Bowl Projection Round-Up, Week 14
Mark Schlabach (ESPN): Missouri vs. Wisconsin
Brett McMurphy (ESPN): Auburn vs. Wisconsin
ESPN Big Ten & SEC Blog: Ole Miss vs. Wisconsin
Jerry Palm (CBSSports): Missouri vs. Minnesota
Bill Bender (Sporting News): Missouri vs. Wisconsin
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Phil Steele: Ole Miss vs. Wisconsin
After narrowly escaping a loss to Iowa last Saturday, Wisconsin is projected by six different sources to appear in Orlando for the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl. Up one from its total of five predictions last week, it would be the second year in a row Wisconsin would play in the Orlando Citrus Bowl stadium. The lone other Big Ten team predicted to spend New Year’s Day in Orlando is Minnesota. The Gophers had a road-win over Nebraska in week 13 and travel to Wisconsin on Saturday to conclude regular season play.
The SEC slot remains more of a question mark. There are still four different teams being projected by college football experts, but the majority has predicted Missouri. Since their loss to Georgia in early October, the Tigers have won the five following games and will host Arkansas for their final regular season game on Saturday. With the win over Tennessee in week 13, Missouri jumped two spots in the College Football Playoff rankings to No. 18.
Ole Miss is projected to play Wisconsin by two sources. The Rebels most recently were shut out by SEC opponent Arkansas and are ranked No. 19 in the CFP rankings. If they face the Badgers on New Year’s Day, it would be the first meeting between the two football programs.
Auburn snapped its two-game losing streak last Saturday, defeating Samford 31-7 and now travels to Tuscaloosa to face No.1 Alabama for the Iron Bowl. The Tigers, who are projected just once following week 13, are predicted to face Wisconsin in a repeat of the 2006 Capital One Bowl in Orlando – the Badgers earned the 24-10 victory.
Georgia also appears as a possible contender for the SEC spot. The Bulldogs defeated Charleston Southern 55-9 last Saturday and moved up one spot in the CFP rankings. Phil Steele predicts that they will face Wisconsin. The last time the Bulldogs and Badgers met was in 2004 and Georgia earned its second win in the two-game series.