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Big 12 Notes – Spring Practices
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March 2nd
… Foe Pause …
CBS Bowl Projections: One Playoff Team; no Bowl for the Buffs
From CBS Sports … As spring practice across college football nears full swing, it’s time for a borderline futile experiment — 2026 bowl projections for every game, from mid-December Group of Six pairings through New Year’s, punctuated by the College Football Playoff. Half of the 12-team bracket last fall was made up of first-time participants, spiking parity that enhanced the sport for fans.
Should we expect more unpredictability at the top of the postseason polls in 2026?
The Peach, Fiesta, Rose and Cotton Bowls hold playoff quarterfinal designations for next season, while the Orange and Sugar Bowls will host the semifinals. Add the additional 34 non-playoff games, excluding the now-defunct LA Bowl, and 40 total matchups will unfold next fall.
Teams we’re expecting to return to bowl eligibility after missing out last season include Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech and UCLA. North Carolina is another thanks to Bill Belichick’s offseason shakeup in his quarterback room and a schedule conducive to success.
While not all tie-ins have been determined yet, former Pac-12 programs are designated for Pac-12 bowls for one final season, which means Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are eligible for the Alamo, Independence, Holiday, Las Vegas, and Sun Bowls along with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
… College Football Playoff … Texas Tech …
Power Four tie-ins
- First Responder Bowl: Cincinnati vs. North Carolina
- Gasparilla Bowl: Auburn vs. Virginia
- Rate Bowl: Kansas State vs. Wisconsin
- GameAboveSports Bowl: Minnesota vs. Central Michigan
- Fenway Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Tulane
- Pinstripe Bowl: NC State vs. Nebraska
- Military Bowl: Navy vs. Pittsburgh
- Texas Bowl: TCU vs. South Carolina
- Independence Bowl: Arizona vs. Army
- Birmingham Bowl: Duke vs. Kentucky
- Sun Bowl: Utah vs. SMU
- Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Illinois vs. Florida State
- Liberty Bowl: Florida vs. Oklahoma State
- Music City Bowl: Missouri vs. Iowa
- Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State vs. Tennessee
Pop-Tarts Bowl
The pick: Houston vs. Clemson
From four wins to 10 in only two seasons with the Cougars, Willie Fritz has his sights set on a Big 12 Championship Game appearance at Houston in 2026. The Pop-Tarts Bowl has grabbed the league’s runner-up each of the past two years, and that scenario may unfold again. Getting Dabo Swinney and the Tigers would be a draw for organizers since Clemson has played in Orlando only once in the last decade (2021) in a postseason setting.
Alamo Bowl
The pick: BYU vs. UCLA
Nico Iamaleava and Bob Chesney could be an ideal match for the Bruins, leading to vast, program-wide improvements in 2026. Buy low on UCLA’s expected progress under its new regime with a clear path to bowl eligibility if this 41-member portal class can be impactful. BYU came up one win short of getting to the CFP last season and brings back the bulk of its lineup, including star tailback LJ Martin.
Power Four teams who missed the preseason bowl projections cut: Arkansas, Baylor, Boston College, California, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, Stanford, Syracuse, Wake Forest, West Virginia, UCF, Vanderbilt
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Food for Thought: CU is the last current Big 12 team to be ranked No. 1
… AP poll … Only three of 16 teams in the Big 12 have ever been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. CU’s last time ranked No. 1 was in 1990. The other two? BYU in 1984 … and TCU in 1938 … The other 13 teams? Never …
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