Week 2 was full of what makes college football so great. Drama in College Station and South Bend, gritty overtime wins from Tennessee and BYU (for those who stayed up) and a little more clarity on who is for real and who may still need some time to think things over.
Bowl projections are always a shot in the dark early because of teams like Florida, Kentucky, LSU and even Texas A&M muddying the waters. Some of these programs play easy competition early so you can’t get a feel for how good they really are (looking at you, 2022 Ole Miss) and some just fluctuate against a pair of Top 25 teams, such as the Gators. But, ever so slowly, a picture begins to unfold.
As of now, our projections indicate that 12 SEC teams will earn a bowl bid this season. All programs but Vanderbilt and Mizzou look like 6 wins is the floor at the moment, though something could be said about Auburn when SEC play starts up. The Tigers also have a difficult road test next week against Penn State.
The SEC bowl lineup is similar to that of last season’s. The Las Vegas Bowl will replace the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in its rotation between B1G and SEC. If the ReliaQuest Bowl sounds unfamiliar, it’s because it changed its branding from the Outback Bowl.
As usual, the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl have an SEC tie-in because they are not hosting this season’s College Football Playoff. Those distinctions go to the Peach Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl this season.
Here it is in all its glory: SEC bowl projections following Week 2:
SEC college football bowl projections following Week 2
Peach Bowl (Playoff semifinal): Georgia vs. Clemson
Fiesta Bowl (Playoff semifinal): Alabama vs. Ohio State
Sugar: Arkansas vs. Baylor
ReliaQuest: Ole Miss vs. Penn State
Citrus: Tennessee vs. Michigan State
Music City: Kentucky vs. Wisconsin
Gator: Texas A&M vs. West Virginia
Liberty: Florida vs. Kansas State
Texas: LSU vs. Iowa State
Birmingham: Mississippi State vs. UCF
Las Vegas: South Carolina vs. UCLA
Gasparilla: Auburn vs. Coastal Carolina
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
