Penn State could be selected for the Rose Bowl despite being well behind Ohio State in the College Football Playoff rankings.
While the Rose Bowl traditionally selects the top-ranked Big Ten and Pac-12 teams if the champion is in the College Football Playoff, It is not obligated to do so. This is important, because Ohio State went to the Rose Bowl and played Utah a season ago.
One of the reasons the Rose Bowl out picks the highest-ranked teams is based on the last time those teams played in the game. Since Ohio State played in the game last year, the Rose Bowl may be open to picking Penn State and Washington if the Huskies don’t move ahead of Utah in the rankings if USC wins the Pac-12 title.
We’re going with the Penn State vs. Washington scenario right now with Ohio State sliding into the Orange Bowl against Clemson. Meanwhile, Utah could find itself in the Alamo Bowl against Texas.
Right now, there are 79 teams with at least six wins. Buffalo was heavily favored for its sixth win of the season on Friday against Akron and we’re expecting the Bulls to pick up that victory.
This would make 80 teams with six wins in 41 ball games. New Mexico State is 5-6 and has applied for a waiver for the ball game after its game against San Jose State was canceled earlier this year due to the death of San Jose State’s Camdan McCright.
If NMSU gets its waiver, that still leaves one more spot. And this spot should be for Rice. The Owls have the best academic progression rate of teams that finished the season at 5-7.
Right now, we have New Mexico State getting their waiver and Rice entering a bowl game to get to a full bowl field. If you need a refresher, here’s a list of all the currently qualified teams below.
AAC (7): Tulane, UCF, Cincinnati, SMU, Houston, East Carolina, Memphis
ACC (9): Clemson, North Carolina, Florida State, Pitt, Duke, NC State, Syracuse, Louisville, Wake Forest
Page 12 (8): TCU, Kansas State, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas
Big Ten (9): Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin
USA Conference (5): UTSA, Western Kentucky, North Texas, Middle Tennessee, UAB
Independent (4): Notre Dame, Liberty, BYU, UConn
Mac (6*): Ohio, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Miami, Buffalo*
Mountain West (7): Boise State, Fresno State, Air Force, Wyoming, San Diego State, San Jose State, Utah State
Pac 12 (7): USC, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Oregon State University of California, Washington State
SEC (11): Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri
Sun Belt (7): Troy, Coastal Carolina, South Alabama, Marshall, Georgia South, South Miss, Louisiana
The Six Cup Games for the New Year
Orange Bowl (30 December)
Clemson vs. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl (December 31)
Kansas State vs. Alabama
Peach Bowl (31 Dec [CFP semifinal]
Georgia vs. USC
Fiesta Bowl (December 31) [CFP semifinal]
Michigan vs. TCU
Cotton Bowl (January 2)
Tennessee vs. Tulane
Rose Bowl (January 2)
Pennsylvania vs. Washington
Other bowl games
Bahamas Bowl (December 16) [Confirmed]
UAB vs. Miami (Ohio)
Cure Bowl (December 16)
UTSA v. Troy
Fenway Bowl (December 17)
Louisville vs. Cincinnati
New Mexico Bowl (December 17)
BYU vs. Western Kentucky
La Powell (December 17)
Boise State vs. Washington State
LendingTree Bowl (Dec. 17)
Toledo vs. New Mexico State
Las Vegas Bowl (December 17)
UCLA vs. Mississippi State
Frisco Bowl (December 17)
Rice vs. SMU
Myrtle Beach Bowl (December 19)
Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina
Potato Bowl (December 20)
San Jose State vs. Bowling Green
Boca Raton Bowl (December 20)
Marshall vs. East Carolina
New Orleans Bowl (December 21)
North Texas vs. Southern Miss
Armed Forces Cup (22 December)
Air Force vs. Louisiana
Gasparilla Bowl (December 23)
Utah vs Georgia South
Independence Bowl (23 December)
Houston vs. O’Conn
Hawaiian Bowl (December 24) [Confirmed]
San Diego vs. Middle Tennessee
Kwik Lane Basin (Dec. 26)
Maryland vs. Buffalo
First Responder Bowl (December 27)
Fresno State vs. Baylor
Birmingham Bowl (27 December)
Memphis vs. Florida
Camellia Bowl (December 27)
Ohio vs South Alabama
Guaranteed Rated Pot (December 27)
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State
Military Bowl (December 28)
Duke vs. UCF
Liberty Bowl (December 28)
Kansas vs. Missouri
Holiday Bowl (December 28)
North Carolina vs. Oregon State
Texas Bowl (December 28)
Texas Tech vs. Arkansas
Striped bowl (December 29)
Syracuse vs. Minnesota
Cheez-It Bowl (December 29)
Wake Forest vs Oklahoma
Alamo Bowl (December 29)
Texas vs Utah
Duke’s Mayo Bowl (December 30)
North Carolina vs Iowa
Sun Bowl (December 30)
Oregon vs. Pete
Crocodile Bowl (December 30)
Florida vs. South Carolina
Arizona Bowl (December 30)
Wyoming vs. Eastern Michigan
Music City Bowl (December 31)
Illinois vs. Kentucky
ReliaQuest Bowl (January 2)
Notre Dame vs Ole Miss
Citrus Bowl (January 2)
Purdue vs. LSU
