College soccer Week 12 bowl projections: Rivalry video games loom massive for postseason hopefuls

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With three extra weekends left within the common season, 59 groups have change into bowl-eligible, and one other 19 can qualify with another victory. With 82 spots, it’s unlikely a group with a shedding file will slide into the postseason this 12 months. Of course, that might change.

There are just a few four- and even three-win squads that also have a path to a bowl based mostly on their upcoming schedules, whereas just a few five-win groups are removed from assured a postseason journey. Penn State (3-6) almost upset No. 2 Indiana on Saturday and now wants to brush its remaining video games — at Michigan State, dwelling in opposition to Nebraska, at Rutgers — to select up a postseason invitation, but it surely’s not far-fetched. Rutgers (5-5) closes out its season at No. 1 Ohio State earlier than internet hosting Penn State. It’s potential that the season finale may change into a winner-take-all matchup for a bowl bid.

For a number of groups, rivalry video games will decide whether or not they earn a postseason nod. Kentucky (4-5) faces Tennessee Tech this week earlier than touring to Vanderbilt and Louisville to shut out the season. Clemson (4-5) might want to beat both Louisville or South Carolina on the street, coupled with a house win in opposition to Furman, to land a bowl berth. Florida State (4-5) may must beat Florida within the season finale, whereas it’s potential that solely the winner between NC State (5-4) and North Carolina (4-5) goes bowling.

For groups already eligible, now it’s about shifting up of their conferences’ pecking order. For occasion, the Iowa-Nebraska sport on Black Friday may decide which group heads to Tampa or Las Vegas. The Miami-Pittsburgh sport on the ultimate weekend may decide which of the 2 groups heads to the ACC’s high bowl tier (Pop Tarts, Gator, Holiday) and second tier (Pinstripe, Sun, Duke’s Mayo). A Citrus Bowl spot might be at stake in Vanderbilt-Tennessee if neither qualifies for the College Football Playoff.

A couple of evergreen notes:

This is the second season of the 12-team College Football Playoff. The highest-ranked 5 convention champions plus the highest seven at-large groups qualify for the sector.

The 4 highest-ranked groups earn first-round byes. Those groups will play within the Cotton (Dec. 31), Orange (Jan. 1), Rose (Jan. 1) and Sugar (Dec. 31) bowls on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Teams seeded 5-8 will host seeds 9-12 in first-round video games on Dec. 19-20. Should the Big Ten and SEC champions earn byes, they’ll play within the Rose and Sugar bowls, respectively.

The former Pac-12 colleges nonetheless are underneath the convention’s outdated bowl agreements, that are set to run out after the season. Depending on CFP negotiations, these offers may prolong by one other 12 months. In the meantime, it is going to be potential to see in-conference matchups within the Alamo, Vegas, Holiday or Sun bowls.

ESPN Events owns the Bahamas Bowl, however the sport will transfer to an undetermined location subsequent month.

Missouri State (6-3) and Delaware (5-4) are within the first 12 months of their transition from the Football Championship Subdivision and are ineligible for a bowl sport until there aren’t sufficient bowl-eligible groups. Transitional groups obtain precedence forward of 5-7 squads with a excessive Academic Progress Rate (APR).