Bowl projections: Where could TCU football play this postseason?
TCU football closed out the regular season with an impressive 45-23 win over Cincinnati despite dealing with a 93-minute lightning delay in the first half.
It was the second straight win for the Horned Frogs (8-4, 5-4 Big 12), who bounced back from a two-game losing streak to Iowa State and BYU in early November.
TCU won’t be playing for a Big 12 title, but the wins over Houston and Cincinnati helped improve the Horned Frogs’ standings in the latest bowl projections.
Bowl game destinations will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Here is where various national media outlets have TCU projected to play:
CBS Sports: Liberty Bowl vs. Tulane
College football writer Brad Crawford projects the Horned Frogs will face the Tulane Green Wave on Jan. 2 in Memphis . Tulane is playing for the Group of Five playoff spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game Friday against North Texas. Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall announced he was leaving for Florida on Sunday.
Tulane finished the season 10-2, but the roster could look much different in the bowl game depending on the results of the conference championship.
ESPN: Texas Bowl vs. North Texas or Liberty Bowl vs. California
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has the Horned Frogs facing the Mean Green on Dec. 27 at NRG Stadium in Houston. It would be the first matchup between the two programs since 2002, but in this scenario the Mean Green would have lost the AAC title game. Head coach Eric Morris has already accepted the Oklahoma State coaching job and that could lead to opt-outs for North Texas.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura has TCU facing the Golden Bears in Memphis. California likely earned some points with TCU fans by knocking SMU out of the ACC championship game with a 38-35 upset win on Saturday. The Golden Bears have star freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele at quarterback, and he could make this an interesting matchup.
Athlon Sports: Rate Bowl vs. Northwestern
Athlon has TCU taking another trip to the Phoenix area to face the Wildcats at Chase Field on Dec. 26. While it’s a great location, Northwestern isn’t the type of matchup that would excite the fan base despite being a Big Ten opponent. The Wildcats finished 6-6 in the regular season.
What other bowls are in play?
One bowl to look out for is the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 27. The bowl game has had representatives at multiple TCU games this season and finds the program’s brand to be attractive. The bowl game has a tie-in with the ACC and Big 12.
On the lower end of projections, some analysts had TCU projected to play in the Independence Bowl in Shrevport on Dec. 30 or the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Jan. 2. Neither would be the ideal landing spot.
TCU fans should also root for BYU to get into the playoff along with Texas Tech, as that will only increase the program’s chances of moving up the Big 12 pecking order and landing in a bowl game it desires.
This story was originally published November 30, 2025 at 3:05 PM.
