College Football Bowl Predictions: Brett McMurphy’s Week 8 Projections With Projected Spreads

College Football Bowl Predictions: Brett McMurphy’s Week 8 Projections With Projected Spreads article feature image
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Gaelen Morse/Getty Images. Pictured: The Ohio State Buckeyes.

Week 8 College Football Bowl Projections

While Tennessee’s upset of Alabama reduced the Crimson Tide’s margin of error to make another trip to the College Football Playoff, UT’s win does create an unprecedented possibility regarding the SEC.

That is that not one, not two, but three SEC teams could make the four-team playoff. Do I think it’s highly likely? No. However, so you're saying there's a chance? Well …

Here’s how. Tennessee loses a close game at Georgia next month and finishes the season 11-1. Georgia loses to Alabama in the SEC title game, and both the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide finish at 12-1.

In the other Power Five leagues, Ohio State (13-0) wins the Big Ten, while the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 champions each have at least one loss. The selection committee would then have to determine if any of the Power Five champions — excluding Ohio State — have a better resume or are more deserving than the three SEC teams.

In the College Football Playoff's eight-year history, there has never been three teams from the same conference that made the playoff.

Ultimately, I don’t think it happens, but I am projecting — for now — that two SEC teams will make the four-team playoff. To do so, Tennessee finishes 11-1, with its only loss to Georgia, and the Bulldogs (13-0) win the SEC title.

Here are my complete bowl projections, including the projected point spread based on Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson’s current college football betting power ratings.

Updated 2022 College Football Betting Power Ratings

CFP National Championship Prediction

  • CFP National Championship

    Monday, Jan. 9
    Los Angeles, CA

    Ohio State

    -2

    Georgia


College Football Playoff Semifinals Projections

  • Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 31
    Atlanta, GA

    Ohio State

    -5.5

    Clemson

  • Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 31
    Glendale, AZ

    Georgia

    -9.5

    Tennessee


New Year's Six Bowl Games

  • Rose Bowl

    Monday, Jan. 2
    Pasadena, CA

    UCLA

    Michigan

    -9.5
  • Goodyear Cotton Bowl

    Monday, Jan. 2
    Arlington, TX

    Oklahoma State

    -8

    Tulane

  • Allstate Sugar Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 31
    New Orleans, LA

    TCU

    Alabama

    -9
  • Capital One Orange Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 30
    Miami, FL

    Syracuse

    Ole Miss

    -6.5

Projections for All Other Bowls

  • Citrus Bowl

    Monday, Jan. 2
    Orlando, FL

    Illinois

    LSU

    -4.5
  • ReliaQuest Bowl

    Monday, Jan. 2
    Tampa, FL

    Purdue

    Kentucky

    -1.5
  • Music City Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 31
    Nashville, TN

    Minnesota

    Arkansas

    -1
  • Arizona Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 30
    Tucson, AZ

    Eastern Michigan

    San Diego State

    -6.5
  • TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 30
    Jacksonville, FL

    Notre Dame

    -4.5

    Florida

  • Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 30
    El Paso, TX

    Florida State

    -6

    Washington

  • Duke's Mayo Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 30
    Charlotte, NC

    Pittsburgh

    -3.5

    Maryland

  • Valero Alamo Bowl

    Thursday, Dec. 29
    San Antonio, TX

    Kansas State

    Utah

    -1.5
  • Cheez-It Bowl

    Thursday, Dec. 29
    Orlando, FL

    Wake Forest

    Texas

    -6.5
  • Pinstripe Bowl

    Thursday, Dec. 29
    Bronx, NY

    NC State

    Penn State

    -8.5
  • TaxAct Texas Bowl

    Wednesday, Dec. 28
    Houston, TX

    Oklahoma

    PK

    Texas A&M

    PK
  • Holiday Bowl

    Wednesday, Dec. 28
    San Diego, CA

    North Carolina

    USC

    -5
  • AutoZone Liberty Bowl

    Wednesday, Dec. 28
    Memphis, TN

    Kansas

    -1.5

    South Carolina

  • Military Bowl

    Wednesday, Dec. 28
    Annapolis, MD

    Louisville

    Cincinnati

    -5
  • Guaranteed Rate Bowl

    Tuesday, Dec. 27
    Phoenix, AZ

    Iowa

    Baylor

    -8
  • Camellia Bowl

    Tuesday, Dec. 27
    Montgomery, AL

    North Texas

    Troy

    -6.5
  • Birmingham Bowl

    Tuesday, Dec. 27
    Birmingham, AL

    UAB

    -6.5

    Georgia Tech

  • First Responder Bowl

    Tuesday, Dec. 27
    Dallas, TX

    Oregon State

    -4

    Nebraska

  • Quick Lane Bowl

    Monday, Dec. 26
    Detroit, MI

    Wisconsin

    -23

    Ball State

  • EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 24
    Honolulu, HI

    San Jose State

    -3.5

    Western Kentucky

  • Gasparilla Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 23
    Tampa, FL

    UCF

    -1

    Miami

  • Independence Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 23
    Shreveport, LA

    UTEP

    SMU

    -18
  • Armed Forces Bowl

    Thursday, Dec. 22
    Fort Worth, TX

    Air Force

    Texas Tech

    -3.5
  • New Orleans Bowl

    Wednesday, Dec. 21
    New Orleans, LA

    UTSA

    PK

    South Alabama

    PK
  • Boca Raton Bowl

    Tuesday, Dec. 20
    Boca Raton, FL

    Memphis

    -1

    Toledo

  • Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

    Tuesday, Dec. 20
    Boise, ID

    Buffalo

    PK

    UNLV

    PK
  • Myrtle Beach Bowl

    Monday, Dec. 19
    Conway, SC

    Coastal Carolina

    West Virginia

    -9.5
  • Frisco Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 17
    Frisco, TX

    Michigan State

    BYU

    -3
  • Las Vegas Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 17
    Las Vegas, NV

    Mississippi State

    Oregon

    -1.5
  • LendingTree Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 17
    Mobile, AL

    Georgia Southern

    Liberty

    -2.5
  • Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 17
    Los Angeles, CA

    Washington State

    Boise State

    -2.5
  • New Mexico Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 17
    Albuquerque, NM

    Wyoming

    Arizona

    -7
  • Wasabi Fenway Bowl

    Saturday, Dec. 17
    Boston, MA

    East Carolina

    -6

    Duke

  • Duluth Trading Cure Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 16
    Orlando, FL

    Old Dominion

    -8.5

    Ohio

  • Bahamas Bowl

    Friday, Dec. 16
    Nassau, Bahamas

    Miami (OH)

    PK

    Florida Atlantic

    PK
  • TBA Bowl**

    TBD
    TBD

    Utah State

    Appalachian State

    -8

* The highest-rated champion from the Group of Five conferences (American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt) will be selected to play in the Cotton Bowl if it does not qualify for College Football Playoff.

**ESPN will create a bowl this fall to replace the San Francisco Bowl if it is not played.

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