August 29, 2016
Dog days of summer got you down? The end is in sight! Believe it or not, college football is just two weeks away. Football fans will be treated to a special game to kick off this college football season, when Hawaii and Cal take a trip Down Under to open the season on August 26 in Sydney, Australia. The following weekend the action really gets underway with a few marquee matchups including #9 Notre Dame at Texas, #1 Alabama vs. #17 USC and #3 Oklahoma vs. #13 Houston to name a few.
Coupled with Big 12 and Pac-12 Media Days last month, preparation and predictions for the 2016-2017 college football season are in full swing. The Amway Preseason Coaches Poll features four Big 12 teams, including 2016 Big 12 conference champion favorite #3 Oklahoma, last year’s Valero Alamo Bowl champion #14 TCU, #19 Oklahoma State, along with #21 Baylor. Representing the Pac-12 in the Top 25 is #7 Stanford, which media members selected as the preseason favorite to win the Pac-12 title. Joining Stanford in the Top 25 is #17 USC and #18 Washington, while last year’s Valero Alamo Bowl participant Oregon comes in at #22, followed by #24 UCLA.
Meanwhile, it’s never too early to keep an eye on which team will be playing in the Alamodome on Thursday, December 29. A number of media outlets have released this year’s bowl projections including picks for the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl. SB Nation slotted Texas to take on USC in this year’s Valero Alamo Bowl, while the National Football Post picked the Trojans to play Oklahoma State. Last year’s Valero Alamo Bowl champion TCU is Athlon Sports’ favorite to return to the Alamo City to face Stanford, while CBS Sports bowl expert Jerry Palm tabbed Baylor and UCLA to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl. ESPN college football duo Mark Schlabach and Brett McMurphy both selected Oklahoma State, while Schlabach picked USC and McMurphy UCLA to emerge from the Pac-12 side.
With the addition of the Notre Dame Shamrock Series, featuring the #9 Fighting Irish against Army, and this year’s Top 25 Valero Alamo Bowl showdown, it’s sure to be another unforgettable year in the Alamodome.
SB Nation, National Football Post, Athlon Sports, CBS Sports, and ESPN 2016-2017 bowl projections:
2016 Valero Alamo Bowl (Thursday, December 29, 2016)
SB Nation: Texas vs. USC
National Football Post: Oklahoma State vs. USC
Athlon Sports: TCU vs. Stanford
CBS Sports: Baylor vs. UCLA
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. USC
ESPN’s Brett McMurphy: Oklahoma State vs. UCLA
The College Football Playoff Semifinals:
Fiesta Bowl
SB Nation: Clemson vs. Michigan
National Football Post: FSU vs. Ohio State
Athlon Sports: FSU vs. Ohio State
CBS Sports: Oklahoma vs. Notre Dame
Schlabach: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
McMurphy: FSU vs. Ohio State
Peach Bowl
SB Nation: LSU vs. TCU
National Football Post: Alabama vs. TCU
Athlon Sports: Alabama vs. Clemson
CBS Sports: Clemson vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Michigan
McMurphy: LSU vs. TCU
New Year’s Six Bowl Games:
Cotton Bowl
SB Nation: Tennessee vs. Houston
National Football Post: Tennessee vs. Houston
Athlon Sports: LSU vs. Houston
CBS Sports: Iowa vs. Houston
Schlabach: UCLA vs. Houston
McMurphy: Notre Dame vs. Houston
Orange Bowl
SB Nation: FSU vs. Notre Dame
National Football Post: Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Athlon Sports: Louisville vs. Notre Dame
CBS Sports: FSU vs. Georgia
Schlabach: FSU vs. Tennessee
McMurphy:Clemson vs. Tennessee
Rose Bowl
SB Nation: Ohio State vs. Washington
National Football Post: Michigan vs. Stanford
Athlon Sports: Washington vs. Michigan
CBS Sports: Ohio State vs. Stanford
Schlabach: Ohio State vs. Stanford
McMurphy: Michigan State vs. Stanford
Sugar Bowl
SB Nation: Oklahoma vs. Alabama
National Football Post: Oklahoma vs. LSU
Athlon Sports: Oklahoma vs. Tennessee
CBS Sports: Oklahoma State vs. LSU
Schlabach: TCU vs. LSU
McMurphy: Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Full list of 2016-2017 bowl projections: