Big 12 bowl and playoff projections for 2023 from CBS Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners are weeks away from opening the season against the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Sept. 2. It’ll be Step 1 toward making the 2022 season an afterthought.
In Year 2 of the Brent Venables era, the hope is there’s a greater level of comfort in the schemes on both sides of the ball. With comfort comes a greater level of understanding and execution that many believe will lead to an improved Oklahoma Sooners squad in 2023.
Based on his bowl projection, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports is among those who believe the Sooners will be better than in 2022. Here’s a look at where he sees the Big 12 landing in bowl season in addition to his College Football Playoff projections.
College Football Playoff
Semifinal – Rose Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Alabama
Semifinal – Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State
CBS Sports is projecting the Big Ten and the SEC to share the four spots in this year’s College Football Playoff. Given the potential for a two-loss champ in the Big 12 and the Pac-12, and the ACC’s improving depth, it’s not unreasonable to see this play out. If a one-loss champion doesn’t emerge from the remaining three Power Five conferences, the SEC and Big Ten will have a stranglehold on the playoff berths.
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New Year's Six - Peach Bowl: Clemson vs. Texas
The Texas Longhorns have a tough matchup with Alabama. If they’re able to pull off a win over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, they could be College Football Playoff bound. Instead, Jerry Palm has the Longhorns in the New Year’s Six against Clemson. The Longhorns and the Tigers have never faced each other on the gridiron.
New Year's Six - Cotton Bowl: Penn State vs. Kansas State
Kansas State is in a strong position to win a second straight Big 12 championship and set itself up as the new power in the conference after Oklahoma departs for the SEC. Closing the season in the Cotton Bowl against Big Ten power Penn State would move the needle on the national landscape. The Nittany Lions hold a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series, but the two sides haven’t played since a home-and-home series in 1968 and 1969.
Liberty Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Kentucky
Texas Tech has won each of its last two bowl games against SEC opponents, picking up wins over the Mississippi schools in 2021 and 2022. If the Red Raiders make it to a bowl game in 2023, it would mark the first time since the end of the Mike Leach era and first year of Tommy Tuberville in (2009-2011) that Tech made it to three consecutive bowl games. Under Leach and then Tuberville, the Red Raiders made it to 11 straight bowl games.
They’ve never played Kentucky.
Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Washington
The Oklahoma Sooners and Washington Huskies have played three times, with OU holding 2-1 edge in the all-time series. The first meeting was a 28-17 Washington win in the 1985 Orange Bowl. Oklahoma won the home-and-home series in 2006 and 2008. This one would have a chance to be a high-scoring affair in San Antonio.
Texas Bowl: TCU vs. South Carolina
This has the potential for fireworks if Spencer Rattler plays in what could be his final collegiate game. The Horned Frogs offense is one of the best in the country and South Carolina erupted in wins over Tennessee and Clemson at the end of 2022. The two sides have never met on the football field.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Baylor vs. Minnesota
The Baylor Bears and the Minnesota Golden Gophers have only met once, a Minnesota win in 2000. This would be a good, hard-fought matchup between two very well-coached teams.
Armed Forces Bowl: UCF vs. Army
This would be the first matchup between the two programs. If the projections are correct, UCF would be the only new Big 12 team going bowling in 2023.
