Now with two weeks of college football out of the way, including the first Big 12 matchup of the season with BYU defeating Arizona, it is time to see the updated bowl and playoff projections for every college football team.
ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach provided their projections, including an updated projection for Oklahoma State following their upset over Oregon, who was ranked No. 6 in the AP poll at the time. After the Cowboys' loss to Tulsa in the opener, neither ESPN analyst projected them to make a bowl game, but that's no longer the case.
Like last week, Bonagura and Schlabach are split on the top-ranked Big 12 team. Bonagura still has Texas Tech as the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the playoffs. Schlabach has BYU on top. Both
analysts agree that the Red Raiders and the Cougars will be in the playoffs.
Let's get into their updated bowl projections following an exciting Week 2 of the college football season. Among the Big 12 teams, only Colorado, Kansas and Iowa State are not projected by either analyst to make a bowl game.
Colorado Buffaloes
Bonagura projection: No projection
Schlabach projection: No projection
Neither analyst projected the Buffaloes to make a bowl game after their Week 1 win over Georgia Tech, so this is not necessarily a surprise. After their win over Weber State, they are now 2-0; Colorado only needs six wins to become bowl eligible. Their schedule is not easy, with matchups against Texas Tech, Utah, and Houston, who are all ranked in the AP poll, in addition to Oklahoma State, who will be dangerous with Drew Mestemaker at quarterback. Personally, I think Colorado can make it, but it will probably come down to the final game of the season.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Bonagura projection: No. 10 seed in CFP vs. No. 7 Miami
Schlabach projection: No. 10 seed in CFP vs. No. 7 Ohio State
Texas Tech's seed is the same for Schlabach, but Bonagura had the Red Raiders at eight and now dropped them to 10. Perhaps this reflects their game against Oregon State, which they won by only 11 points. However, they are still viewed as a playoff contender, even as the gap closes between them and BYU.
UCF Knights
Bonagura projection: Cactus Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Schlabach projection: No projection
Their loss to Pitt currently hurt their postseason projections. Schlabach had the Knights playing in the Cactus Bowl before their loss. With the remaining games on their schedule, including Houston and BYU, it will be a close call on whether UCF will make it to a bowl game. It could come down to their final game against Colorado.
Baylor Bears
Bonagura projection: Liberty Bowl vs. Missouri
Schlabach projection: Texas Bowl vs. Missouri
The consensus suggests Baylor will play Missouri in their bowl game. They got their first win of the season against Prairie View and will play their first Big 12 game in Week 4 against Colorado, their biggest test so far. With a schedule of LA Tech, TCU, Kansas, and UCF, the Bears have a clear path to bowl eligibility.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Bonagura projection: No projection
Schlabach projection: First Responder Bowl vs. Minnesota
Not much of a change here. Bonagura did not believe the Sun Devils would play in a bowl game before their loss to Texas A&M. They put up a good fight for three quarters but fell apart in the fourth quarter, allowing the Aggies to score 24 points and win 28-24. The Sun Devils don't have the easiest schedule, but they should land a bowl game this postseason.
Houston Cougars
Bonagura projection: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. SMU
Schlabach projection: Alamo Bowl vs. Oregon
This is the same projection by Bonagura as last week. However, I would really like to see Houston take on the Ducks. Oregon was considered a national championship contender before their loss to Oklahoma State, and I truly believe they will not make the playoffs, making this matchup very possible.
BYU Cougars
Bonagura projection: No. 11 seed in CFP vs. No. 6 LSU
Schlabach projection: No. 8 seed in CFP vs. No. 9 Ole Miss
Despite fewer passing yards, the same number of penalties as the Arizona Wildcats, and losing the time-of-possession battle, BYU won by 11 points to get their first conference win of the season. This team can play much better than they did in Week 2 and could certainly find itself in the playoffs as the Big 12 champions or an at-large team.
TCU Horned Frogs
Bonagura projection: Armed Forces Bowl vs. Army
Schlabach projection: Liberty Bowl vs. Auburn
TCU got their first win of the season against Grambling after a sloppy performance in Ireland against North Carolina to start the season. If they can continue to build off the momentum of this win, they could certainly find themselves in either of these bowl games.
Kansas State Wildcats
Bonagura projection: Kansas State vs. Oregon
Schlabach projection: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Louisville
Kansas State got their second win of the year in a 27-point victory over Washington State. Quarterback Avery Johnson had a mixed day with three touchdowns but two interceptions. This team will go as far as Johnson's consistency, which could certainly carry them to the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Utah Utes
Bonagura projection: Holiday Bowl vs. Virginia
Schlabach projection: Sun Bowl vs. Clemson
Personally, I think Schlabach is crazy for thinking Clemson is going to make it into the Sun Bowl; they may not make any bowl game. But the Utes certainly will be in a bowl game. Their offense dominated Arkansas in their second win of the season, and their schedule is not too difficult, with games against Utah State, Iowa State, and Kansas. They could easily end up in a New Year's Eve bowl game like the Sun Bowl.
Arizona Wildcats
Bonagura projection: Sun Bowl vs. Virginia Tech
Schlabach projection: Poinsettia Bowl vs. San Diego State
Despite their loss to BYU, Arizona is still a very good team and will be competitive in the Big 12 throughout the season. They were competitive and did not get blown out like some other teams in the first two weeks of the season. Personally, I think the more interesting matchup is the Sun Bowl versus Virginia Tech.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Bonagura projection: Texas Bowl vs. Auburn
Schlabach projection: No projection
Cincinnati's offense was on fire against West Carolina in their second game of the season to get the Bearcats to 2-0. Nonetheless, neither Bonagura nor Schlabach changed their projection from last week. Their schedule will make it difficult to become bowl-eligible, but it is certainly possible.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Bonagura projection: Independence Bowl vs. UCLA
Schlabach projection: Independence Bowl vs. UCLA
Even though they are currently sitting at 2-0, I do not believe West Virginia is going to make a bowl game. Their next game is against Oklahoma State, who are coming off their victory over the Ducks. They also have to play Arizona, Texas Tech, Houston and Utah. Five wins is certainly possible, but I don't see the Mountaineers reaching six victories.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Bonagura projection: First Responder Bowl vs. North Texas
Schlabach projection: Cactus Bowl vs. Illinois
Neither analyst had Oklahoma State in a bowl game after their loss to Tulsa, but their victory over Oregon turned the page. It would be quite a show to see Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker go against his former team, North Texas.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 football bowl projections after Week 2 results
