An oral history of when Bevo charged Uga at the Sugar Bowl
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David Hale, ESPN Staff Writer
On Jan. 1, 2019, two icons were set to meet at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Yes, Georgia and Texas would face off, but that wasn’t the real draw. It was the meeting between the teams’ mascots — Georgia’s bulldog Uga and Texas’ longhorn steer Bevo — that ultimately captured the nation’s attention.
What began as a made-for-TV moment to fill airtime before kickoff ended up a near catastrophe, a showcase of the strength and majesty of the world’s most famous cow, a preview of the game to come and a tangible example of the incredibly thin line between comedy and tragedy. Above all, it became one of the iconic viral videos in bowl history.
Now SEC rivals, Georgia and Texas are set to play again this week for the first time since the great Bevo-Uga showdown, so we looked back on that famed meeting of mascots for a better understanding of what happened and why live mascots remain an indelible part of the culture of college football.
Lowell Galindo, Longhorn Network play-by-play announcer: People get caught up in the moment, and honestly, who’s thinking that’s going to happen? Surely they’ve talked this through and have it all figured out, and there won’t be any issues, right? Wrong.
Jim Sigmon, Texas team photographer: I was kind of thinking, this is odd because usually other schools don’t bring their live animal mascots over to Bevo. That’s a big-ass animal. I just thought the whole thing was bizarre.
Holly Rowe, ESPN sideline reporter: I saw Uga coming our way and thought, “Aww, what a sweet meet-cute for the mascots,” so I started filming it on my phone. Then things got wild.
Tommy Tomlinson, Georgia fan and author of “Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show”: What’s the old Mel Brooks line? Tragedy is when I get a hangnail. Comedy is when you fall into a hole and die. Depending on which side you were on in this story, it could’ve been both.
Charles Seiler, Uga’s owner and handler: People who’ve been in the mascot business, we don’t like to have problems with the mascots. But I can’t say they lost control because my butt was headed in the other direction.
Part I: A history of live animal mascots
The story of Uga and Bevo’s meeting actually begins 140 years earlier. That’s when Yale’s bulldog Handsome Dan, widely regarded as college football’s first mascot, took to the field at Yale. The term “mascot” comes from the French word “mascotte,” which means “lucky charm,” and for dozens of schools around the country, Handsome Dan and other live animals were exactly that.
Tim Brown, football historian: It was mostly dogs originally. But as teams started coming up with mascots like badgers or buffalo, it was almost like a prank initially. Some students would decide to get one and bring it to the game.
Seiler: When my dad started this thing, he actually smuggled the dog into the Florida State game, and the [newspaper] took some pictures of it. That game was 3-0, and Coach [Wally] Butts, I think kind of tongue-in-cheek, said to my dad, “That game wasn’t very interesting, so it’s good you brought that dog.”
Nowadays, extreme care is taken in selecting just the right animal, and countless hours are spent training both the mascot and its handlers. But of course, incidents have happened along the way.
Taylor Stratton, handler for the Colorado Buffaloes’ buffalo, Ralphie: I talk to them as if they understand me, and the thing I was telling Ralphie VI is, “Oh no, all buffalo do this. It would be weird if you didn’t go to a stadium. This is normal.”
Ricky Brennes, executive director of the University of Texas Silver Spurs, handler for Bevo: A lot of it comes down to their natural temperament and disposition. Without that, it doesn’t matter too much. We took him to band practice, music playing in his pen, hung flags up in the barn to see how he’d react to different types of movement. The previous Bevo did not like flags at all.
Stratton: Because [Ralphie’s] so big and athletic, we do Division I-level strength and conditioning training. They’re doing sprint workouts, making sure their bodies are ready and functioning at peak athletic performance. … We go through different ways we run. Get your chest up and your knees up because you cannot run 25 mph, so you need to let the buffalo pull you while you’re in the air so when you hit the ground you can keep your feet and go as fast as you can.
Adam Harper, handler for SMU‘s stallion, Peruna: The only time he’s not used to loud environments are flyovers, and that’s something we have to plan for. Like, “Be aware guys, Peruna is going to hate that.”
Peter Cashman, handler for Army‘s mules: Mules are funny animals. Certain things bother them and certain things don’t. They can be standing next to the cannon when it goes off, and it’s no problem. But if the wave starts behind them, and it’s in their peripheral vision, that bothers them.
Harper: We form a kind of circle around [Peruna] where it negates anybody from possibly walking behind him. That’s our one big rule: Do not walk behind Peruna.
Cashman: We were at Army-Navy about five years ago, and for some reason, the whole Army team ran out right into the mules where we were standing. We had 50 football players amongst the mules, but nobody was hurt.
Seiler: Baylor used to bring out a bear cub. Uga walked up to sniff the bear’s butt, and he spun around and, damn if he didn’t spin Uga like a top. I don’t think they can possibly bring a cub anymore.
Cashman: The biggest part is keeping [the mules] hidden from Navy. On the road, I have to find a location that is secretive and nobody is going to tell Navy where the mules are. We go in with an unmarked trailer. And it’s the same with the [Navy] goats.
Harper: Before I took the job, one person pulled me aside and said, “This is what happened to me.” He was running with Peruna, and he tripped and fell. We’re tasked to hold on to the reins no matter what, because if Peruna gets loose, you’re not catching him. So if you fall, let him drag you. Just hold on. That’s all that matters. Anyway, he fell at the 40-yard line, and was dragged by Peruna all the way to the end zone. He scored a touchdown. He had a nasty bruise down the side of his body.
Brennes: We had a moment walking Bevo off the field against Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game, and he defecated on the word “Nebraska” when we were walking him off.
Harper: The pooping on TCU‘s field gets talked about still. People still come up and say, “Don’t let [Peruna] poop on the field.” It adds to the celebrity status.
Michael Griffin, former Texas player and Longhorn Network analyst: If I’m not mistaken, didn’t Uga bite somebody before?
Tomlinson: That’s the one where if you go into a dive bar in Georgia, that photo or a painting of it will be on a wall somewhere. That’s one of the top moments, because it’s a literal manifestation of the rivalry. We want to eat the other team. Uga stood in for all of us that day.
Seiler: Auburn hates that [picture]. For five years after that, they put someone on me to make sure I didn’t get that close to the field again.
Brennes: One of the funniest Bevo moments … was Jordan Shipley jumping into Bevo’s pit on a punt return [at Darrell K. Royal Stadium].
Why do I feel the urge to do a Tech post today?
Jordan Shipley visits Bevo after a 46 yard Punt Return TD against Texas Tech
Sept 19, 2009#HookEm pic.twitter.com/uvFsvYc1sb— Longhorn🤘Highlights (@LonghornClips) August 24, 2023
Jordan Shipley, former Texas player and Longhorn Network analyst: It was a short punt, and I already had some speed built up. It ended up being a footrace to the pylon, and I hit the end zone running full speed. In the moment, you don’t think about it, but I had to hop over a couple things, and by the time I look up, I’m literally right in front of Bevo. I put my hands up and hit his horns and jumped back out of there. He was pretty lethargic that day, thank goodness. It was a quick, “OK, I’m going to get out of here.”
Harper: Peruna killed a mascot in the 1930s. I stepped on campus, and the first thing our administration told the new students is that our mascot is Peruna, and he killed the Fordham ram. That’s legendary.
Breckyn Hager, Texas defensive lineman: Well, it’s good Bevo kept it classy.
Part II: The photo op
In college football history, few mascots resonate among the masses like Uga and Bevo, who’ve been a part of their respective programs for generations. The history between bulldogs and bulls, however, goes back much further.
Tomlinson: Wild bulls are huge, ornery animals that are hard to control, especially in frontier days. These dogs were bred to be fearless, and bred physically to have flat faces so they could literally run up to the bull, grab its nose with its teeth and drag its head to the ground.
Brennes: Bevo doesn’t hate dogs. Bevo’s not familiar with what bulldogs are bred for, and let’s be honest, that was bred out of English bulldogs a long time ago.
Seiler: My breeder, she’d get day-old bread and give it to the bulldogs, and they’d go down the fence line and give it to the cows twice a week. Bulldogs don’t care about cows. They’re used to them. A cow is no big deal to a bulldog.
Tomlinson: In some ways, I’d like to think Bevo was striking a blow for his side after all that history. Clearly in that moment, neither bull nor dog had any experience in that sort of thing, but maybe somewhere deep in Bevo’s DNA, he remembered that those dogs used to get the best of his kin.
Before the Sugar Bowl, the Longhorn Network was less concerned with the history of bulls and dogs, and more about filling a little airtime before kickoff, so TV worked with Brennes and Seiler to arrange what was actually a second meeting of the mascots.
Seiler: We were staged right behind Bevo in the parade the day before. We went to go talk to Rick and his guys, and we could see Bevo in the trailer, but his butt’s facing out at me. In order to get a picture of Bevo without getting a butt shot, they had to pull him out backwards. It took him a while to do it, but Bevo was super chill. We took our dog over, and me, my wife and our son got a picture with Bevo and Rick and the owners, and it was no fuss, no muss.
Rowe: [Bevo] is one of the iconic mascots in all of sports — the literal logo for Texas, the Jerry West of college football. I have a fearful and respectful relationship with him, because let’s be honest — I’m 5-8, and the horn span is bigger than me.
Danny Davis, reporter for Austin American-Statesman: At Texas games, the pen he stays in is right in the corner where the media stands for the last five minutes of the game, and he’s usually chill. I don’t know what his problem was that one day. Maybe he wasn’t happy to see the cute, little puppy.
Seiler: We roll up. We’re not quite on time for TV yet. I’ve got the dog in his kennel on the golf cart. I look over at Bevo, and they have him in some makeshift corral, but he’s staring at a concrete wall.
Angela Wang, photographer for The Daily Texan: We all heard Uga was being brought over and thought it would be a great photo opportunity. I was squatting down behind the barricade, facing Uga, with no idea what was happening behind me.
Davis: I was standing around with other journalists and saw Uga come up, and I decided to do a video. Then, of course, all chaos broke loose.
Sigmon: It’s like being at a car wreck. Everything’s perfectly fine, then all of a sudden, s—‘s weird and you’re like, “What happened?” Some of the best TV moments are that way.
Nick Wagner, photographer for Austin American-Statesman: You have the overhead camera, three or four other angles, it was the most perfect setup to catch a viral moment.
Galindo: It was straight out of “Anchorman.” Like, that escalated quickly.
Tre Watson, Texas running back: All we hear is people yelling. I think somebody told us Bevo had just tried to attack the bulldog, and we were lit. We were yelling, “Let’s go Bevo!”
Temple Grandin, animal expert: A longhorn can learn to tolerate that environment, but this was a brand-new stadium, and that’s part of the problem. At home, he’d be used to it, but now you’ve got him in a strange place in a makeshift enclosure, and that probably led to the problem. I’ve seen show steers get upset at just trade show banners on tables. Sudden novelty scares him.
Sigmon: Bevo’s butt was facing where the dog was, and he spun around, and when he saw the dog, he flipped the New Orleans police barricade, just one-horned it, and flung it like it was a bug.
Galindo: I’m shocked there were photographers near the pen with their backs toward Bevo at that moment.
Seiler: There were cameras on tripods. There were people laying down. Some of those sideline guys are nuts. They get taken out by players all the time.
Sigmon: I’m behind the golf cart. The golf cart is between me, the dog and Bevo. The people with wide-angle lenses right up front, I wasn’t going to be one of those people.
Wang: Initially, I heard a woman start screaming. At that time, Uga had started squatting, so I thought it was because she thought he was going to use the restroom on the field.
Kirby Smart, Georgia head coach: I was worried for Uga, to be honest.
Seiler: Uga was sitting down waiting to have his picture made, and I don’t even think he knew Bevo was behind him. Then I heard a lady scream, and I turned around, and saw people dashing. I wasn’t going to wait around, so I just pulled away the dog. In some of those pictures, it looks like Bevo’s like 2 feet from us, but actually he was never within 10 feet of us.
Griffin: The biggest thing I really remember was his horn went over this — I think she was a photographer. I just remember her ducking, and the horn going right over her head.
Wang: I started standing up and thought, “Oh, it’s fine,” so squatted back down, and if you watch the video in slow-mo, you’ll see me kind of duck and the horn barely scrapes by me. I didn’t realize the horn hit me until someone pointed it out on Reddit.
Griffin: She was still doing her job. That’s funny. I thought she was ducking like, “Oh my god.”
Tomlinson: The thing that makes me laugh every time is there were like three announcers, and they’re clearly mocking and enjoying this moment as it leads up to it, talking about it being like the royal wedding. But when it happened, they reverted to football announcers, because one of the guys immediately said, “That’s targeting.”
On the TV feed, the incident is largely played for laughs. Galindo compared it to the meme of Joe Rogan reacting at a UFC fight — hugging, laughing, screaming, chaos.
Galindo: We’re actually on the sideline with a monitor in front of us. We saw Uga come behind us to go see Bevo, but then we’re just watching everything on the monitor.
Griffin: They take Uga out of his crate, and all of a sudden, Bevo is out to destroy.
Shipley: Bevo just kind of squared up and went after him, and he wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer.
Griffin: You’re like, “Oh s—, if Bevo gets loose, where the hell is he going?”
Pre-Game things getting heated 👀 between @FootballUGA and @TexasFootball #bevo #uga pic.twitter.com/K1eNw4Ir4S
— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) January 2, 2019
Shipley: One of the things they thought was funny about it was the game I ran into Bevo, and they were saying, “It’s a good thing Bevo didn’t treat you like he treated Uga.”
Galindo (on the ESPN broadcast): Can live television get better than that? No!
Hager: The only thing I’ve ever really showed my girlfriend from my football career is that video.
Galindo: I love it, man. That’s what college sports are about — the insanity, the fans, the mascots, the players. So if I’m associated with [the Bevo call] more than anything, I don’t care. I think it’s hilarious.
Ultimately, the entire incident lasts just a few seconds before Bevo’s handlers, the Silver Spurs, get control of the situation, and the TV clip ends with Galindo and Co. repeating the phrase that’s now tethered to the incident in college football lore: That. Was. Awesome.
Watson: I didn’t see it until after the game. We were all talking about it. Bevo really tried to go get him. I just thought it was a nice easy buck. No. That boy was about to lose his life on live television.
Wagner: People right there understood the gravity of it, of how it could’ve been. It was just chaos. That moment, the entire night, the following day. It was a story I’ll tell for the rest of my life.
Griffin: That whole conversation that’s always been said, “Is Bevo drugged up and that’s why he’s so tame during the games?” Now you see that and you’re like, “No, I don’t think he’s drugged.”
Hager: I was actually a Silver Spur. I’ve been very close to Bevo, and there was never, in the four years I was playing, a moment when I thought Bevo was going to do anything out of the ordinary, let alone attack the other team’s mascot. It’s really impressive how they’re able to handle an animal like that, especially in a time when that skill of the true cowboy is kind of lost.
Sigmon: They professionally took care of it. They got the dog safe, and they got Bevo back behind the barricade. But I’m guessing that won’t happen again.
Rowe: I think there was a moment we were all talking and saying, “Wow, that could have gone really badly.” Kudos to the handlers.
Galindo: I want to make sure people know how professional and well trained all the people around Bevo are. But at the end of the day, it is a massive animal. But Ricky Brennes and all those guys, it is shocking how detailed everything is. It’s like the Secret Service preparing for the president to arrive somewhere.
Seiler: At some point, I took the dog back over there, and we did get a picture.
There was, of course, still a game to play, and while no one can say for sure whether Bevo’s charge changed the outcome, the folks at Texas certainly believe it did. Texas, a 12.5-point underdog, pulled off the upset win, 28-21.
Griffin: It was a lot for Texas getting into the Sugar Bowl, but everybody was talking about Georgia being upset, because they weren’t in the College Football Playoff.
Hager: I just remember them being overhyped, and Georgia was going to kill us, and all my friends from Georgia were telling me we were going to get beat pretty bad. And before kickoff, to see our beloved Bevo setting the tone, I think it helped us go out there more relaxed and excited and aggressive.
Davis: College football fans will rally around anything. Bevo charging a little puppy became a rallying cry that night. It became a symbol before they beat a Georgia team no one thought they’d beat.
Watson: Our mascot was ready to go to war with their mascot on full live television. Bevo got us rolling. That was the start and set the tone that we were going to step on some Bulldogs’ necks that day.
Charlie Woerner, Georgia tight end: I remember them showing it on the Jumbotron. Bevo knocked over a fence. It was crazy. I was like, “Dang, I’m glad Uga is OK.”
Hager: Coming in from warming up, it went viral around the locker room. And the main point was, “How can we lose if Bevo’s bossing up like that?”
Griffin: Texas goes on to win the game, and everybody’s like, “It’s because Bevo showed attitude.”
Smart: The incident comes to light because of all the videos since, but I don’t recall it having any impact on us or seeing it prior to the game.
Bijan Robinson, top recruit and future Texas tailback: I wasn’t there when Bevo attacked, but I saw it live on TV. I was like, “That’s the scariest thing for that dog to get attacked by an absolute gigantic mammal.” From that moment, I was like, “I’m going to Texas.”
Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia kicker: There was a whole lot of content that said, “This sums up the Texas-Georgia game.”
Part III: The aftermath
The game itself became something of an afterthought, while the clip of Bevo’s brashness was a sensation. It spread across social media like wildfire, led “SportsCenter,” and it was Scott Van Pelt’s “Best Thing I Saw” that night. Texas fans immediately adopted the image as the perfect symbol of the state and the school’s ethos of toughness.
Seiler: Rick called me and apologized. I said, “Did you get some good pictures?” He said he thinks that, because Bevo got to the arena like six hours before the game started and hadn’t moved from that spot, he just got worn out from staring at a wall. He just wanted to go for a stroll. I don’t think the cow ever even saw the dog, because there were too many people around.
Galindo: In the moment, we thought it was hilarious and cool and funny. But we really didn’t realize it was that big a deal until we got back to the hotel and at the bar, every TV was on “SportsCenter,” and they’re showing basically my play call.
Davis: This probably says a lot about the industry or how terrible a person I am, but this happens, and the first thing I think is, “Did I get it on camera?” And then, “This is content gold I have here.”
Seiler: I had a photographer come up and say, “Look what Bevo did to me.” He pulled up his shirt, and the guy had a big gash down his back.
Wagner: People were just coming up to me in the press room like, “Can I see your back?” My brother, Peter, had a good line that night in the family group text: “Nick I’ve seen your back more times today than I have in my entire life, and we used to share a room.”
Davis: Nick’s health and wellbeing, I didn’t even think about it at first. Then someone was like, “What happened with Nick?” and I was like, “Oh, s—, I should check on him.”
Wagner: On the workman’s comp form, it asks why you’re receiving treatment, and I just wrote, “Hit by cow.”
Wang: Nick and I always joked that we really wish our careers were something more than this meme, but at the same time, I’ll share it.
Griffin: [Wang] probably has a bright future ahead of her, but now she’s known as the lady who almost got killed by Bevo. When she has kids, they’ll be like, “Hey, you know my mom almost got killed by Bevo, right?”
Davis: It’s been a long-running joke that I peaked that night.
Bevo is not here for this mascot meeting. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/KXgaQzGm0W
— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) January 2, 2019
Wang: When it first happened, I’d get responses on dating apps like, “Was that you?” My résumé at the bottom on special interests says, “Dodging mascots.”
Galindo: Every year we’d do three or four Longhorn Network promos before the start of the football season. We wanted to play off it, so we did a piece where it was, “Bring your dog to work day.” It was Ricky [Williams], Ship, me and Griff, and we’re all walking our actual dogs on the field at DKR. Ricky and Ship have bulldogs. So we’re walking our dogs, then cut to a shot from behind us of Bevo coming in frame. We all turn and walk the other way like, “Nope, not a good idea.”
But ultimately, there’s no arguing the color, tradition and, occasionally, unpredictability, live mascots bring to the sport.
Stratton: I do think [Ralphie] enjoys it. She’s a 1,000-pound animal, and we use only positive reinforcement, so at the end of the day, we’re not making this buffalo do anything she doesn’t want to do. We can’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do. … I’ve had so many people come up to me and say, no matter how many times they see Ralphie run, they still get goosebumps. These animals are so special. They’re domestic, but they’re still just a little bit wild. And I think that speaks to our campus. It just gets your adrenaline going to watch four or five crazy college kids hold on to a buffalo for dear life. Who thinks that’s a good idea? But it’s me. I did it, and I love it.
Smart: So many people respect the long history and tradition of each Uga. They’re buried in our stadium. They’re right there. He’s part of the fabric of our culture.
Steve Sarkisian, Texas head coach: Bevo brings a ton of pride to our program and is such a great symbol of the power, strength and determination of Texas football. One of our mantras is “Tough All Day,” and that’s what Bevo is and represents.
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Kyle Bonagura
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Kyle Bonagura
ESPN Staff Writer
- Covers college football.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Attended Washington State University.
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Mark Schlabach
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Mark Schlabach
ESPN Senior Writer
- Senior college football writer
- Author of seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia
After a thrilling championship weekend, the games have all been played and it’s time to wait for the final College Football Playoff rankings and bowl assignments. Does Alabama make the playoff? What about Miami and Notre Dame? And what is the trickle-down effect of those decisions on bowl season?
We don’t need to wait for the official matchups.
ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are projecting every postseason matchup, including their breakdowns of how the playoff will play out.
Jump to a section:
Playoff picks | Quarterfinals
Semis, title game | Bowl season
College Football Playoff
First-round games (at campus sites)
All times Eastern
Friday, Dec. 19
8 p.m., ABC, ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 20
Noon, ABC, ESPN
3:30 p.m., TNT
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
Bonagura: No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
Schlabach: No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
Bonagura: No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&M
Schlabach: No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&M
Bonagura: No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
Schlabach: No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
CFP quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 31
CFP Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Thursday, Jan. 1
CFP Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Schlabach: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Ohio State
CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
4 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Indiana
CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Georgia
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 8
CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Georgia
Friday, Jan. 9
CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana
Monday, Jan. 19
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Complete bowl season schedule
Matchups in bold have already been announced
Saturday, Dec. 13
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M
Bucked Up LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
8 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Washington vs. Boise State
Schlabach: Washington vs. Boise State
Tuesday, Dec. 16
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Texas State
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Troy
Wednesday, Dec. 17
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Old Dominion vs. South Florida
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Louisiana vs. Delaware
Thursday, Dec. 18
Xbox Bowl
Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN2
Missouri State vs. Arkansas State
Friday, Dec. 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by Engine
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia Southern
Schlabach: Western Michigan vs. Georgia Southern
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: NC State vs. UConn
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. UConn
Monday, Dec. 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Washington State vs. Utah State
Schlabach: Ohio vs. San Diego State
Tuesday, Dec. 23
Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Florida International vs. Central Michigan
Schlabach: Florida International vs. Miami (Ohio)
New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Southern Miss
Schlabach: Kennesaw State vs. Southern Miss
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. San Diego State
Schlabach: Texas State vs. Louisiana Tech
Wednesday, Dec. 24
Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m., ESPN
California vs. Hawai’i
Friday, Dec. 26
GameAbove Sports Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
1 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Northwestern vs. Toledo
Schlabach: Northwestern vs. Central Michigan
Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Iowa State
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UTSA vs. Coastal Carolina
Schlabach: UTSA vs. Utah State
Saturday, Dec. 27
Go Bowling Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Louisville vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Louisville vs. East Carolina
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Penn State vs. Pitt
Schlabach: Penn State vs. Clemson
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Army
Schlabach: NC State vs. Army
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Virginia vs. TCU
Schlabach: Duke vs. TCU
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
Bonagura: Ohio vs. Fresno State
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Fresno State
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: East Carolina vs. New Mexico
Schlabach: Washington State vs. New Mexico
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m. ABC
Bonagura: Miami vs. Vanderbilt
Schlabach: Miami vs. Vanderbilt
Kinder’s Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
9:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Houston vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Houston vs. Missouri
Monday, Dec. 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UNLV vs. Memphis
Schlabach: Coastal Carolina vs. Memphis
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Western Michigan
Schlabach: UNLV vs. Western Kentucky
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Illinois vs. LSU
Schlabach: Illinois vs. LSU
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: BYU vs. USC
Schlabach: BYU vs. USC
Wednesday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Tennessee
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Pitt vs. Arizona State
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Texas
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Texas
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Utah
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Utah
Friday, Jan. 2
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
1 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Duke vs. Kennesaw State
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. North Texas
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Navy
Schlabach: Cincinnati vs. Navy
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. Troy
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Virginia
Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
8 p.m., Fox
Bonagura: SMU vs. Arizona
Schlabach: SMU vs. Arizona
Someone is going to be upset — and it’s not just ACC champion Duke, which likely will be excluded from the playoff in favor of Sun Belt champion James Madison.
It might be the entire ACC that is fuming.
With Alabama losing to Georgia in the SEC championship game, the College Football Playoff selection committee’s biggest decision Saturday night will be how far to drop the Tide — and the result could mean the difference for Miami’s playoff hopes. The focus of the final ranking on Selection Day (Noon ET, ESPN) will be where it has been all season — on Notre Dame, Alabama and Miami.
Will the three-loss Tide earn the committee’s final at-large bid as the SEC runner-up? Or will Alabama’s poor performance against Georgia open the door for Notre Dame and Miami to finish in the top 10?
Here’s our prediction for what the committee might do in its sixth and final ranking on Selection Day.
Projecting the top 12
Why they could be here: The Big Ten champions are the only undefeated team left in the country, and they earned the best win of the season by defeating the committee’s No. 1 team, Ohio State. The Hoosiers entered Saturday ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s strength of record metric, No. 1 in total efficiency and No. 4 in game control — and that was before they beat Ohio State.
Why they could be lower: This isn’t a realistic scenario.
Need to know: Indiana won its first Big Ten title since 1967 (shared with Minnesota and Purdue) and its first outright Big Ten title since 1945.
Why they could be here: The Buckeyes have arguably the best loss of the season — to the committee’s No. 2 team — and it was a close game that went down to the wire. Ohio State still has two wins against CFP top-25 teams in Texas and Michigan, and the committee has been impressed all season with the Buckeyes’ talent and consistent dominance.
Why they could be lower: Without the win against the Hoosiers, Ohio State’s best win is a close home game against Texas — a team that Georgia hammered 35-10. Georgia and Texas Tech also have multiple wins against CFP top-25 opponents. Ohio State’s strength of schedule was ranked No. 46 entering Saturday, while Georgia was No. 25.
Need to know: Even if the committee drops Ohio State lower, it’s highly unlikely the Buckeyes fall out of the top four. They still have a strong case for a first-round bye as the Big Ten runner-up.
Why they could be here: The SEC champs avenged their regular-season loss to Alabama, and they did it in resounding fashion. The Bulldogs’ lone loss to the Tide is better than Texas Tech’s loss to Arizona, even though the committee knows the Red Raiders were without their starting quarterback in that game. Nobody has a better loss, though, than Ohio State, the Big Ten runner-up. Indiana and Ohio State entered Saturday ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in ESPN’s strength of record metric, and playing each other in the Big Ten title game will only boost that. Georgia also has a convincing victory against Texas, which should still be the committee’s No. 13 team. Wins against Tennessee, Ole Miss and Georgia Tech helped the Bulldogs to a top-five strength of record entering Saturday.
Why they could be higher: The committee might drop Ohio State to No. 3 because its strength of schedule is lower, and because of the common opponent in Texas. Georgia beat Texas 35-10, while Ohio State beat the Longhorns 14-7 in the season opener. Some committee members could believe Georgia has a stronger overall résumé.
Need to know: The Bulldogs’ 28-7 SEC title game win was Georgia’s largest margin of victory over Alabama since 1976 (won 21-0).
Why they could be here: The Red Raiders dominated BYU for a second time this season, clinching a top-four finish and a first-round bye as the Big 12 champs. The committee has been impressed by how consistently they’ve owned the margin of victory this season, ranking No. 2 in the country in points margin per game (31.5) and No. 1 in points margin (410) entering Saturday. The Red Raiders’ defense, particularly up front, has also separated Texas Tech from other one-loss contenders. The committee has considered all season that Texas Tech’s lone loss came Oct. 18 at Arizona State when Red Raiders starting quarterback Behren Morton was injured.
Why they could be higher: Texas Tech entered Saturday No. 3 in total efficiency — behind Indiana and Ohio State. Georgia was No. 11. Defensively, the Red Raiders are No. 1.
Need to know: Texas Tech entered Saturday with the worst schedule strength (59) of the top-four contenders, and the lowest strength of record (10th).
Why they could be here: With Georgia and Texas Tech winning their respective conference championship games, the No. 5 spot is likely the Ducks’ Selection Day ceiling. Oregon earned a respectable road win at Washington, a top-25 win against No. 16 USC, and the Nov. 8 victory at Iowa was ultimately against a CFP top-25 team, as the four-loss Hawkeyes came back into the ranking at No. 23 last week. Oregon has also impressed the committee with its top-five ranking in offensive and defensive efficiency. It also doesn’t hurt that the Ducks’ only loss is to the Big Ten champs, Indiana.
Why they could be higher: It’s unlikely that Ohio State drops behind Oregon. They both played the Hoosiers, and they both lost. The committee could compare their wins, but Ohio State’s victory against Texas trumps Oregon’s best win against USC.
Need to know: The No. 5 seed is one of the most desirable because Oregon gets home-field advantage and also plays the No. 12 seed, which this year will likely be James Madison, the Sun Belt champs.
Why they could be here: The selection committee rewarded Ole Miss in its last ranking for its regular-season win against rival Mississippi State, but also bumped up the Rebels because Texas A&M dropped after losing to Texas. The Rebels’ Oct. 18 loss at Georgia will keep them behind the Bulldogs, but the Oct. 25 win at Oklahoma gives Ole Miss an edge against the Sooners. The Rebels’ 45-10 victory Sept. 20 against Tulane is one of their best wins. The Green Wave won the American title and clinched a spot in the CFP.
Why they could be higher: Now that Tulane is the American champ, the committee could consider giving Ole Miss a boost above Oregon for beating the Green Wave. That’s the kind of result that could impact an idle team’s résumé.
Need to know: Even without former coach Lane Kiffin, the Rebels should still be a lock to host a first-round game.
Why they could be here: Because the Aggies didn’t play Alabama or Georgia this season, the SEC championship game didn’t impact their résumé while idle. The Aggies have only one win against a team in the CFP top 25, and that was the 41-40 victory at Notre Dame on Sept. 13. Still, the committee has a lot of respect for the Aggies’ four road wins.
Why they could be higher: It would be surprising to see Texas A&M move because Texas Tech won the Big 12 and won’t sink, and the loser of the Big Ten championship game is unlikely to drop outside of the top four.
Need to know: The Aggies should remain in position to host a first-round home game, and if they remain the No. 7 seed, they would face the No. 10 team, which is the committee’s toughest decision this week. Though the Aggies didn’t play Alabama during the regular season, it’s possible they could meet in the first round.
Why they could be here: The Sooners have earned their spot in the CFP thanks to an elite defense and their ability to continue to find ways to win — even when the offense has been average. The committee respects OU’s back-to-back road victories at Tennessee and Alabama. The Tide’s loss to Georgia doesn’t diminish the value of that win, especially because Alabama can still finish in the CFP field. The Sooners will still have the head-to-head tiebreaker, though, over Alabama. Oklahoma’s loss to Ole Miss will keep the Sooners behind the Rebels, but the committee has kept OU ahead of Texas despite the Sooners’ loss to the Longhorns because Texas has a third loss.
Why they could be higher: It’s unlikely the Sooners move up after being idle because Saturday’s results didn’t directly impact their place.
Need to know: With Alabama losing in the SEC championship game, the Sooners should still be safe as the last at-large team to host a first-round game.
Why they could be here: The Irish benefited from BYU losing to Texas Tech — preventing the Big 12 from having two teams in — and when Georgia beat Alabama soundly in the SEC title game. Arguably the biggest debate in the room all season has been between Notre Dame and Alabama, with the committee members seesawing between the two until Alabama’s Iron Bowl win tipped the scales last week for a few committee members who had been on the fence. With the loss to Georgia, though, the balance should swing back in Notre Dame’s favor, pushing Notre Dame safely into the bracket at No. 9.
Why they could be lower: If Alabama falls behind Miami, and the Canes are right next to Notre Dame, the committee could consider Miami’s head-to-head win over Notre Dame in the season opener and flip them. Even if that happened, though, both teams would still be in, and it would impact only seeding.
Need to know: Notre Dame has been in the committee’s top 10 in all five rankings this season. Last year, under the 12-team format, there were six teams that were ranked in the top 10 of every poll leading up to Selection Day; all six of them made the CFP (Oregon, Texas, Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State, Notre Dame), according to ESPN Research.
Why they could be here: Georgia beat Alabama soundly in the SEC championship game — with the selection members watching together. The group had called out Alabama’s inability to run the ball since the loss to Florida State, and it was exposed again against a relentless Georgia defense, finishing with minus-3 yards on the ground (with minus-28 of that coming from quarterback Ty Simpson). Alabama had the edge against that defense in a 24-21 win Sept. 27 in Athens. Georgia gave up 262 yards in the first half that day as Alabama scored on four of five possessions. The committee will consider Alabama’s win that day against the eventual SEC champs (along with victories against Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee). Alabama’s win against Georgia is better than Miami’s victory against Notre Dame.
Why they could be lower: Alabama was outplayed Saturday and Simpson was off-target. And the Tide lost the season opener to Florida State. If the committee drops the Tide lower, it won’t be as a punishment for playing in the SEC title game — it will be because of how Alabama performed in it.
Need to know: Same as Notre Dame above, Alabama has been ranked in the selection committee’s top 10 every week.
Why they could be here: With Alabama and BYU losing, it’s possible Miami and Notre Dame get in, but for that to happen, Alabama has to drop behind Miami. The Canes are still on the outside in this projection because the committee has believed each week that Notre Dame is the better team, and they were both idle Saturday. The committee would not intentionally put Alabama between Miami and Notre Dame, so it doesn’t have to deal with the head-to-head — that’s not how the voting works — but the Tide could fall there because the committee recognized Alabama was put in a position where it had to beat the same team twice in an additional game. Miami finished the season with two losses to unranked opponents, while Alabama and Notre Dame had losses to top-10 teams.
Why they could be higher: Alabama lost to Florida State, which Miami beat. The selection committee could drop Alabama to No. 11 behind Miami because of its third loss — and poor play — in a lopsided game against Georgia. That would open the door for Miami and Notre Dame to earn the final two at-large spots, regardless of the order.
Need to know: This depends in part on whom the committee is comparing the Canes with — Alabama or Notre Dame. It has been well-documented how close Miami and Notre Dame are. But if the group is comparing Miami and Alabama side-by-side, the Tide could have the edge. Alabama entered Saturday ranked No. 8 in strength of record, while Miami was No. 14. The Canes were No. 44 in strength of schedule, while Bama was No. 11.
Why they could be here: At 11-2, BYU is lumped in the group of two-loss teams at the bottom of the top 12, so the committee will compare the Cougars against Notre Dame and Miami. BYU lost by double digits again, though, to Texas Tech, and that likely will cause the Cougars to drop behind the Canes. BYU has two CFP top-25 wins: in double overtime at current No. 18 Arizona, and 24-21 at current No. 15 Utah. Though BYU’s wins aren’t as impressive as what Texas accomplished against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, the committee could separate the two in part by their losses. The Longhorns’ defeat to Florida, along with their other losses, is holding back Texas in the committee meeting room.
Why they could be higher: BYU’s only two losses are to the Big 12 champions and a top-four team. Those two losses are better than Miami’s losses to SMU and Louisville. BYU also entered Saturday ranked No. 6 in ESPN’s strength of record metric, and it won’t be diminished by playing a top-four team. Miami was No. 14 and didn’t play. BYU also had a slight edge over Miami in strength of schedule.
Need to know: BYU will be excluded from the playoff for James Madison, which will earn the No. 12 seed as the Sun Belt champion.
Bracket
Based on the rankings above, the seeding would be:
First-round byes
No. 1 Indiana (Big Ten champ)
No. 2 Ohio State
No. 3 Georgia (SEC champ)
No. 4 Texas Tech (Big 12 champ)
First-round games
On campus, Dec. 19 and 20
No. 12 James Madison (Sun Belt champ) at No. 5 Oregon
No. 11 Tulane (American champ) at No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&M
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
Quarterfinal games
At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Georgia
No. 10 Alabama/No. 7 Texas A&M winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
No. 9 Notre Dame/No. 8 Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Indiana
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