Because James Madison is in its second year transitioning from FCS to FBS, the Dukes’ bowl hopes are simple: they must hope there aren’t 82 teams that win at least six games.
If there are 82 teams with at least six wins to fill the 41 bowls, then the Dukes’ bowl hopes are done. Kaput.
James Madison, currently 6-0, could finish 12-0 as the nation’s only unbeaten team, but it’s ineligible for the College Football Playoff rankings. The Dukes also can’t be considered for a New Year’s Six bowl as the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion since they’re ineligible for the Sun Belt title.
Because it’s the second year of the Dukes’ two-year transition, JMU needs help to get to a bowl. And I think they’ll get it.
In my Week 8 bowl projections, I’m including James Madison because I’m projecting only 79 teams to reach the six-win mark. Obviously, this is only my projection and we could end up with more than 82 teams with six wins or fall short — it’s impossible to say at this point.
So, you’re saying there’s a chance?
While I have James Madison in my projections for the first time this season, I also have a new final four in the College Football Playoff with Washington joining Georgia, Michigan and Florida State.
Besides James Madison, there are seven other teams joining my projections this week: Colorado State, Houston, Illinois, Navy, New Mexico State, TCU and Virginia Tech.
Here are my Week 8 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.
CFP National Championship Prediction
College Football Playoff Semifinals Projections
 Rose Bowl Jan. 1 • Pasadena, CA Michigan -1.5  Washington |  Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 1 • New Orleans, LA Georgia -4.5  Florida State |
New Year's Six Bowl Games
 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Jan. 1 • Glendale, AZ  Oregon -16.5  Air Force |  Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Dec. 30 • Atlanta, GA  Oklahoma  Alabama -1.5 |
 Capital One Orange Bowl Dec. 30 • Miami, FL  UNC  Penn State -8 |  Goodyear Cotton Bowl Dec. 29 • Arlington, TX  Texas  Ohio State -2.5 |
Projections for All Other Bowl Games
 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Jan. 1 • Orlando, FL  Ole Miss -9.5  Iowa |  ReliaQuest Bowl Jan. 1 • Tampa, FL  Notre Dame  LSU PK |  Arizona Bowl Dec. 30 • Tucson, AZ  San Diego St. -9  E. Michigan |  Music City Bowl Dec. 30 • Nashville, TN  Florida -1  Maryland |  AutoZone Liberty Bowl Dec. 29 • Memphis, TN  Auburn -3  Iowa State |  Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Dec. 29 • El Paso, TX  Georgia Tech  Arizona -8 |  TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Dec. 29 • Jacksonville, FL  Tennessee -9.5  Louisville |  Valero Alamo Bowl Dec. 28 • San Antonio, TX  Kansas State  USC -2.5 |  Pop-Tarts Bowl Dec. 28 • Orlando, FL  Duke -5.5  West Virginia |  Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 28 • Bronx, NY  NC State  Rutgers PK |  Wasabi Fenway Bowl Dec. 28 • Boston, MA  Tulane -3  Syracuse |  TaxAct Texas Bowl Dec. 27 • Houston, TX  Texas A&M -15  Oklahoma St. |  Holiday Bowl Dec. 27 • San Diego, CA  Clemson -1  Oregon State |  Duke's Mayo Bowl Dec. 27 • Charlotte, NC  Missouri -1.5  Miami |  Military Bowl Dec. 27 • Annapolis, MD  Virginia Tech -9.5  Navy |  Guaranteed Rate Bowl Dec. 26 • Phoenix, AZ  Nebraska  Kansas -6 |  First Responder Bowl Dec. 26 • Dallas, TX  Marshall  Fresno State -4 |  Quick Lane Bowl Dec. 26 • Detroit, MI  Illinois -5  Miami OH |  EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl Dec. 23 • Honolulu, HI  UNLV  SMU -9.5 |  Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 23 • Las Vegas, NV  Utah -4.5  Wisconsin |  68 Ventures Bowl Dec. 23 • Mobile, AL  Georgia Southern -2  Tulsa |  Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Dec. 23 • Boise, ID  Boise State -8.5  NIU |  Armed Forces Bowl Dec. 23 • Fort Worth, TX  TCU -7.5  Minnesota |  Camellia Bowl Dec. 23 • Montgomery, AL  App State -0.5  Ohio |  Birmingham Bowl Dec. 23 • Birmingham, AL  Kentucky -8  Houston |  Gasparilla Bowl Dec. 22 • Tampa, FL  Memphis  JMU -0.5 |  Boca Raton Bowl Dec. 21 • Boca Raton, FL  Louisiana  FAU -0.5 |  Frisco Bowl Dec. 19 • Frisco, TX  UTSA -7.5  Texas State |  Myrtle Beach Bowl Dec. 18 • Conway, SC  WKU  Coastal Carolina -3.5 |  Independence Bowl Dec. 16 • Shreveport, LA  BYU  Washington St. -7 |  LA Bowl Dec. 16 • Inglewood, CA  UCLA -17.5  Wyoming |  New Mexico Bowl Dec. 16 • Albuquerque, NM  Colorado St. -3  New Mexico St. |  Cure Bowl Dec. 16 • Orlando, FL  Georgia St.  Toledo -2.5 |  New Orleans Bowl Dec. 16 • New Orleans, LA  Liberty  Troy -1.5 |  Bahamas Bowl Dec. 16 • Nassau, Bahamas  C. Michigan  LA Tech -0.5 |
