Bowl Projections: College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Preseason Prediction, Breakdown and History

Before the season gets underway, what's the first guess on what the 2024 College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl might be? Why did we make this call, who else should be in the mix, and what's the history of the bowl?

This will all change throughout the season with its twists and turns, but in the preseason, the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl projection is ...

College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Projection

NOTE: The Quarterfinal locations for the 1-4 teams won’t be decided until after the final rankings

Predictions for Every Game
AAC | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | CUSA
IND | MAC | MWest | SEC | Sun Belt
CFN Preview of All 134 Teams

Friday, January 10, 2025
7:30, ESPN
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
1/8/9 seed vs 4/5/12 seed or 3/6/11 seed vs 2/7/10 seed
Last Season: Missouri 14, Ohio State 3
Preseason CFP Bowl Projection
2 Ohio State vs 6 Alabama

CFN Preview of All 134 Teams

Why this is the preseason College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Projection

- The Ohio State Redemption Tour continues. It’ll beat Michigan, win the Big Ten Championship, and roll through a Quarterfinal game to get back to the Cotton Bowl.

Unlike last year when the depleted - at least at quarterback - Buckeyes lost 14-3 to Missouri, they’ll be at full force with a change to play for the national title with a win.

- Alabama will be hitting its stride. It might have lost the SEC Championship to Georgia, but it’ll get through the opening round home game against Texas A&M and take down Utah in a battle in the Fiesta Bowl Quarterfinal. There will be a moment in the third quarter when it seems like it’ll be a repeat of the SEC Championship, but …

- Ohio State will take over in the last 20 minutes, the team will be sharp, and the overall talent will shine through to make it to the College Football Playoff National Championship for the first time since after the 2000 season.

5 teams also in the mix for the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl

1. Notre Dame
2. Utah
3. Texas
4. Michigan
5. Florida State

College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl History

Dec. 29, 2023 Missouri 14, Ohio State 3
Jan. 2, 2023 Tulane 46, USC 45
Dec. 31, 2021 Alabama 27, Cincinnati 6
Dec. 30, 2020 Oklahoma 55, Florida 20
Dec. 28, 2019 Penn State 53, Memphis 39
Dec. 29, CFP 2018 Clemson 30, Notre Dame 3
Dec. 29, 2017 Ohio State 24, USC 7
Jan. 2, 2017 Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 16
Dec. 31, 2015 Alabama 38 Michigan State 0
Jan. 1, 2015 CFP Michigan State 42 Baylor 41
Jan. 3, 2014 Missouri 41 Oklahoma State 31
Jan. 4, 2013 Texas A&M 41 Oklahoma 13
Jan. 6, 2012 Arkansas 29 Kansas State 16
Jan. 7, 2011 LSU 41 Texas A&M 24
Jan. 1, 2010 Mississippi 21 Oklahoma State 7
Jan. 1, 2009 Mississippi 47 Texas Tech 34
Jan. 1, 2008 Missouri 38 Arkansas 7
Jan. 1, 2007 Auburn 17 Nebraska 14
Jan. 2, 2006 Alabama 13 Texas Tech 10
Jan. 1, 2005 Tennessee 38 Texas A&M 7
Jan. 2, 2004 Mississippi 31 Oklahoma State 28
Jan. 1, 2003 Texas 35 LSU 20
Jan. 1, 2002 Oklahoma 10 Arkansas 3
Jan. 1, 2001 Kansas State 35 Tennessee 21
Jan. 1, 2000 Arkansas 27 Texas 6
Jan. 1, 1999 Texas 38 Mississippi State 11
Jan. 1, 1998 UCLA 29 Texas A&M 23
Jan. 1, 1997 BYU 19 Kansas State 15
Jan. 1, 1996 Colorado 38 Oregon 6
Jan. 2, 1995 USC 55 Texas Tech 14
Jan. 1, 1994 Notre Dame 24 Texas A&M 21
Jan. 1, 1993 Notre Dame 28 Texas A&M 3
Jan. 1, 1992 Florida State 10 Texas A&M 2
Jan. 1, 1991 Miami 46 Texas 3
Jan. 1, 1990 Tennessee 31 Arkansas 27
Jan. 2, 1989 UCLA 17 Arkansas 3
Jan. 1, 1988 Texas A&M 35 Notre Dame 10
Jan. 1, 1987 Ohio State 28 Texas A&M 12
Jan. 1, 1986 Texas A&M 36 Auburn 16
Jan. 1, 1985 Boston College 45 Houston 28
Jan. 2, 1984 Georgia 10 Texas 9
Jan. 1, 1983 SMU 7 Pittsburgh 3
Jan. 1, 1982 Texas 14 Alabama 12
Jan. 1, 1981 Alabama 30 Baylor 2
Jan. 1, 1980 Houston 17 Nebraska 14
Jan. 1, 1979 Notre Dame 35 Houston 34
Jan. 2, 1978 Notre Dame 38 Texas 10
Jan. 1, 1977 Houston 30 Maryland 21
Jan. 1, 1976 Arkansas 31 Georgia 10
Jan. 1, 1975 Penn State 41 Baylor 20
Jan. 1, 1974 Nebraska 19 Texas 3
Jan. 1, 1973 Texas 17 Alabama 13
Jan. 1, 1972 Penn State 30 Texas 6
Jan. 1, 1971 Notre Dame 24 Texas 11
Jan. 1, 1970 Texas 21 Notre Dame 17
Jan. 1, 1969 Texas 36 Tennessee 13
Jan. 1, 1968 Texas A&M 20 Alabama 16
Dec. 31, 1966 Georgia 24 SMU 9
Jan. 1, 1966 LSU 14 Arkansas 7
Jan. 1, 1965 Arkansas 10 Nebraska 7
Jan. 1, 1964 Texas 28 Navy 6
Jan. 1, 1963 LSU 13 Texas 0
Jan. 1, 1962 Texas 12 Mississippi 7
Jan. 2, 1961 Duke 7 Arkansas 6
Jan. 1, 1960 Syracuse 23 Texas 14
Jan. 1, 1959 TCU 0 Air Force 0
Jan. 1, 1958 Navy 20 Rice 7
Jan. 1, 1957 TCU 28 Syracuse 27
Jan. 2, 1956 Mississippi 14 TCU 13
Jan. 1, 1955 Georgia Tech 14 Arkansas 6
Jan. 1, 1954 Rice 28 Alabama 6
Jan. 1, 1953 Texas 16 Tennessee 0
Jan. 1, 1952 Kentucky 20 TCU 7
Jan. 1, 1951 Tennessee 20 Texas 14
Jan. 2, 1950 Rice 27 North Carolina 13
Jan. 1, 1949 SMU 21 Oregon 13
Jan. 1, 1948 SMU 13 Penn State 13
Jan. 1, 1947 Arkansas 0 LSU 0
Jan. 1, 1946 Texas 40 Missouri 27
Jan. 1, 1945 Oklahoma State 34 TCU 0
Jan. 1, 1944 Texas 7 Randolph Field 7
Jan. 1, 1943 Texas 14 Georgia Tech 7
Jan. 1, 1942 Alabama 29 Texas A&M 21
Jan. 1, 1941 Texas A&M 13 Fordham 12
Jan. 1, 1940 Clemson 6 Boston College 3
Jan. 2, 1939 St. Mary's 20 Texas Tech 13
Jan. 1, 1938 Rice 28 Colorado 14
Jan. 1, 1937 TCU 16 Marquette 6

Predictions for Every Game
AAC | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | CUSA
IND | MAC | MWest | SEC | Sun Belt
CFN Preview of All 134 Teams