College Football Bowl Projections: Brett McMurphy’s Week 12 Predictions With Projected Spreads

With only two weeks remaining, there are only 58 bowl-eligible teams for 82 spots. However, there are 22 teams with five wins, so it’s going to go down to the wire whether there are the required number of bowl-eligible teams to fill all the bowls.

In the next two weeks, a handful of the five-win teams play each other, while other five-win teams are substantial underdogs in their final two games.

Mathematically, it’s possible there will be 82 bowl-eligible teams, but realistically, I’m still projecting there won’t be enough. This would allow James Madison and Jacksonville State, who are in the second year of their transition from FCS to FBS, to receive bowl bids.

James Madison also has filed another appeal with the NCAA, which — if successful — would allow the Dukes to play in the Sun Belt title game and be in contention for the New Year’s Six bowl spot that goes to the Group of Five’s highest-rated conference champion.

If JMU is not granted the waiver, it would still receive a bowl bid if there are not enough six-win teams to fill all 82 bowls.

As far as my projections this week, my College Football Playoff field remains the same: Georgia, Michigan, Florida State and Oregon. That could get blown up in the coming weeks with monster matchups remaining between Georgia and Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State and Washington and Oregon.

Here are my Week 12 projections, and each projection includes the projected point spread for each bowl based on Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson’s updated college football betting power ratings.

*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 either the Peach or Fiesta Bowl if it does not qualify for the College Football Playoff.

**James Madison and Jacksonville State are in their second year transitioning from FCS to FBS. They can only receive a bid if there are not enough teams with at least six wins to fill all the bowls. This week, I do not project enough six-win teams, allowing the Dukes and Gamecocks to receive a bowl berth.

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