The bowl image becomes very, very clear.
With one week left in the 2024 college football regular season, 77 teams are already postseason eligible and have at least six wins. If we include the 12-team playoffs, there are 82 postseason berths available with 35 non-playoff bowls at the end of the season.
The number of bowl-eligible teams is guaranteed not to be lower than 79 at the end of the regular season, with two 5-6 team games in Week 14. And it’s likely there will be more bowl-eligible teams than bowl teams. spots available once Saturday night is over.
Sixteen teams are on five wins heading into the final week of the regular season. Not all of them are bowl eligible, but one or more of them could win a sixth game in Week 14 and exit the postseason entirely if there are more six-win teams than bowl spots.
Here’s a look at all the teams that need to win in the final week of the regular season to have a chance at a bowl game. All odds come from BetMGM.
Appalachian State (+2.5 in Georgia Southern): The Mountaineers are the only team in this group that is not at 5-6 thanks to a canceled game earlier this season due to Hurricane Helene. Georgia Southern needs to win and hope Marshall loses to reach the Sun Belt title game.
Auburn (+11.5 in Alabama): Never underestimate what can happen in the Iron Bowl. Especially after what happened in Week 13 when Auburn defeated Texas A&M in four overtimes. However, we’re still not all that optimistic about Auburn’s chances of making a bowl game.
Cincinnati (+2.5 vs. TCU): The Bearcats have been stuck at five wins for over a month. Cincinnati enters the season finale on a four-game losing streak that includes losses to Colorado, West Virginia, Iowa State and Kansas State. TCU has very slim hopes of making the Big 12 title game.
Coastal Carolina (-1.5 in the state of Georgia): The battle at the bottom of the Sun Belt East Division has postseason significance. Coastal has lost five of its last six games but has a shot at a bowl game thanks to three non-conference wins.
Eastern Michigan (+6.5 in Western Michigan): We have arrived at our first game where one team becomes bowl eligible and one team is done for the season. And yes, both games are rivalry games.
Kansas (+1.5 at Baylor): The Jayhawks are one of the hottest teams in college football after becoming the first team with a losing record to defeat ranked opponents in three straight games. Can Kansas get a fourth straight win to make a bowl game?
Louisiana-Monroe (+9.5 vs. Louisiana): The work that Bryant Vincent has done in Monroe is remarkable. But his team has also lost five games and three of those losses were by at least 21 points.
Michigan State (-1.5 vs. Rutgers): The Spartans snapped a three-game losing streak with a 24-17 victory over Purdue. But this is still a team that has lost six of its last eight games. Rutgers had its heart broken by a late home loss to Illinois in Week 13.
New Mexico (-1.5 on Hawaii): New Mexico opened the season 0-4, but will have a chance to score a bowl win in the final week of the season. A trip to Hawaii is always fun and always gets better with a win.
NC State (+3.5 in North Carolina): It’s been a tough season for the Wolfpack, but don’t count them out against a North Carolina team that just lost at Boston College and is on a three-game win streak.
North Texas (-10.5 at Temple): The Owls only play for pride, as they are 2-5 in the AAC and 3-8 overall. The Mean Green enter this game on a five-game losing streak and haven’t won since beating a Florida Atlantic team that is winless in conference play.
Oregon State (+18.5 at Boise State): The Beavers are the biggest underdog of all the 5-6 teams entering the final week of the regular season. At least Oregon State can claim a Pac-12 title after beating Washington State in Week 13.
Virginia (+7 at Virginia Tech): Both the Cavaliers and Hokies are 5-6. The Cavaliers have lost five of their last six games after starting 4-1.
Virginia Tech (-7 vs. Virginia): The Hokies were on a three-game losing streak, losing 31-28 to Duke in Week 13.
Western Michigan (-6.5 vs. Eastern Michigan): The Broncos have lost three straight trying to become bowl eligible, falling 16-14 to NIU last week. The EMU has now suffered four consecutive losses. Someone has to get a sixth win.
Wisconsin (-2 vs. Minnesota): There are a lot of losing streaks among teams looking for that sixth win. Wisconsin is among them. The Badgers have lost four straight and haven’t won since beating Northwestern 23-3.
