projection: USF vs Wake Forest 
Friday, December 18, 2026 
Game Time: 3:30, ESPN 
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL 
Last Season: NC State 31, Memphis 7
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, CUSA (ACC, SEC)

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Projection: Western Michigan vs James Madison 
Monday, December 21, 2026 
Game Time: 11:00 am, ESPN 
Location: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC 
Last Season: Western Michigan 41, Kennesaw State 6
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6, (Not Pac-12 or Mountain West)

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Projection: Toledo vs Wyoming 
Monday, December 21, 2026 
Game Time: 2:30, ESPN 
Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID 
Last Season: Washington State 34, Utah State 21
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Mountain West

Puerto Rico Bowl

Projection: Old Dominion vs Washington State 
Tuesday, December 22, 2026 
Game Time: 1:30, ESPN 
Location: Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico 
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Group of 6 or Pac-12

StaffDNA Cure Bowl

Projection: Northwestern vs UCF 
Tuesday, December 22, 2026 
Game Time: 5:00, ESPN 
Location: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL 
Last Season: Old Dominion 24, USF 10
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

Projection: Tulane vs Cal 
Tuesday, December 22, 2026 
Game Time: 8:30, ESPN 
Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA 
Last Season: Louisiana Tech 23, Coastal Carolina 14
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, Big 12, CUSA, Former Pac-12

New Orleans Bowl

Projection: Kennesaw State vs Louisiana Tech 
Wednesday, December 23, 2026 
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN 
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA 
Last Season: Western Kentucky 27, Southern Miss 16
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, Sun Belt

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Projection: Navy vs West Virginia 
Wednesday, December 23, 2026 
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN 
Location: Amon G Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX 
Last Season: Texas State 41, Rice 10
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, CUSA, (or Big 12)

Poinsettia Bowl

Projection: San Diego State vs UNLV 
Wednesday, December 23, 2026 
Game Time: 7:30, CW 
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA 
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: Pac-12, Mountain West

Frisco Bowl

Projection: UTSA vs Miami University 
Wednesday, December 23, 2026 
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN 
Location: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX 
Last Season: Ohio 17, UNLV 10
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6

Isleta New Mexico Bowl

Projection: Air Force vs Troy 
Thursday, December 24, 2026 
Game Time: 2:30, ESPN 
Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM 
Last Season: North Texas 49, San Diego State 47
Bowl Affiliations: Mountain West, CUSA or Sun Belt

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

Projection: Hawaii vs Duke 
Thursday, December 24, 2026 
Game Time: 7:00, ESPN 
Location: Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI 
Last Season: Hawaii 35, Cal 31
Bowl Affiliations: Mountain West, CUSA (or AAC)

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

Projection: NC State vs Wisconsin 
Saturday, December 26, 2026 
Game Time: 12:00, ABC 
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY 
Last Season: Penn State 22, Clemson 10
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big Ten

Wasabi Fenway Bowl

Projection: East Carolina vs North Carolina 
Saturday, December 26, 2026 
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN 
Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA 
Last Season: Army 41, UConn 16
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, ACC

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Projection: Clemson vs Minnesota 
Saturday, December 26, 2026 
Game Time: 3:30, ABC 
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC 
Last Season: Wake Forest 43, Mississippi State 29
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big Ten (or SEC)

68 Ventures Bowl

Projection: Jacksonville State vs Georgia Southern 
Saturday, December 26, 2026 
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN 
Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL 
Last Season: Delaware 20, Louisiana 13
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt

Cactus Bowl

Projection: Illinois vs Iowa State 
Saturday, December 26, 2026 
Game Time: 7:30, ABC 
Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ 
Last Season: Minnesota 20, New Mexico 17 OT
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, Big 12

Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl

Projection: Army vs Georgia Tech 
Monday, December 28, 2026 
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN 
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD 
Last Season: East Carolina 23, Pitt 17
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, ACC

Holiday Bowl

Projection: Pitt vs Utah 
Monday, December 28, 2026 
Game Time: 5:00, CW 
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA 
Last Season: SMU 24, Arizona 19
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Pac-12

JLab Birmingham Bowl

Projection: Memphis vs Missouri 
Tuesday, December 29, 2026 
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN 
Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL 
Last Season: Georgia Southern 29, App State 10
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, SEC

Pop-Tarts Bowl

Projection: Virginia vs Arizona State 
Tuesday, December 29, 2026 
Game Time: 5:30, ABC 
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL 
Last Season: BYU 25, Georgia Tech 21
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big 12

Valero Alamo Bowl

Projection: Houston vs Washington 
Tuesday, December 29, 2026 
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN 
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX 
Last Season: TCU 30, USC 27 OT
Bowl Affiliations: Former Pac-12, Big 12

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Projection: Louisville vs Florida 
Wednesday, December 30, 2026 
Game Time: 11:30 am, ESPN 
Location: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL 
Last Season: Virginia 13, Missouri 7
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, SEC

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl

Projection: Iowa vs South Carolina 
Wednesday, December 30, 2026 
Game Time: 3:00, ESPN 
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN 
Last Season: Illinois 30, Tennessee 28
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC

ReliaQuest Bowl

Projection: Penn State vs Texas 
Thursday, December 31, 2026 
Game Time: 12:00, ESPN 
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL 
Last Season: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Projection: Virginia Tech vs Arizona 
Thursday, December 31, 2026 
Game Time: 2:00, CBS 
Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX 
Last Season: Duke 42, Arizona State 39
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Pac-12

Las Vegas Bowl

Projection: Tennessee vs UCLA 
Thursday, December 31, 2026 
Game Time: 3:45, ESPN 
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV 
Last Season: Utah 44, Nebraska 22
Bowl Affiliations: SEC, Former Pac-12

Kinder’s Texas Bowl

Projection: TCU vs Texas A&M 
Thursday, December 31, 2026 
Game Time: 7:30, ESPN 
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX 
Last Season: Houston 38, LSU 35
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12, SEC

Citrus Bowl

Projection: Michigan vs Alabama 
Saturday, January 2, 2027 
Game Time: 12:00, ABC 
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL 
Last Season: Texas 41, Michigan 27
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

Projection: North Texas vs Colorado State 
Saturday, January 2, 2027 
Game Time: 3:30, ESPN 
Location: Gerald R Ford Stadium, University Park, TX 
Last Season: UTSA 57, FIU 20
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6 (or ACC)

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Projection: Kansas State vs Ole Miss 
Saturday, January 2, 2027 
Game Time: 7:30, ESPN 
Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN 
Last Season: Navy 35, Cincinnati 13
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12, SEC, (or AAC)

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop

Projection: Ohio vs New Mexico 
Date TBD 
Game Time: TBD 
Location: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ 
Last Season: Fresno State 18, Miami University 3
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Mountain West
– Week 2 College Football Playoff Projections