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The Alabama-Georgia SEC Championship Game is officially set, and CBS Sports bowl expert Jerry Palm is predicting there will be a second postseason meeting between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide. In his updated projections, Palm still has Alabama and Georgia meeting in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Florida fans are likely to notice Palm has both UF and Florida State going bowling, despite the Gators and Seminoles each being 5-6 entering Saturday’s rivalry clash. Palm projects Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl, a Dec. 23 game in Tampa (previously St. Pete) against the Miami Hurricanes. It is not unheard of for a 5-7 team to go bowling, though many of the 82 spots for 41 games have already been claimed by teams reaching 6 wins. Interestingly enough, a Dan Mullen-coached Mississippi State team with a 5-7 record played in the St. Petersburg Bowl (before it was renamed the Gasparilla Bowl) in 2016. MSU defeated the Miami RedHawks 17-16.
Here are Palm’s updated predictions with 12 teams making the postseason:
Alabama
Orange Bowl (CFP semifinal) vs. No. 1 Georgia
Arkansas
Gator Bowl vs. Florida State
Auburn
Liberty Bowl vs. Texas Tech
Florida
Gasparilla Bowl vs. Miami
Georgia
Orange Bowl (CFP semifinal) vs. No. 4 Alabama
Kentucky
Outback Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Mississippi State
Texas Bowl vs. Iowa State
Missouri
Music City Bowl vs. Penn State
Ole Miss
Sugar Bowl (NY6) vs. Oklahoma
South Carolina
Birmingham Bowl vs. Western Michigan
Tennessee
Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. NC State
Texas A&M
Citrus Bowl vs. Iowa
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
