Bowl or No Bowl? Predictions for Major College Football Teams

Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4) | Needs: 1 Win

Remaining Games: Texas, Louisiana Tech, Missouri

Key Game: Louisiana Tech (11/23)

The Arkansas Razorbacks have five wins, including a memorable night triumph over Tennessee. The Hogs only need one more win for bowl eligibility, and they get two home games plus a road trip to Missouri to try to lock it up. Texas is a two-touchdown favorite, but Arkansas has the firepower to hang in that one. However, it is probably a loss. They should be able to wrap up a bowl win with a home game against struggling Louisiana Tech. Failure to do so would put Sam Pittman on a boiling hot seat in Fayetteville. I think Arkansas finishes at 7-5 after beating Missouri in the regular-season finale.

Verdict: Bowl

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USC Trojans (4-5) | Needs: 2 Wins

Remaining Games: vs. Nebraska, @ UCLA, vs. Notre Dame

Key Game: @UCLA

The USC Trojans are a disappointing 4-5, including a 2-5 record in the Big Ten. After beating LSU in the season-opener and then trouncing Utah State in week number two, USC has only two more victories, and their bowl hopes are on life support. The Trojans are favorites at home against Nebraska and close the season as large underdogs in South Bend against probable playoff team Notre Dame. Sandwiched in between is a rivalry game in the Rose Bowl against fellow bowl bubble team UCLA. All three of these games are ones the Trojans could lose, and it will be fascinating to see how the offense looks under new starting quarterback Jayden Maiava.

Verdict: No Bowl

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-4) | Need: 1 Win

Remaining Games: @USC, vs. Wisconsin, @Iowa

Key Game: vs. Wisconsin (11/23)

Nebraska started the season 5-1 and was on the fringes of the Top 25 polls. They traveled to Bloomington and were shellacked by Indiana to drop to 5-2. Nebraska battled hard at Ohio State and had to feel good about the bounce-back effort. All they needed was a win at home over UCLA. Disaster struck as the Huskers were thoroughly outplayed and fell 27-20 for a third-straight loss. Nebraska has to figure out how to right the ship and get to the program’s first bowl game since 2016. They are nearly double-digit underdogs at USC and will be underdogs at Iowa to close the season. Going into that game at 5-6 would come with immense pressure, so taking care of Wisconsin at home next weekend will be the key to Nebraska’s hopes. Of course, they could win in California this Saturday and focus on a winning season.

Verdict: Bowl

Washington Huskies (5-5) | Need: 1 Win

Remaining Games: UCLA, @Oregon

Key Game: UCLA (11/15)

Last season’s national runner-up needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility. The Huskies close the campaign with a trip to Eugene to play the Oregon Ducks. They will be massive underdogs, making this Friday night’s game against UCLA the lynchpin on which their season hinges. The Bruins are playing well right now, but Washington is favored by 4.5 points and will be highly motivated to wrap up a bowl berth.

Verdict: Bowl

Wisconsin Badgers (5-4) | Need: 1 Win

Remaining Games: vs. Oregon, @ Nebraska, vs. Minnesota

Key Game: Minnesota (11/29)

Wisconsin will likely be 5-5 after this weekend’s game against Oregon. Luke Fickell’s team closes with a road trip to fellow bowl-bubble team Nebraska and then a rivalry clash with Minnesota. The Gophers and Badgers play annually, and their game on Black Friday could also have their bowl fate on the line (if Wisconsin can’t win at Nebraska). After a few blowout wins over Purdue, Rutgers, and Northwestern that looked like the Badgers had figured things out, they crashed back to earth with blowout losses to Penn State and Iowa. Wisconsin has two bullets in the chamber to hit the target of a bowl game.

Verdict: Bowl

UCLA Bruins (4-5) | Need: 2 Wins

Remaining Games: @Washington, vs. USC, vs. Fresno State

Key Game: @Washington (11/15)

The UCLA Bruins had a demanding schedule to begin the season. They won at Hawai’i before playing eventual ranked teams: Indiana (who beat them worse than anyone else has), LSU, Oregon, Penn State, and then Minnesota. Sitting at 1-5, the Bruins could have quit, but they have won three straight games, including victories over Nebraska and Iowa, but they still need two more wins to reach a bowl game. The Bruins finish against Fresno State, which they should win, but they must find a win against USC or Washington. They are a slight underdog to Washington on Friday night, and a loss there means they must beat USC at home. The Trojans have switched quarterbacks, and no one knows how that will go. UCLA is playing like the better team and must find a way to win at home.

Verdict: Bowl

Oklahoma Sooners (5-5) | Need: 1 Win

Remaining Games: Alabama, @ LSU

Key Game: @LSU (11/30)

The first season in the SEC has been rough for the Oklahoma Sooners. With an offense as bad as OU’s, they would have struggled in any power conference league, but the lone SEC win coming at Auburn is a shock. The Sooners had a chance at Missouri last weekend but found a way to lose 30-23. They now close with Alabama at home next weekend and then a trip to LSU. OU will be a large underdog in both games and needs a big upset to reach a bowl.

Verdict: No Bowl

Florida Gators (4-5) | Needs: 2 Wins

Remaining Games: LSU, Ole Miss, @ Florida State

Key Game: LSU (11/16)

The Florida Gators were handed a demanding schedule. They got off to a bad start but played well in a romp over Central Florida and were 3-2 and battling against Tennessee. Quarterback Graham Mertz got hurt, which could have cost them an upset win over the Volunteers. Freshman DJ Lagway took the reins and showed a ton of promise. The Gators blasted Kentucky and were going toe-to-toe with Georgia before Lagway was also injured for the season. Florida is now on its third-string quarterback and still has to play ranked LSU and ranked Ole Miss before going to Florida State for the series’ saddest game in a long time. The Gators are slight underdogs against the Tigers, but their lack of offense is a real problem.

Verdict: No Bowl

Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4) | Needs: 1 Win

Remaining Games: Texas, Louisiana Tech, Missouri

Key Game: Louisiana Tech (11/23)

The Arkansas Razorbacks have five wins, including a memorable night triumph over Tennessee. The Hogs only need one more win for bowl eligibility, and they get two home games plus a road trip to Missouri to try to lock it up. Texas is a two-touchdown favorite, but Arkansas has the firepower to hang in that one. However, it is probably a loss. They should be able to wrap up a bowl win with a home game against struggling Louisiana Tech. Failure to do so would put Sam Pittman on a boiling hot seat in Fayetteville. I think Arkansas finishes at 7-5 after beating Missouri in the regular-season finale.

Verdict: Bowl

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