NCAAF · 10 months ago

Michigan, Oklahoma & Nebraska Headline 10 Big-Name SEC & Big Ten Programs That Could Miss or Make a Bowl

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

Auburn Tigers (4-6) | Needs: 2 Wins
Remaining Games: vs. Texas A&M, @ Alabama

Key Game: vs. Texas A&M (11/23)

Making a bowl game will be incredibly difficult for the Auburn Tigers. They are 4-6 and have games remaining against No. 15 Texas A&M and then at No. 7 Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Weird things happen in the Iron Bowl, and Hugh Freeze is well-known for getting his teams up for massive games. If Auburn can enter that game at 5-6 with a chance to secure a bowl game and play spoiler to Alabama’s playoff hopes, who knows what could happen? They must beat Texas A&M first, and the Tigers are slight underdogs at home. Texas A&M has been staring at the season-finale against Texas, and if they are not focused, Jordan-Hare Stadium could ruin their day.

Verdict: No Bowl

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Michigan Wolverines (5-5) | Needs: 1 Win
Remaining Games: vs. Northwestern, @ Ohio State

Key Game: vs. Northwestern (11/23)

The Wolverines may have won three straight games against rival Ohio State, but if they're counting on a fourth in a row to punch their ticket to a bowl game, Michigan's season will end much earlier than expected. The defending champs will be a double-digit favorite over the Wildcats (-10.5).

Verdict: Bowl

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USC Trojans (5-5) | Needs: 1 Win
Remaining Games: @ UCLA, vs. Notre Dame

Key Game: @UCLA

The USC Trojans are a disappointing 5-5, including a 3-5 record in the Big Ten. After beating LSU in the season-opener and then trouncing Utah State in week number two, USC has only three more victories, and their bowl hopes are on life support. The Trojans took care of business 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. The Bruins are playing well, but the offense showed life under new starting quarterback Jayden Maiava.

Verdict: Bowl
Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-5) | Needs: 1 Win
Remaining Games: 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 fell by eight points at USC to drop to .500 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 this weekend will be the key to Nebraska’s hopes. Both teams are flailing on offense and trying to find answers. The Huskers will squeak out a win to get to six wins.

Verdict: Bowl
Wisconsin Badgers (5-5) | Needs: 1 Win
Remaining Games: @ Nebraska, vs. Minnesota

Key Game: Minnesota (11/29)

As expected, Wisconsin fell to .500 with a loss to Oregon. It was a game there for the taking, and Luke Fickell felt the offense needed a jolt, so he canned his offensive coordinator. 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 (4-6) | Needs: 2 Wins
Remaining Games: vs. USC, vs. Fresno State

Key Game: vs. USC (11/23)

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 won three straight games, including victories over Nebraska and Iowa, but they still need two more wins to reach a bowl game. Washington topped them last Friday to leave no margin for error. The Bruins finish against Fresno State, which they should win, but they must find a win against rival USC this Saturday. The Trojans have switched quarterbacks, and the offense appeared to find some life in the 28-20 win over Nebraska. UCLA comes up just short.

Verdict: No Bowl
Michigan State Spartans (4-6) | Needs: 2 Wins
Remaining Games: vs. Purdue, vs. Rutgers

Key Game: Rutgers (11/30)

After starting the season 3-0, the Michigan State Spartans have dropped six of seven games and limp into the end of November at just 4-6. They close with two winnable contests in East Lansing as Purdue and Rutgers come to Spartan Stadium. Michigan State is a double-digit favorite over the dreadful Boilermakers. They should improve to 5-6, but Rutgers has gotten healthy and will be able to find some offensive success on the ground against Michigan State in the season finale.

Verdict: No Bowl
Oklahoma Sooners (5-5) | Needs: 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 but found a way to lose 30-23. They now close with Alabama at home 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 (5-5) | Needs: 1 Win
Remaining Games: Ole Miss, @ Florida State

Key Game: @ Florida State

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 and expected to miss the remainder of the season. Not so fast, my friend! Lagway returned last weekend and looked great as the Gators dismantled LSU in Gainesville. Florida now hosts Ole Miss, and the Rebels need to be wary of The Swamp. Even with a loss to Ole Miss, Florida should be able to beat the woeful Florida State Seminoles and punch a ticket to a bowl game.

Verdict: Bowl
Arkansas Razorbacks (5-5) | Needs: 1 Win
Remaining Games: 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 one more home game plus a road trip to Missouri to try to lock it up. Texas topped Arkansas 20-10 in a competitive game. 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
Auburn Tigers (4-6) | Needs: 2 Wins
Remaining Games: vs. Texas A&M, @ Alabama

Key Game: vs. Texas A&M (11/23)

Making a bowl game will be incredibly difficult for the Auburn Tigers. They are 4-6 and have games remaining against No. 15 Texas A&M and then at No. 7 Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Weird things happen in the Iron Bowl, and Hugh Freeze is well-known for getting his teams up for massive games. If Auburn can enter that game at 5-6 with a chance to secure a bowl game and play spoiler to Alabama’s playoff hopes, who knows what could happen? They must beat Texas A&M first, and the Tigers are slight underdogs at home. Texas A&M has been staring at the season-finale against Texas, and if they are not focused, Jordan-Hare Stadium could ruin their day.

Verdict: No Bowl

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Michigan Wolverines (5-5) | Needs: 1 Win
Remaining Games: vs. Northwestern, @ Ohio State

Key Game: vs. Northwestern (11/23)

The Wolverines may have won three straight games against rival Ohio State, but if they're counting on a fourth in a row to punch their ticket to a bowl game, Michigan's season will end much earlier than expected. The defending champs will be a double-digit favorite over the Wildcats (-10.5).

Verdict: Bowl

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Michigan, Oklahoma & Nebraska Headline 10 Big-Name SEC & Big Ten Programs That Could Miss or Make a Bowl

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