Postseason bowl projections for Central Michigan football
With the regular season complete and no Mid-American Conference title to play for, the eyes have turned to bowl season for the Central Michigan Chippewas.
Under third-year coach Jim McElwain, the Chippewas won each of their final four games by double digits and established themselves as a top option for those looking to fill spots in bowl games.
At 8-4, CMU is a lock to play in a bowl game. There are 83 bowl-eligible teams slated to fill 82 spots, meaning one team will be left out. It's safe to say McElwain's group won't be on the outside.
So, where will the Chippewas end up?
The MAC has six bowl tie-ins; The Bahamas Bowl (Dec. 17), The LendingTree Bowl (Dec. 18), The Idaho Potato Bowl (Dec. 21), The Camellia Bowl (Dec. 25), The QuickLane Bowl (Dec. 27) and The Arizona Bowl (Dec. 31). Traditionally, the LendingTree Bowl has taken the conference champion.
ESPN also holds the rights to several bowl games, meaning the Chippewas could be chosen for a bowl game that falls outside the MAC's tie-ins. Bowl matchups will be officially announced on Sunday, December 5.
Here's where major news outlets have CMU projected to spend bowl season:
ESPN
Mark Schlabach: Boca Raton Bowl (11 a.m. Dec. 18) vs. Appalachian State
Kyle Bonagura: Idaho Potato Bowl (3:30 p.m. Dec 21) vs. Fresno State
CBS Sports
Jerry Palm: Idaho Potato Bowl vs. Boise State
The Athletic
Stewart Mandel: Arizona Bowl (4:30 p.m. Dec. 31) vs. Utah State
Sports Illustrated
Richard Johnson: Arizona Bowl vs. Air Force
Pro Football Network
Cam Mellor: Idaho Potato Bowl vs. Boise State
Action Network
Brett McMurphy: Myrtle Beach Bowl (2:30 p.m. Dec. 20) vs. Coastal Carolina
Athlon Sports
Steven Lassan: LendingTree Bowl (4:45 p.m. Dec. 18) vs. Georgia State
College Football News
Staff reports: Idaho Potato Bowl vs. Boise State
