Adios, bowl projections. You’re toast. We have actual bowl matchups now.

That means we have actual things to break down for each game. We’ve been doing that in a variety of ways on SDS already in an attempt to answer some questions about the SEC’s 11 postseason matchups.

I’ll go the other route and ask a question about each SEC bowl game:

Orange Bowl, Alabama vs. Oklahoma — Is Tua Tagovailoa going to play?

Uh, ya think? Of course this is the most obvious question for the Orange Bowl. Finding out the status of the potential Heisman Trophy winner after Saturday’s ankle injury is something that’s on the mind of everyone, including Nick Saban. A high ankle sprain might not be enough to keep Tagovailoa out of the game, but in a way, this is setting up well for Alabama. Jalen Hurts looks better than ever, and Oklahoma will have to prepare to face both. Advantage Saban.

Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl, Florida vs. Michigan — Again?

True story. My wife actually came up with that question when she saw this matchup. For the third time in 4 seasons, these teams will face off. Unfortunately, we won’t get Jim McElwain on the Michigan sidelines after he accepted the Central Michigan job. That’s too bad because a month’s worth of McElwain stories on this game would have been fantastic. Perhaps the best hope for the Gators, who were outscored 74-24 in 2 contests with McElwain on their sidelines, is that Dan Mullen will get a crack at a Michigan team that might not be playing for a whole lot.

Fiesta Bowl, UCF vs. LSU — Will the Knights move the ball against a motivated SEC defense?

Ah, arguably the most intriguing non-Playoff matchup will take place in Phoenix. The fascinating thing to see will be whether UCF, with a backup quarterback, can move the ball against Dave Aranda’s defense, which will be without star CB Greedy Williams and injured DB Kristian Fulton. Williams is preparing for the NFL Draft. This game matters for the Tigers because of their desire to get to that 10-win mark in what’s their first New Year’s 6 Bowl of the Playoff era. Something tells me the likes of Devin White and Grant Delpit will want to send a message to squash the UCF-SEC rivalry once and for all.

Sugar Bowl, Georgia vs. Texas — Will UGA pull the 2017 Auburn?

It’s always interesting to watch the team that gets knocked out of a conference championship with everything on the line, and see how it performs in a bowl game. Last year, Auburn fueled an entire offseason’s worth of claimed national championship talk by not beating UCF. It was an easy narrative. I’m sure Kirby Smart is already fighting that with his team.

Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Will they look like the team that nearly knocked off Alabama? Or will the Dawgs revert to their pre-LSU ways and play down to a Texas team with lesser talent? Whatever they do, I fully expect the “Horns Down” to be out in full force.

Outback Bowl, Iowa vs. Mississippi State — Will the Hawkeyes get crushed by yet another SEC team in a bowl?

Death, taxes and Iowa losing to an SEC team in Florida. It’s amazing how awful the Hawkeyes have been against SEC teams in recent memory. They’re riding a 3-game losing streak vs. the SEC in bowl games having lost by a combined 96-45. Iowa did end its 5-year bowl losing streak last year, but that was against Boston College in frigid temperatures in New York. It was Iowa weather. Get the Hawkeyes in the sunshine and that usually doesn’t end well for Kirk Ferentz’s squad.

Citrus Bowl, Kentucky vs. Penn State — Who wins the Trace McSorley vs. Josh Allen matchup?

One of the best individual matchups of bowl season will take place in Orlando. Watching one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in  the country against the likely All-American will be fun to watch. Allen can rush the passer, drop back in coverage, and/or spy the quarterback. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do all 3 things against Penn State’s all-time leading passer.

Gator Bowl, Texas A&M vs. N.C. State — Can the Aggies figure out pass defense issues vs. Ryan Finley?

They’ll need to because Finley can pick them apart. The Aggies were No. 109 against the pass in the regular season. As great as Mike Elko has been in leading one of the top run defenses in the country, A&M’s Achilles’ heel has been an obvious one all year. They struggled against Nick Fitzgerald in the passing game, and Jarrett Stidham had that impressive late comeback against the Aggies. The ACC’s leading passer and top NFL Draft prospect is more than capable of doing the same.

Liberty Bowl, Mizzou vs. Oklahoma State — Will Drew Lock play in the bowl game?

I realize that he came back for his senior season, which leads one to believe that the veteran gunslinger will give it one more go before cashing in on his NFL riches, but it’s a fair question. This is the era we live in. I wouldn’t blame Lock if he decided that he wanted to make a business decision and sit out a game against a mediocre Oklahoma State squad. Lock, after an awful start to SEC plan, showed a lot down the stretch to get back some of the NFL Draft buzz he lost. I wouldn’t be totally stunned if the senior elected not to roll the dice on his NFL Draft stock to play in the Liberty Bowl.

Belk Bowl, South Carolina vs. Virginia — Will the real South Carolina offense please stand up?

After looking like a juggernaut against Clemson, the Gamecocks responded by a less-than-stellar performance in the rescheduled game against Akron. I still believe Bryan McClendon’s offense has been a success in Year 1. I’m looking forward to see what it’ll do against a UVA defense that only surrendered 21.8 points per game this year. In what’s been a very up and down year for the Gamecocks, they’ll try and repeat last year’s Outback Bowl effort by closing with their best game of the year.

Music City Bowl, Auburn vs. Purdue — Can Auburn contain Rondale Moore?

If you haven’t seen the freshman receiver play yet, get ready. He’s a treat. Moore was the dude making all of those big plays against Ohio State. He has SEC speed, no doubt. Moore can make people miss in space as well as anyone I’ve seen in 2018. If Auburn is once again lacking motivation to play in a bowl game, Moore can make the Tigers pay in a big way. And it comes via a Jeff Brohm trick play, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.

Texas Bowl, Vanderbilt vs. Baylor — Will Jalen Hurd get to flex on one more school from Tennessee?

The former Tennessee running back — and now Baylor receiver — is fittingly set to close his career against an SEC school. Well, assuming he can play through a knee injury. Derek Mason wouldn’t mind it if Hurd, who has made an impressive transition to the outside and is approaching a 1,000-yard receiving season, isn’t able to suit up. How old is Hurd? The former Vol is old enough to have played in the last game that Tennessee beat Vanderbilt … and he had over 150 yards from scrimmage.

Whether he plays or not, give me all the flashback shots of Hurd alongside Butch Jones, please.