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ESPN releases bowl projections
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ESPN college football writers Brett McMurphy and Mark Schlabach made their first bowl projections of 2015. They were smart enough to wait until opening day to make their selections.
But in terms of Big Ten teams, the two did not agree on which team would represent the team in the College Football Playoff. Schlabach tabbed unanimous preseason No. 1 Ohio State as one of his final four while McMurphy went with No. 5 Michigan State.
Here’s how they projected each Big Ten team:
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Sat., Dec. 26, 2:20 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. Western Kentucky
McMurphy: Rutgers vs. Rice
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Sat., Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Nebraska
McMurphy: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Fosters Farm Bowl
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Sat., Dec. 26, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Northwestern vs. USC
McMurphy: Minnesota vs. Stanford
Quick Lane Bowl
Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Mon., Dec. 28, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Schlabach: Duke vs. Iowa
McMurphy: Pitt vs. Indiana
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Ft. Worth, Texas
Tues., Dec. 29, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Rutgers vs. Air Force
McMurphy: New Mexico vs. Maryland
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Wed., Dec. 30, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Ole Miss vs. Michigan
McMurphy: Texas A&M vs. Michigan
National University Holiday Bowl
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Wed., Dec. 30, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Penn State vs. UCLA
McMurphy: Penn State vs. Arizona
College Football Playoff at the Capital One Orange Bowl
Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Thurs., Dec. 31, 4 or 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Ohio State vs. Auburn
McMurphy: Michigan State vs. Auburn
Outback Bowl
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Fri., Jan. 1, noon (ESPN2)
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Tennessee
McMurphy: Nebraska vs. Missouri
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
Orlando Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Fri., Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ABC)
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. LSU
McMurphy: Wisconsin vs. Georgia
Rose Bowl Game Presented By Northwestern Mutual
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Fri., Jan. 1, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Michigan State
McMurphy: Ohio State vs. Oregon
College Football Playoff National Championship
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Mon., Jan. 11, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Schlabach: Ohio State vs. TCU
McMurphy: TCU vs. Auburn
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.