With the 2024 college football season less than 40 days away, it's never too early to project the bowls and playoff contenders for the expanded 18-team Big Ten. With Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington joining this fall, this conference is deeper and even better than before. However, adding four programs of that caliber, the removal of divisions in the conference, along with a nine-game league slate, could have an impact on the win total for some of the teams fighting for bowl eligibility. Athlon Sports projects 13 Big Ten teams to reach the postseason and four to make the CFB Playoff.
The Big Ten isn't short on national championship contenders in the 2024 college football season, as Ohio State and Oregon take spots in the top four of the projected top 25 teams this fall. The league has additional depth with Penn State and Michigan considered playoff teams, as well as Nebraska, Iowa, and USC looming as wild-card programs to watch.
With fall practice just around the corner, where do Big Ten teams stack up in bowl projections for '24? Athlon Sports projects Big Ten teams and bowls for this fall:
Big Ten '24 Preview: Predictions | All-Conference Team | 134 Rankings
Coach Rankings | All-America Team | Bowl Projections
Big Ten Bowl Projections for 2024
Athlon Sports released its complete preseason bowl projections earlier this offseason, so let's take a look at how the predictions stack up for where Big Ten teams will spend their postseason:
The Order of Selections for 2024
1. College Football Playoff
2. Citrus (Has first selection after CFB Playoff picks are completed)
Note: Due to conference expansion, former Pac-12 teams will only be selected for bowls tied to the league last season. This includes Alamo, Holiday, Las Vegas, Sun, Los Angeles, and Independence Bowls.
Reliaquest
Duke's Mayo
Music City
Pinstripe
Guaranteed Rate
Quick Lane
Note: Five different teams must appear over six years for the Citrus, Reliaquest, Music City, Guaranteed Rate and Quick Lane Bowls. Two different teams must appear over three games for the Duke's Mayo Bowl, while the Pinstripe Bowl aims to have eight different programs over eight years.
Related: Big Ten Coach Rankings for 2024
The Projections for 2024-25
College Football Playoff
The new 12-team CFB Playoff field features five automatic bids to conference champions and seven at-large selections. The four highest-rated conference champs will receive a bye in the first round.
Big Ten Teams Projected: Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State
First Round
Games will be played on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty
No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Penn State
No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 9 Michigan
Numbers indicate projected seed by preseason projections
Quarterfinals
Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 31) - No. 4 Utah vs. No. 5 Oregon
Rose Bowl (Jan. 1) - No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Ole Miss
Semifinals
Orange Bowl (Jan. 9) - No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 5 Oregon
Cotton Bowl (Jan. 10) - No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Texas
National Championship (Jan. 20, 2025 in Atlanta)
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Big Ten '24 Preview: Predictions | All-Conference Team | 134 Rankings
Coach Rankings | All-America Team | Bowl Projections
Citrus: SEC vs. Big Ten (Dec. 31)
Projection: Missouri vs. Nebraska
Reliaquest: SEC vs. Big Ten (Dec. 31)
Projection: Tennessee vs. Iowa
Duke's Mayo: Big Ten vs. ACC (Jan. 3)
Projection: Rutgers vs. Louisville
Music City: SEC vs. Big Ten (Dec. 30)
Projection: Kentucky vs. Wisconsin
Pinstripe: ACC vs. Big Ten (Dec. 27)
Projection: Maryland vs. NC State
Guaranteed Rate: Big 12 vs. Big Ten (Dec. 26)
Projection: Texas Tech vs. Minnesota
Detroit: MAC vs. Big Ten (Dec. 26)
Projection: Michigan State vs. Northern Illinois
*Due to conference realignment, former Pac-12 teams will play in bowl games assigned to that league in '24.
Holiday: Pac-12 vs. ACC (TBD)
Projection: Washington vs. Virginia Tech
Alamo: Pac-12 vs. Big 12 (Dec. 28)
Projection: Kansas State vs. USC
Related: Big Ten Football 2024 Predictions
Related: Ranking the Big Ten's College Football Coaches for 2024
Related: College Football Top 134 Team Rankings for 2024
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2024-25
Related: College Football's Top 25 Coordinator Hires for 2024
Most Popular
Comments / 0