2019 bowl projections: Oklahoma State a favorite for Texas Bowl

With Oklahoma State becoming bowl eligible after its 34-27 victory over TCU on Saturday, we can start paying attention to bowl projections. There’s not a lot of point in the exercise until you’ve locked down that sixth win and assured yourself a football season lasting into late December.

The Cowboys are heading to a program record 14th straight bowl game. No matter where they end up, it’s important to remember this bowl streak means something. It’s the ninth longest active bowl streak in the country.

Ok, so on to the important stuff; where will OSU be playing out its postseason?

Here’s what the big sites think.

Bleacher Report: Texas Bowl vs. South Carolina (Dec. 27)
ESPN: Texas Bowl vs. Texas A&M (Dec. 27); Alamo Bowl vs. Utah (Dec. 31)
CBS: Texas Bowl vs. Liberty (Dec. 27)
247: Texas Bowl vs. Central Michigan (Dec. 27)
Sporting News: First Responders Bowl vs. Wyoming (Dec. 30)

The Texas Bowl in Houston seems the most likely destination, barring OSU falling off the rails and going 0-3 the rest of the way. The Texas Bowl falls fourth in the pecking order (that’s assuming no team makes the play-off and only one gets a New Year’s Six invite).

Now, as to why two projections have OSU playing Liberty (gross) and Central Michigan (REVENGE!) in said game?

1. People think the SEC could land as many as four teams in the playoff/NY6 games.
2. As much as half of the SEC’s teams could — in theory — not get to bowl eligibility, and that leaves a lot of empty bowl slots to fill by other teams. Don’t feel bad, a lot of the projections have the Big 12 facing an AAC team in the Liberty Bowl.

There is a lot of football to be played, but if things continue the way they’re going, OSU could find themselves facing a Group 5 team in a bowl game for the first time since the 2002 Houston bowl when OSU beat Southern Mississippi.