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SEC bowl projections: College Football Playoff, New Year's Six predictions after Week 8

zac al-khateeb, usa today network
·3 min read

What does the projected college football bowl landscape look like with just six weeks remaining before the games are announced?

Every week, the default for the No. 1 overall team in the country — and hence, one of the College Football Playoff semifinal games — has been Georgia. The Bulldogs were off in Week 8 while No. 2 Michigan trounced rival MSU in a historic 49-0 defeat. Will the Wolverines' dominance change the CFP bowl makeup heading into Week 9?

Elsewhere, No. 8 Alabama played a vintage second half vs. Tennessee to remain not only squarely in the top 10, but also in play for a New Year's Six bowl (and potential CFP berth). No. 11 Ole Miss struggled to a 28-21 victory vs. Auburn, and has work yet to do before it can earn one of the coveted New Year's Six bowl games. That said, it remains in contention with a 6-1 record and 3-1 mark in SEC play.

No. 15 LSU and No. 16 Missouri are slowly climbing into contention for higher-profile bowl games, while No. 20 Tennessee looks to bounce back from its 34-20 loss to the Crimson Tide to salvage the remainder of the 2023 college football season. The Vols have a lot left to play for, including a date with top-ranked Georgia.

REQUIRED READING: College football rankings: SEC teams in updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25 after Week 8

With that, here's a look at the Week 9 college football bowl predictions for SEC teams.

Week 9 college football bowl predictions

College Football Playoff

  • Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Washington

Another week, another projection with Georgia vs. Washington in the Sugar Bowl semifinal game. That said, this game has had some of the shine taken off it in recent weeks.

The Bulldogs "struggled" to a 37-20 Week 7 victory vs. Vanderbilt before a timely Week 8 bye. (They also are without all-world tight end Brock Bowers for at least the near future). Heisman Trophy front runner Michael Penix Jr. and Washington, meanwhile, struggled mightily in a 15-7 victory over Arizona State.

Still, the Bulldogs and Huskies have a lot of time left to restore the shine on this potential Sugar Bowl meeting.

New Year's Six

As the old saying goes: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's the philosophy behind the third straight week where Alabama projects to face Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl. The Sooners got everything they could handle in a 31-29 win against UCF in Week 8, whereas Alabama put together arguably its best half of football all year vs. Tennessee in a 34-20 win.

If the Crimson Tide and Sooners were guaranteed to play, the spread for the game might look a lot closer than it did a week ago. More and more, the potential for a quarterback duel between Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel looks to entice crimson-clad fans, regardless of loyalties.

REQUIRED READING: SEC Power Rankings: Mizzou cheers, Hogs jeer, and Alabama climbs once cigar smoke clears

Remaining SEC bowl projections

Ole Miss, ranked 11th in the Week 9 US LBM Coaches Poll, remains the first team out of a New Year's Six bowl due to contractual obligations regarding the top-rated Group of Five team. As such, the Rebels still are slated to the Citrus Bowl, which gets first choice of available SEC and Big Ten teams after the CFP and NY6 bowls are filled.

A few notable wins (and losses) in the SEC, ACC and Big 12 shuffled up the remainder of the bowl projections, however:

*The SEC in 2023 is slated to play the Big Ten in the ReliaQuest bowl. If the Big Ten places one of its teams in the Orange Bowl, the SEC will play an ACC team instead.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: SEC bowl projections, including CFP, New Year's Six after Week 8