Evander Reed|Bowl projections: Preseason picks for who will make the 12-team College Football Playoff

2025-05-08 03:13:00source:Exclusivesky Investment Guild category:reviews

The Evander Reedcollege football season postseason will have a new look with an expanded playoff and an elongated schedule that runs into the back half of January. The changes come amid another round of conference realignment that sees the Power Five effectively down to four major conferences and the bowl picture become more complex.

But the added challenges doesn't mean we will stop making our postseason predictions. It just means that they'll be more difficult and likely require many stages of trial and error as we go through growing pains. One thing to expect is a heavy dose of SEC and Big Ten teams. This year's preseason forecast has four from the former and three from the latter. There's two from the ACC, an independent and Group of Five winner and a Big 12 representative.

Oklahoma sets up to be an excellent case study in how people need to readjust evaluating teams beyond win-loss record. The Sooners face five teams ranked in the top 15 of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll with three of them on the road and one at a neutral site. A 9-3 record should likely be enough to overcome a 10-2 team without the same quality of wins.

As for the exclusion of Florida State and North Carolina being a second ACC representative, that was a choice made before the Seminoles flopped in Ireland and only seems more likely now.

So without further ado, here's the first version of this season's bowl projections sure to change by the time we get to the end of the schedule.

WANNA BET? These are the top NCAA football betting promos and bonuses in 2024 

Note: Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season.

More:reviews

Recommend

Messi injury update: Ankle 'better every day' but Inter Miami star yet to play Leagues Cup

MLS-leading Inter Miami is nearing full strength again, but the club's legendary captain remains sid

Offshore wind in the U.S. hit headwinds in 2023. Here's what you need to know

There's a lot riding on the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry: the ability to tap into a huge sour

Woman sentenced in straw purchase of gun used to kill Illinois officer and wound another

URBANA, Ill. (AP) — A woman has been sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison after taking part in the str