College Football Bowl Projections for Week 7: Brett McMurphy’s Predictions With Projected Spreads

Brett McMurphy

Updated:

Oct 12, 2022, 06:09 PM EDT

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Logan Hannigan-Downs/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: USC defensive back Calen Bullock.

Week 7 College Football Bowl Projections

After weeks of constant taunting and ridicule — and that was from my immediate family and close friends — I have finally decided to no longer project two teams each from the SEC and Big Ten to make the College Football Playoff.

I’m still projecting SEC heavyweights Alabama and Georgia to both make the playoff — although the Crimson Tide must survive a trip to Rocky Top on Saturday. I’m just not as confident about two Big Ten teams making it. Ohio State, absolutely. Michigan, no.

Previously, I thought an 11-1 Michigan (with its only loss to Ohio State) would have a good chance for the No. 4 seed because the other power leagues would not provide an undefeated or one-loss conference champion. However, near the midpoint of the season, there are several legitimate possibilities for an undefeated or one-loss Power Five champ, including Clemson or NC State from the ACC; USC, UCLA or Oregon from the Pac-12; and TCU or Oklahoma State from the Big 12.

Right now, Clemson is my pick to join the three behemoths — Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State — in the College Football Playoff.

At this time, I am no longer projecting an all-SEC and Big Ten final four. Please respect my decision. I will have no further comment at this time. Well, until next week’s bowl projections.

Quick update from last week’s projections. The conflict between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Las Vegas Bowl I wrote about has been resolved, so the Las Vegas Bowl will be played as originally scheduled.

Here are my 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
-1.5
Alabama

College Football Playoff Semifinals Projections

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 31
⋅
Atlanta, GA
Alabama
-7.5
Clemson
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 31
⋅
Glendale, AZ
Ohio State
-2.5
Georgia

New Year's Six Bowl Games

Rose Bowl
Monday, Jan. 2
⋅
Pasadena, CA
UCLA
Michigan
-8
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
Monday, Jan. 2
⋅
Arlington, TX
USC
PK
Cincinnati
PK

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 31
⋅
New Orleans, LA
Oklahoma State
Tennessee
-3.5
Capital One Orange Bowl
Friday, Dec. 30
⋅
Miami, FL
NC State
Ole Miss
-4.5

Projections for All Other Bowls

Citrus Bowl
Monday, Jan. 2
⋅
Orlando, FL
Penn State
Mississippi State
-1.5
ReliaQuest Bowl
Monday, Jan. 2
⋅
Tampa, FL
Kentucky
-2.5
Illinois
Music City Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 31
⋅
Nashville, TN
Maryland
-2.5
Florida

Arizona Bowl
Friday, Dec. 30
⋅
Tucson, AZ
Eastern Michigan
San Diego State
-8
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Friday, Dec. 30
⋅
Jacksonville, FL
North Carolina
Arkansas
-2
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Friday, Dec. 30
⋅
El Paso, TX
Syracuse
Washington
-5

Duke's Mayo Bowl
Friday, Dec. 30
⋅
Charlotte, NC
Purdue
PK
Pittsburgh
PK
Valero Alamo Bowl
Thursday, Dec. 29
⋅
San Antonio, TX
TCU
PK
Oregon
PK
Cheez-It Bowl
Thursday, Dec. 29
⋅
Orlando, FL
Notre Dame
Texas
-4

Pinstripe Bowl
Thursday, Dec. 29
⋅
Bronx, NY
Minnesota
Florida State
-1.5
TaxAct Texas Bowl
Wednesday, Dec. 28
⋅
Houston, TX
Kansas
Texas A&M
-6.5
Holiday Bowl
Wednesday, Dec. 28
⋅
San Diego, CA
Wake Forest
-4
Oregon State

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Wednesday, Dec. 28
⋅
Memphis, TN
Baylor
-8.5
Auburn
Military Bowl
Wednesday, Dec. 28
⋅
Annapolis, MD
Duke
UCF
-10
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 27
⋅
Phoenix, AZ
Wisconsin
Kansas State
-2.5

Camellia Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 27
⋅
Montgomery, AL
UAB
-1
Appalachian State
Birmingham Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 27
⋅
Birmingham, AL
South Carolina
-7.5
Georgia Tech
First Responder Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 27
⋅
Dallas, TX
Texas Tech
-6.5
Nebraska

Quick Lane Bowl
Monday, Dec. 26
⋅
Detroit, MI
Michigan State
-16
Ball State
EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 24
⋅
Honolulu, HI
San Jose State
-5
Western Kentucky
Gasparilla Bowl
Friday, Dec. 23
⋅
Tampa, FL
Miami
-7.5
Rutgers

Independence Bowl
Friday, Dec. 23
⋅
Shreveport, LA
Tulane
-10
Indiana
Armed Forces Bowl
Thursday, Dec. 22
⋅
Fort Worth, TX
Oklahoma
-8
Air Force
New Orleans Bowl
Wednesday, Dec. 21
⋅
New Orleans, LA
UTSA
-2
Coastal Carolina

Boca Raton Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 20
⋅
Boca Raton, FL
BYU
-4
SMU
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 20
⋅
Boise, ID
Buffalo
UNLV
-3
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Monday, Dec. 19
⋅
Conway, SC
East Carolina
-4.5
Toledo

Frisco Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 17
⋅
Frisco, TX
Houston
-18
UTEP
Las Vegas Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 17
⋅
Las Vegas, NV
LSU
Utah
-3
LendingTree Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 17
⋅
Mobile, AL
Ohio
South Alabama
-14.5

Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 17
⋅
Los Angeles, CA
Washington State
PK
Boise State
PK
New Mexico Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 17
⋅
Albuquerque, NM
Wyoming
North Texas
-1
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 17
⋅
Boston, MA
Louisville
-7.5
Memphis

Duluth Trading Cure Bowl
Friday, Dec. 16
⋅
Orlando, FL
Troy
-8.5
Rice
Bahamas Bowl
Friday, Dec. 16
⋅
Nassau, Bahamas
Miami (OH)
-6.5
Louisiana Tech
TBA Bowl**
TBD
⋅
TBD
Liberty
Marshall
-4

* 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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Brett McMurphy

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About the Author

Brett is "America's College Football Insider" for The Action Network. Brett was nominated twice for a Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting, but wasn’t a nominee finalist. A long-time voter in the AP Top 25 poll and for the Heisman Trophy, Brett was named the 2019 Beat Writer of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America. Before joining The Action Network, Brett’s previous stops included ESPN, CBS Sports, the New York Times, Stadium, AOL Fanhouse and the Tampa Tribune.

Follow Brett McMurphy @Brett_McMurphy on Twitter/X.

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