Bowl Predictions 2024: Projections and Odds For Playoff Bracket and Prime Matchups

The primary version of the 12-team School Soccer Playoff brings a brand new dynamic to the game’s postseason.

The 4 first-round video games happen on campus websites. The Texas Longhorns, Notre Dame Preventing Irish, Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes will host contests on the weekend of December 20 and 21.

Ohio State is the smallest of the 4 favorites, however it’s nonetheless projected to win by a landing.

The No. 9-12 seeds may be frisky underdogs by way of the unfold, however it might be onerous for these groups to win outright on the street.

Clemson is the biggest underdog throughout the 4 first-round matchups.

The Tigers received the ACC title on Saturday, however they underperformed in all of their different matchups with Prime 25 packages.

Clemson went 0-2 in opposition to the SEC. It was blown out by the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 1 and misplaced by three to the South Carolina Gamecocks two weeks in the past.

The one benefit Clemson holds within the matchup with Texas is Dabo Swinney’s title-winning teaching expertise. Swinney is one among two lively head coaches, together with Georgia’s Kirby Good, to have received a nationwide championship.

Texas’ shortcomings got here in opposition to Georgia twice in SEC play, and the lackluster offensive performances in each video games stand out as its largest weak spot going into the CFB Playoff.

Quinn Ewers and Co. have playoff expertise from final season, however they misplaced that recreation to the Washington Huskies.

Texas’ offense performed nicely in opposition to lesser opposition, however it did fail to eclipse the 20-point mark twice in opposition to UGA and in opposition to a ranked Texas A&M Aggies crew.

That is the first concern for Texas’ probabilities of profitable, and masking the ten.5-point unfold.

Prediction: Clemson +10.5

SMU and Penn State each dropped within the ultimate CFB Playoff rankings due to losses of their respective convention title video games.

The Mustangs and Nittany Lions every had sturdy seasons, however each groups didn’t beat a crew ranked above 18th all season.

Every crew displayed defensive flaws on Saturday. SMU gave up 34 factors to Clemson and Penn State let up 45 factors to Oregon.

Penn State’s protection has been the higher general unit in 2024, and the home-field benefit in State School might assist that unit management the SMU offense.

The Nittany Lions held their final six opponents to twenty factors or much less inside Beaver Stadium.

The protection, led by probably first-round decide Abdul Carter, needs to be the difference-making unit for Penn State.

Prediction: Penn State -9.5

The uncommon in-state battle between Indiana and Notre Dame takes place inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Indiana was the darling of the CFB season beneath first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, however the Hoosiers did not sustain with Ohio State in its most necessary recreation of the season.

The blowout loss in Columbus stands out when breaking down the matchup with a Preventing Irish crew that thrived for a lot of the marketing campaign.

Notre Dame’s early loss to Northern Illinois extra of an exception to the crew’s season-long kind than something.

The Irish received their final seven video games by double digits, and based mostly off Indiana’s efficiency in Columbus, the same destiny might await the Hoosiers in South Bend.

Prediction: Notre Dame (-9.5)

The closest recreation on paper is the No. 9-versus-No.8 recreation in Columbus.

Ohio State is a seven-point favourite over Tennessee, however there shall be loads of doubters within the Buckeyes after their disappointing residence loss to Michigan two weeks in the past.

Ryan Day’s Buckeyes beat Penn State and Indiana and put up 31 factors on Oregon, so there may be precedent for the way they’re going to play in opposition to a top-10 crew.

Tennessee will go into Columbus with a freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and that may very well be a hindrance on the Vols.

Two of the Vols’ three defeats this season got here on the street at Arkansas and Georgia. They solely scored 31 mixed factors in these two video games.

Ohio State nonetheless has a robust protection, and if it reveals enchancment from the Michigan recreation on offense, it may well make the most of its residence area and arrange a rematch with Oregon.

Prediction: Ohio State -7

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