Latest news with #Bonagura
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn earns bowl nod in ESPN's preseason projections
After missing out on bowl season last year, the Auburn Tigers are poised to make another run at postseason play. What is a realistic expectation for the Tigers postseason fate? ESPN experts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach expect Auburn to meet up with an ACC team at season's end, but in two different destinations. Bonagura and Schlabach project the Tigers to face Boston College in postseason play, however, Bonagura has the Tigers and Eagles facing off in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 19 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, while Schlabach forecasts Auburn facing Boston College closer to home in the Birmingham Bowl on Monday, Dec. 29. If this forecasted matchup were to take place, it would be a game against teams that are projected to barely cross the threshold into bowl eligibility. According to ESPN's Football Power Index, Auburn is projected to win 6.9 games while Boston College sits at 5.9. However, the two teams are on opposite paths in terms of postseason forecasts. Auburn has an 83.6% chance to win six games while Boston College has a 58.7% chance. For playoff consideration, Auburn has a 12% chance while Boston College has a less than 1% chance. Auburn football has lost seven games in each of the last four seasons, but the program is even more starved for a bowl win. The last bowl win the Tigers earned was in the 2018 season when Auburn boat raced Purdue in the Music City Bowl, 63-14. Since then, Auburn has lost four-straight postseason games, including its most recent game against Maryland in the 2023 Music City Bowl. The SEC is projected to be well represented in postseason play. ESPN's FPI gives 13 of 16 SEC teams at least 60% odds to reach the six wins needed to earn bowl eligibility, nine teams have 30% or greater odds to make the College Football Playoff, and three teams have at least an 11% chance to win the College Football National Championship. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter@TaylorJones__
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN makes Georgia football bowl predictions
ESPN has released their 2025 college football bowl projections and both ESPN analysts Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura predict that the Georgia Bulldogs will make the College Football Playoff. Bonagura predicts that Georgia will have the highest ranked team that does not get a first-round bye. He thinks Georgia will end up as the No. 5 seed and will host the No. 12 seed Boise State Broncos on Friday, Dec. 19 or Saturday, Dec. 20. The Georgia-Boise State game would be held at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. Bonagura thinks Georgia will prevail against Boise State and advance to play No. 4 seed Clemson in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Bonagura thinks Georgia will beat Clemson in the quarterfinals before losing to No. 1 seed Texas in the semifinals (Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona). He has Texas playing against his No. 2 seed Penn State in the national championship, which will be held in Miami. Schlabach has a similar projection for Georgia. He thinks the Bulldogs will end up as the No. 4 seed and have a first-round bye. He likes the talent Georgia has on its roster even though the Dawgs have a new starting quarterback in Gunner Stockton. Schlabach thinks Georgia, along with Alabama and Texas, could win the SEC. He predicts Georgia will play, and beat, the No. 5 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After advancing to the semifinals, Schlabach thinks Georgia will lose to No. 1 Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. Schlabach has Texas defeating No. 2 seed Clemson to win the national championship. Georgia enters the 2025 season with more modest expectations. However, if this Georgia team can grow over the course of the season, stay healthy at quarterback and other key positions, then we think Georgia is capable of making a championship run. Georgia is going to have to rely a lot on their sophomores, which are part of a former No. 1 recruiting class. As the season progresses, we envision Georgia growing in confidence and being a contender in the playoff. Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads!
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN predicts how Notre Dame will fare in the College Football Playoff
Golden hour ☘️#GoIrish☘️ On Friday morning two ESPN analysts, Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach predicted how the College Football Playoff would play out and both of them had much different outlooks for Notre Dame. They do think that the Irish will make the field of 12-teams, but with varying results. Bonagura has Notre Dame having a rematch of its season-opening game against No. 11 Miami as the No. 6 seed while Schlabach has the Irish as the No. 7 seed taking on No. 10 LSU. While Notre Dame is eligible to get a first-round bye, they don't think that will be the case this year. It could be a blessing in disguise, as all four teams that sat out the first-round of the CFP lost its second-round game last year. Schlabach doesn't have Notre Dame moving past the initial game, while Bonagura does. He has them matching up against No. 3 Ohio State, only to fall to the Buckeyes once again. As for the eventual championship game, they both have their No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams facing off, but with different matchups. Bonagura has No. 2 Penn State facing No. 1 Texas, while Schlabach has No. 2 Clemson also taking on the Longhorns. After what we saw last year, it's hard to say that the top-two teams will eventually play for a championship, as neither the Irish or the Buckeyes were one of the top seeds. This isn't how I see it playing out, as I think that the Irish will get a top-4 seed, and an easier path in the CFP. How do you see it playing out? Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
