Bowl Projections: Where Might the Cowboys Go Bowling?

With one final game on the Cowboys’ regular season slate (though it may be hanging in the balance), it’s time to start looking forward toward the postseason and at potential bowl designations and foes.

College football’s talking heads are way ahead of us. So I thought I’d look at where some of them are projecting the Pokes come bowl season. Then we’ll touch on how these bowls bids are decided.

Another trip to Houston?

The Cowboys fell to Texas A&M 24-21 at last year’s Texas Bowl and, as of Dec. 10, that’s where most prognosticators have them headed again this postseason — though there are some differing opinions on who they could face.

Texas Bowl vs. LSU — Mark Schlabach (ESPN)

Texas Bowl vs. LSU — Nick Bromberg (Yahoo Sports)

Texas Bowl vs. Arkansas — Kyle Bonagura (ESPN)

Texas Bowl vs. Arkansas — Brett McMurphy (Stadium)

Texas Bowl vs. Arkansas — Steven Lassan (Athlon Sports)

Texas Bowl vs. Arkansas — Joe Tansey (Bleacher Report)

Texas Bowl vs. Kentucky — (CollegeFootballNews)

The Academy Sports + Outdoor Texas Bowl will take place on Dec. 31 (don’t worry I didn’t have any NYE plans this year) at 8 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas and will be televised on ESPN.

OSU is 0-1 all-time to LSU (a 13-0 loss in 1956), 15-30 against Arkansas and has yet to face Kentucky.

Last year’s loss to Texas A&M was OSU’s first appearance in the Texas Bowl.

I’d have to go back and dig up old posts to be sure, but I don’t remember the Cowboys being so narrowly pegged to one specific bowl.

I did find at least on projection that had the Cowboys bowling elsewhere.

Cheez-It Bowl vs. NC State — Jerry Palm (CBS Sports)

The Cheez-It Bowl will take place Dec. 29 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida and will also be televised on ESPN. The Cowboys’ single appearance in the Cheezit-Bowl (then Camping World Bowl) was a 30-21 win over Virginia Tech in 2017. OSU and NC State have never met on the gridiron.

Bowl Ties

The Texas Bowl, for short, is a Big 12 vs. SEC designation (if you hadn’t figured that out) and is the No. 4 bowl in terms of Big 12-afilliated bowls. The Cheez-It Bowl is No. 6., pitting a Big 12 team against one from the ACC.

Here’s how all the possible Big 12 bowls rank:

College Football Playoff Semifinal (if selected): Not this year
1. New Year’s Six (Chick-fil-A Peach, Cotton, Fiesta): Big 12 champ (if not selected to CFP)
2. Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Pac-12
3. Camping World Bowl vs. ACC
4. Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl vs. SEC
5. Liberty Bowl vs. SEC
6. Cheez-It Bowl vs. Big Ten
7. Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Group of Five Program
8. SERVPRO First Responders Bowl vs. ACC or America

With the Cowboys’ final game somewhat on shaky ground — and with a pair of Big 12 games in OU-West Virginia and Texas-Kansas already canceled on Thursday — it’s unclear just how much more this could all change once the CFP committee makes its final selection, and subsequent bowl rankings, on Dec. 15.