There was a time when bowl projections were not quite easy, but at least sensible. The ACC and SEC met in the Peach Bowl every year, the Big Ten and Big 12 in the Alamo Bowl, and so on.
Like a lot about college football, those days are gone. Those who attempt to forecast where teams will end up in the postseason will have a tall task ahead of them this year. The College Football Playoff has expanded from four to 12 teams, and because of that, four teams will play in two bowl games. The controlled demolition of the Pac-12 means that many bowl tie-ins have not been properly reallocated. All that comes on the heels of increased flexibility regarding conference tie-ins in recent years, with many leagues tied to bowl games on a rotational basis.
