Committee takes two-loss Tech over one-loss Arkansas State, strength of schedule the reason
Ducks jump UConn to grab playoff's top seed
The playoff committee has spoken: One-loss Group of 5 teams? No mas.
Arkansas State played their way to an 11-1 record and third straight Sun Belt title after losing a tight game to Auburn early in the year. However, Auburn was one of just four .500 teams that the Red Wolves played all year -- and the only Power 5 team. That loss kept Arkansas State out.
Despite sitting idle on Champ Week, Georgia Tech had the better resume than the Red Wolves and jump to #4 - they'll make their second trip to the playoff, following their semifinal exit against Florida in 2018. Tech lost to Clemson on the road and Duke at home in another down year for the ACC, but played better quality teams out of conference, including Georgia, Alabama and Notre Dame.
The Jackets will face Oregon in the Farmers Insurance Rose Bowl. The Ducks are making their third appearance in the playoff, having won it all in the first playoff (2014) and losing the Sugar Bowl in 2017 against... UConn.
The Huskies slide to #2 after a closer than hoped Big 12 Title Game win over Oklahoma State, but will face Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl. The Big 10 Title Game losers had a good enough resume to make their loss to Michigan not hurt as much. That game will be a tailback battle between Heisman winner Andy Merriman and runner-up Luke Williamson.
The title game will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey -- the first cold-weather Title Game in the playoff era.
Full Bowl Map for 2020 Season:
*AUTHOR'S NOTE: CAC teams are highlighted in bold. I made a little news post about the bowl name changes a while ago and they can be reviewed
here. This is something I've done in past seasons and expect to do more of moving forward.
Sports Authority Bowl Denver: Denver, CO - Mississippi State (7-5) vs. Virginia Tech (7-5)
Famous Idaho Potato: Boise, ID - Toledo (8-5) vs. Wyoming (6-6)
Dish Network San Diego Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego, CA - #22 Notre Dame (7-5) vs. New Mexico (9-4)
Tropicana St. Petersburg: Tampa Bay, FL - Western Kentucky (6-6) vs.
Memphis (6-6)
CenturyLink New Orleans: New Orleans, LA - Rice (7-5) vs. Georgia State (7-5)
Amazon Las Vegas: Las Vegas, NV -
#14 USC (8-4) vs. #12 Fresno State (12-1)
Sheraton Hawai'i: Honolulu, HI - Florida Atlantic (9-3) vs. Colorado State (7-5)
General Motors Bowl Detroit: Detroit, MI -
Rutgers (7-5) vs. Akron (8-4)
CitiBank Military (pres. by Northrop Grumman): Annapolis, MD -
Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Navy (8-5)
Chevron Holiday: San Diego, CA - Baylor (7-5) vs.
Washington State (8-4)
Bank Of America: Charlotte, NC - Miami-FL (6-6) vs.
UCF (7-5)
Popeye’s Independence: Shreveport, LA - Tulsa (8-4) vs. Clemson (6-6)
Phillips 66 Bluebonnet Bowl: Houston, TX - #13 Michigan State (7-5) vs. West Virginia (6-6)
Target Bowl Minneapolis: Minneapolis, MN - #17 BYU (8-4) vs. Minnesota (7-5)
Armed Forces pres. by Cessna: Fort Worth, TX -
Texas State (8-5) vs. Air Force (8-4)
Intel Santa Clara: Santa Clara, CA - #16 Marshall (9-3) vs. #21 Arizona State (8-4)
Valero Alamo: San Antonio, TX - Kansas (7-5) vs. Arkansas (7-6)
Buffalo Wild Wings Cactus: Tempe, AZ - #10 Texas (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (6-6)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City: Nashville, TN - Florida (7-5) vs.
Louisville (6-6)
Sysco Sun Bowl: El Paso, TX - Colorado (8-5) vs. Pitt (7-5)
AutoZone Liberty: Memphis, TN - Texas A&M (6-6) vs. #23 Old Dominion (11-2)
DuPont Baltimore: Baltimore, MD - LSU (6-6) vs. Penn State (8-4)
Office Depot Outback: Tampa Bay, FL - #15 Tennessee (7-5) vs. #18 Iowa (8-4)
Fidelity Financial: Jacksonville, FL - #19 Auburn (8-4) vs. SMU (8-4)
Orlando’s Citrus Bowl pres. by CSX Play It Safe: - Orlando, FL -
Oklahoma State (8-5) vs. Duke (9-4)
Windy City Chicago Bowl pres. by Boeing: - Chicago, IL - Temple (8-5) vs.
Maryland (6-6)
Southern Bowl: Mobile, AL - #25 Miami-OH (11-2) vs.
Louisiana (7-5)
-------------------
Hahah yeah you did sadly. But the Big 10 has always been loaded in this dynasty and you did enough to pick up a bowl berth, so that's still a good thing. I'm curious to see what happens to your Terps in the bowl game and moving forward into the offseason and in 2021!