Bowl Projections: Where, Who Oklahoma State is Predicted to Play for its Bowl with One Week Left

Here’s the last set of bowl projections for 2023.

By this time next week, we’ll know who Oklahoma State will play and where for its 18th straight bowl game. And the possibilities are abound.

Despite not being in any of the projections (spoiler alert), the Cowboys still have a chance to make a New Years Six Bowl if they beat Texas and win the Big 12 title at 11 a.m. Saturday in Arlington. A win Saturday could actually give them back-to-back games inside AT&T Stadium for the Big 12 Championship and Cotton Bowl.

A loss, and who knows where OSU winds up. It could be anywhere from the Texas Bowl or Alamo Bowl in The Lone Star State, to Orlando for the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

For the last time this year, here’s where pundits from across the country predict OSU to end up for its bowl destination.

Arizona | Valero Alamo Bowl | 9:15 p.m. Dec. 28 | San Antonio, Texas

This was a projection last week, too, and then I wrote that Arizona was maybe the hottest team in college football. That statement still stands. The Wildcats extended their winning streak to six Saturday with a 59-23 thumping of instate rival Arizona State.

Bill Bender of The Sporting News has this matchup predicted again. It would be a preview of the future Big 12, as Arizona will leave the Pac-12 at the end of this academic year. However, OSU and Arizona won’t meet in Big 12 action until 2025.

The Cowboys are 5-4 all-time against Arizona. They met in the Alamo Bowl before in 2010 and OSU won 36-10. That bowl actually started a three-year run of matchups, as the teams split a home-and-home series the next two years.

Notre Dame | Pop-Tarts Bowl | 5:45 p.m. Dec. 28 | Orlando, Florida

The Pop-Parts Bowl was OSU’s most popular possible destination during this last week of projections.

This Notre Dame matchup in particular, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Jerry Palm of CBS Sports both had it again, as this has been a frequent prediction the last few weeks.

The Cowboys and Irish met in the Fiesta Bowl two years ago, with OSU winning a thriller, 37-35. It was the only time these two programs have met, and like I’ve written every time before, the sequel is almost never as good, so give me a different matchup here so, like Bedlam, it keeps the ending it already has.

North Carolina State | Pop-Tarts Bowl | 5:45 p.m. Dec. 28 | Orlando, Florida

Another regular here in these predictions.

ESPN’s other writer, Mark Schlabach, had this same matchup last week, too. This week, Bryan Fischer of FOX Sports also predicts this to happen.

OSU has never played NC State on a football field. But like Arizona, the Wolfpack is hot right now, having won five straight and just dominated instate rival North Carolina 39-20.

Auburn | TaxAct Texas Bowl | 9 p.m. Dec. 27 | Houston, Texas

This has nothing to do with the city of Houston, but this is OSU’s least enticing destination.

A pair of writers predicted this Texas Bowl matchup this week after it popped up for the first time last week. Auburn has the looks of a completely different team than last week, though. Saturday, Alabama needed a miracle to beat Auburn 27-24, but the week before, the Tigers were hammered by New Mexico State 31-10. Sounds like a team we’re familiar with.

This would be a fun pairing, though, as OSU has never played Auburn before.